Galatians 4:17
in Galatians 4Those people are zealous for you, but not in a good way. Instead, they want to isolate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
They zealously seek you in no good way; nay, they desire to shut you out, that ye may seek them.
KJV
They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.
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This verse in Galatians 4
Commentary
13 notes on this verse(Verse 17, 18.) They imitate you, but not in a good way: rather, they want to exclude you so that you may imitate them. But always imitate the good in what is good, and not only when I am present with you. Those imitate well who, when they see that others have gratitude, gifts, virtues, desire to possess those themselves: and they strive to imitate their faith, life, and industry through which they have earned those things, so that they may also attain those things which are worthy of good emulation.
This site's exposition
Those people are zealous for you
on Galatians 4:17-18
The Judaizing teachers court the Galatians zealously, but not well, aiming to exclude them from Paul's fellowship. Paul answers that zeal for a good thing is always right, so the fault lies in the object of the zeal.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
— [OECUMENIUS] "They envy you." He says they do not welcome the same faith in Christ for your benefit, but in order to exclude you from it and persuade themselves to follow, because such a plan has been formulated against your deception. [end of the …
He says this with reference to those evil teachers. "For seeing your conspicuous faith," he says, "they are grieved and all try by every means to rob you of those goods and subject you to their own authority." For that is what he means by …
A commentator
Gaius Marius VictorinusEPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS 2.4.17-18 · Written before 370.
proposed
Since emulate signifies two things—one when someone emulates what he finds pleasing because it is good and another when people are emulators because they feel envy—these people, he says, emulate you in a bad way, by which he means that they are imitators through envy.… …
It is a wholesome emulation which leads to an imitation of virtue, but an evil one, which seduces from virtue him who is in the right path. And this is the object of those persons, who would deprive you of perfect knowledge, and impart to you that which is mutilated and spurious, and this for no other purpose than that they may occupy the rank of teachers, and degrade you, who now stand higher than themselves, to the position of disciples. For this is the meaning of the words "that ye may seek them." But I, says he, desire the reverse, that ye may become a model for them, and a pattern of a higher perfection: a thing which actually happened when I was present with you...
The Medieval Church1 voice
Then when he says, "They are zealous in your regard not well," he states another supposed cause, namely, on the part of the false brethren. First, he states it; Secondly, he refutes it (v. 18). As to the first it should be noted that, as …
6 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
Zeal is a praiseworthy thing when someone imitates the virtue of another, but it becomes bad when someone strives to remove the virtuous person from perfection. And these people are trying to exclude you, that is, to deprive you of the more perfect state and …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Zealously affect you - Express an extraordinary regard for you. But not well - Their zeal is not according to knowledge; neither have they a single eye to your spiritual advantage. Yea, they would exclude you - From me and from the blessings of the gospel.
They zealously affect you,.... Or "are jealous of you"; meaning the false apostles, whose names, in contempt, he mentions not, being unworthy to be taken notice of, and their names to be transmitted to posterity.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
They zealously affect you - See 1Co 12:31 (Greek); 1Co 14:39. The word used here (Ζηλόω Zēloō), means to be “zealous” toward, that is, for or against any person or thing; usually, in a good sense, to be eager for. Here it means, that the false teachers made a show of zeal toward the Galatians, or professed affection for them in order to gain them as their followers. They were full of ardor, and professed an extraordinary concern for their welfare - as people always do who are demagogues, or who seek to gain proselytes.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Neither the cause of their zealous courting of you, nor the manner, is what it ought to be. they would exclude you--"They wish to shut you out" from the kingdom of God (that is, they wish to persuade you that as uncircumcised Gentiles, you are shut out from it), "that ye may zealously court them," that is, become circumcised, as zealous followers of themselves.
They zealously affect you, but not well - It is difficult for common readers to understand the meaning of these words: perhaps it would be better to translate Ζηλουσιν ὑμας ου καλως, these false teachers endeavor to conciliate your esteem, but not in honest or true principles; they work themselves into your good graces; they wish you to place all your affection upon themselves. They would exclude you - They wish to shut you out from the affection of your apostle, that you might affect them, ἱνα αυτους ζηλουτε, that you might love them alone, hear them alone, abide by their directions only, and totally abandon him who called you into the grace of the Gospel of Christ. Some MSS. read ἡμας, us, instead of ὑμας, you; they wish to shut us entirely out from among you, that you may receive and believe them alone. The sense is nearly the same but the former appears to be the more authentic reading.
The words behind it
11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ζηλοῦσιν | zelousin | They are zealous after | G2206 → | 11 times |
| ὑμᾶς | humas | you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| οὐ | ou | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| καλῶς, | kalos | rightly, | G2573 → | |
| ἀλλ᾽ | all᾽ | but | G235 → | 635 times |
| ἐκκλεῖσαι | ekkleisai | to exclude | G1576 → | |
| ὑμᾶς | humas | you [from us] | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| θέλουσιν, | thelousin | They desire | G2309 → | 208 times |
| ἵνα | ina | so that | G2443 → | 668 times |
| αὐτοὺς | autous | them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ζηλοῦτε. | zeloute | you may be zealous after. | G2206 → | 11 times |
ζηλοῦσινThey are zealous after
zelousinG2206 →11 times
ὑμᾶςyou
humasG4771 →2973 times
οὐnot
ouG3756 →1664 times
καλῶς,rightly,
kalosG2573 →
ἀλλ᾽but
all᾽G235 →635 times
ἐκκλεῖσαιto exclude
ekkleisaiG1576 →
ὑμᾶςyou [from us]
humasG4771 →2973 times
θέλουσιν,They desire
thelousinG2309 →208 times
ἵναso that
inaG2443 →668 times
αὐτοὺςthem
autousG846 →5565 times
ζηλοῦτε.you may be zealous after.
zelouteG2206 →11 times
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
Romans 16:18For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.
it leads to
- Colossians 2:4
I say this so that no one will deceive you by smooth rhetoric.
- Matthew 7:15
Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
- Micah 3:5
This is what the LORD says: “As for the prophets who lead My people astray, who proclaim peace while they chew with their teeth, but declare war against one who puts nothing in their…
- 1 Timothy 6:5
and constant friction between men of depraved mind who are devoid of the truth. These men regard godliness as a means of gain.
- 2 Timothy 3:2–6
For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
- Colossians 2:4
Through
2 Peter 2:3In their greed, these false teachers will exploit you with deceptive words. The longstanding verdict against them remains in force, and their destruction does not sleep.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 2:17
For we are not like so many others, who peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as men sent from God.
- Romans 16:18
For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.
- Deuteronomy 32:35
Vengeance is Mine; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly.”
- 2 Corinthians 2:17
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies21
About Galatians
This page draws on 13 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); Gaius Marius Victorinus, EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS 2.4.17-18; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Galatians; John Chrysostom, Homily on Galatians 4; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Galatians; Theodoret of Cyrus, EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS 4.16; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Galatians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Galatians.