Galatians 1:5
in Galatians 1to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
KJV
To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
⋯
This verse in Galatians 1
Commentary
14 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
To whom be glory ... - Let Him have all the praise and honor of the plan and its execution. It is not uncommon for Paul to introduce an ascription of praise in the midst of an argument: see the note at Rom 1:25. It results from the strong desire which he had, that all the glory should be given to God, and showed that he believed that all blessings had their origin in God, and that God should be always acknowledged.
This site's exposition
Grace be to you and peace
on Galatians 1:3-5
The greeting is standard, grace and peace, but verse 4 loads it at once with the letter's argument: Christ gave himself for our sins to deliver us out of this present evil age. Deliver translates exaireo, a rescue out of a condition rather than a payment of a debt, and Paul is already framing salvation as an exodus the Galatians are being talked into reversing. The doxology that follows is the last calm note before verse 6 turns.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
"to whom be the glory forever and ever." Reflecting on the indescribable benefits of God through the things said, he finished his speech in doxology. For he could not express them.
A commentator
Augustine of HippoEPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS 3 [1B.1.3-5] · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
How much more, therefore, ought men not to claim the credit for themselves if they perform any good work, when the very Son of God in the Gospel said that he sought not his own glory. Nor had he come to do his own will but the will of him who sent him! This will and glory of the Father the apostle now commemorates, that he also, by the example of the Lord who sent him, may indicate that he seeks not his own glory or the performance of his own will in the preaching of the gospel, just as he says a little later, "if I were to please men, I should not be a servant of Christ."
"To whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen." This too is new and unusual, for we never find the word, "Amen" placed at the beginning of an Epistle, but a good way on; here, however he has it in his beginning, to show that what he had already said contained a sufficient charge against the Galatians, and that his argument was complete, for a manifest offence does not require an elaborate crimination. Having spoken of the Cross, and Resurrection, of redemption from sin and security for the future, of the purpose of the Father, and the will of the Son, of grace and peace and His whole gift, he concludes with an ascription of praise. Another reason for it is the exceeding astonishment into which he was thrown by the magnitude of the gift, the superabundance of the grace, the consideration who we were, and what God had wrought, and that at once and in a single moment of time. Unable to express this in words, he breaks out into a doxology, sending up for the whole world an eulogium, not indeed worthy of the subject, but such as was possible to him. Hence too he proceeds to use more vehement language; as if greatly kindled by a sense of the Divine benefits, for having said, "To whom be the glory for ever and ever, Amen," he commences with a more severe reproof.
The Medieval Church2 voices
Not using the word "amen" anywhere in the introduction, he placed it here, showing that this speech of his is finished and that what has been said is sufficient for the accusation of the Galatians. And having reminded them of the ineffable benefactions of God, …
He refers to the evil deeds, to the distorted free choice.
7 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
And because it is from God our Father, namely, from the whole Trinity, that all things come to us through Christ, therefore to it, i.e., to the whole Trinity, glory in itself, honor from others, be or is, "forever and ever," i.e., always. "Amen." This …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
That they were removed to another gospel, which yet was not another. Thus the apostle represents the doctrine of these judaizing teachers; he calls it another gospel, because it opened a different way of justification and salvation from that which was revealed in the gospel, namely, by works, and not by faith in Christ.
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
be glory--rather, as Greek, "be the glory"; the glory which is peculiarly and exclusively His.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2483: “The Objective of Christ's Death” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
THE Apostle Paul, in his writings, is notable for the fact that he scarcely ever mentions the name of the Lord Jesus Christ without pausing to praise and bless Him. There are many benedictions and hallelujahs in Paul's Epistles which might have been omitted so far as the run of the sense is concerned, but not one of them could be omitted because his heart was so aglow with love to his Divine Master that he only needed to mention that dear name and out burst his praises in a second!
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2483: “The Objective of Christ's Death” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
THE Apostle Paul, in his writings, is notable for the fact that he scarcely ever mentions the name of the Lord Jesus Christ without pausing to praise and bless Him. There are many benedictions and hallelujahs in Paul's Epistles which might have been omitted so far as the run of the sense is concerned, but not one of them could be omitted because his heart was so aglow with love to his Divine Master that he only needed to mention that dear name and out burst his praises in a second! Brethren, let us all try to keep a heart like the Apostle's—so full of love to Christ that we have only to come across His track and we shall at once fall down and worship and adore Him or, upon the wings of holy love mount up nearer to His Throne. I am quite sure that when Paul was writing the Epistle to the Galatians, he was eager to get at his task. The Galatians had turned aside from the Gospel of God's Grace and Paul was in dead earnest to bring them back to the grand Truth of the doctrine of salvation and justification by faith in Christ. He was burning to get at his work of trying to win them back to the old paths, but it seemed necessary and courteous to begin with a salutation. In that salutation occurred the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, so off went the Apostle! Earnest as he was to get to the special subject on which he was about to write, he felt that he must tarry a while and write a little to the honor of his Divine Master. So we read, "Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: to whom be glory forever and ever.
To whom be glory for ever - Let him have the glory to whom alone it is due, for having delivered us from the present evil world, and from all bondage to Mosaic rites and ceremonies.
The words behind it
9 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ᾧ | ho | to whom [be] | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| ἡ | he | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δόξα | doxa | glory | G1391 → | |
| εἰς | eis | to | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τοὺς | tous | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| αἰῶνας | aionas | ages | G165 → | 121 times |
| τῶν | ton | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| αἰώνων, | aionon | ages, | G165 → | 121 times |
| ἀμήν.¶ | amen | Amen. | G281 → |
ᾧto whom [be]
hoG3739 →1405 times
ἡthe
heG3588 →19766 times
δόξαglory
doxaG1391 →
εἰςto
eisG1519 →1755 times
τοὺςthe
tousG3588 →19766 times
αἰῶναςages
aionasG165 →121 times
τῶνof the
tonG3588 →19766 times
αἰώνων,ages,
aiononG165 →121 times
ἀμήν.¶Amen.
amenG281 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Jude 1:25to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority through Jesus Christ our Lord before all time, and now, and for all eternity. Amen.
it leads to
- 1 Timothy 1:17
Now to the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Revelation 5:13–14
And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To Him who sits on the throne and to…
- 1 Timothy 1:17
Through
Romans 11:36For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen.
it leads to
- Colossians 1:15–17
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
- 1 Corinthians 8:6
yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we exist. And there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and…
- Hebrews 2:10
In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting for God, for whom and through whom all things exist, to make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.
- Colossians 1:15–17
Through
Hebrews 13:21equip you with every good thing to do His will. And may He accomplish in us what is pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 5:10–11
And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore you, secure you, strengthen you, and establish…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Philippians 2:13
For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:17
encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good word and deed.
- 1 Peter 5:10–11
Where this verse is studied
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About Galatians
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS 3 [1B.1.3-5]; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2483: “The Objective of Christ's Death” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Galatians 1; John Damascene, Commentary (church-history corpus); John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Galatians; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Galatians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Galatians.