(25) And of the covenant. . . .--It is a significant indication of the unity of apostolic teaching, which it was St. Luke's aim to bring before his readers, that St. Peter thus refers chiefly to the covenant made with Abraham (Genesis 12:3), with as full an emphasis as St. Paul does when he had learnt to see that it implicitly involved the calling of the Gentiles into the kingdom of Christ (Galatians 3:8.).

Verse 25. - Sons for children, A.V.; your for our, A.V. and T.R.; families for kindreds, A.V. Ye are the sons of the prophets, meaning that they inherited all the promises made by the prophets to their fathers. Just as in Acts 2:39 he said, "The promise is unto you and to your children" (comp. Romans 9:4; Romans 15:8). He thus enforces the solemn obligation of giving heed to what the prophets had said concerning Christ and his kingdom. In thy seed (see Galatians 3:16). This covenant, into which God entered with Abraham, with an oath (Genesis 22:16, 18), and which was a repetition and amplification of the covenant and promise already recorded in Genesis 12:1-3; Genesis 15; Genesis 17:1-8, was made πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας, with a view to, in the direction of, the fathers, so as to include them and their children after them. It was now fulfilled to those whom St. Peter was addressing, as is set forth in the next verse.

3:22-26 Here is a powerful address to warn the Jews of the dreadful consequences of their unbelief, in the very words of Moses, their favourite prophet, out of pretended zeal for whom they were ready to reject Christianity, and to try to destroy it. Christ came into the world to bring a blessing with him. And he sent his Spirit to be the great blessing. Christ came to bless us, by turning us from our iniquities, and saving us from our sins. We, by nature cleave to sin; the design of Divine grace is to turn us from it, that we may not only forsake, but hate it. Let none think that they can be happy by continuing in sin, when God declares that the blessing is in being turned from all iniquity. Let none think that they understand or believe the gospel, who only seek deliverance from the punishment of sin, but do not expect happiness in being delivered from sin itself. And let none expect to be turned from their sin, except by believing in, and receiving Christ the Son of God, as their wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.Ye are the children of the prophets,.... Of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who are called prophets, Psalm 105:15 being lineally and naturally descended from them; to them belonged the prophecies of the Old Testament concerning the Messiah, and the promises of him; they were heirs of them;

and of the covenant which God made with our fathers; so the phrase , "children of the covenant", is used by the Jews, as peculiar to themselves; See Gill on Romans 9:8 and so , "a son of the law" (n), is also used by them in a like sense; the law, the covenant, and the promises, externally belonging to them:

saying unto Abraham, Genesis 22:18

and in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed; meaning the Messiah, that sprung from him, and is called the son of Abraham; in whom, not only all Abraham's spiritual seed among the Jews, or the elect of God in that nation, and who were truly the children of Abraham, and of the promise, but even all the chosen of God among the Gentiles, in every nation, and of every kindred and family among them, are blessed in Christ, with all spiritual blessings; with peace, pardon, righteousness, redemption, and salvation: for this is not a form of blessing the Gentiles would use, when they blessed themselves, or others; saying, God bless thee, as he blessed Abraham's seed; for no one instance can be produced, when the Gentiles ever used such a form of blessing as this; but a prophecy of the calling of the Gentiles by the Messiah, and of their being blessed in him; see Galatians 3:16 and though this sense is departed from by modern Jews, it was what the ancient synagogue gave into (o).

(n) T. Bab. Gittin, fol. 62. 1.((o) Sepher Chasidim, sect. 961. apud Allix, Judgment of the Jewish Church, p 57.