G.K. Beale, «Peace and Mercy Upon the Israel of God. The Old Testament Background of Galatians 6,16b», Vol. 80 (1999) 204-223

This essay has contended that Paul’s reference to "new creation" and the pronouncement of "peace and mercy" on the readers in Gal 6,15-16 is best understood against the background of Isa 54,10 and the surrounding context of similar new creation themes elsewhere in Isa 32–66, which are echoed also earlier in Galatians, especially in 5,22-26. The analysis confirms those prior studies which have concluded that "the Israel of God" refers to all Christians in Galatia, whether Jewish or Christian. Lastly, the demonstration of an Isaianic background for the concept of new creation in Gal 6,15-16 falls in line with Paul’s other reference to "new creation" in 2 Cor 5,17 and John’s allusion to new creation in Rev 3,14, where Isa 43 and 65–66 stand behind both passages. Isa 54,10 was likely not the sole influence on Gal 6,16, but such texts as Psalm 84 (LXX), the Qumran Hymn Scroll (1QH 13,5), and Jub 22,9 may have formed a collective impression on Paul, with the Isaiah text most in focus; alternatively, the texts in Qumran and Jubilees may be mere examples of a similar use of Isaiah 54 on a parallel trajectory with that of Paul’s in Galatians 6.

us," v. 7). Furthermore, the attributes surrounding "mercy" and "peace" in Ps 84,11 ("faithfulness" and "righteousness") are portrayed in the directly following verses as fruits of God’s eschatological creative work in combination with other fertility imagery: "Faithfulness springs from the earth ... and our land will yield its produce" (vv. 12-13).

        The Psalm has some significant affinities with the Galatians context: (1) "mercy" and "peace" are pronounced "upon" Israel (cf. ei)rh/nhn e)pi_ to_n lao/n in Ps 84,9 and ei)rh/nh e)p' au)tou/j in Gal 6,16); (2) the notion of new "life" is associated with the salvific state of God’s people (cf. Ps 84,7 [above] and Gal 5,25); (3) the pronouncement of "peace" in Ps 84,9 is made to three groups; however, these are, in fact, different ways of referring to one group, Israel ("peace upon [e)pi/] his people and upon [e)pi/] his saints and upon [e)pi/] the ones who turn their heart to him"); likewise in Gal 6,16 peace is pronounced on multiple groups (with two e)pi/ clauses), and, if this is any reflection of the Psalm, the two groups there are probably the same; (4) in both contexts "peace" is listed among other attributes which are part of eschatological fertility imagery (cf. Gal 5,22-25).

        It is possible that the uses in Jeremiah and, especially Psalm 84, together with the use in Isaiah 54 are alluded to collectively in Gal 6,16, since they all refer to the peace and mercy Israel would experience in the promised restoration (though Jeremiah says it negatively), and Paul has clearly had the fulfillment of Israel’s promised restoration in mind with the explicit Isa 54,1 quotation in Galatians 4. Since these are the only three times where the combined uses appear in the Hebrew OT and since they all have the same reference (the divine blessing of peace and mercy upon Israel in the coming restoration), it is understandable that they may have become a collective influence (especially the Greek uses in the LXX) on Paul.

        If any one of these combined uses of "peace" and "mercy" are uppermost in mind in Gal, 6,16, it would have to be Isa 54,10 for the following reasons: (1) Isa 54,1 has already been referred to in Gal 4,27; thus, Paul already had the Isaiah 54 context explicitly in mind¹⁸; (2) sustoixe/w directly precedes the reference to Isaiah 54