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Galatians 5:22

in Galatians 5

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

KJV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

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This verse in Galatians 5

Commentary

6 notes on this verse

A commentator

Jerome

Commentary on Galatians · Written before 420.

(Verse 22) But the fruit of the Spirit is charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. And what other should hold the chief place among the fruit of the Spirit, if not charity, without which the other virtues are not considered to be virtues, and from which all good things are born?

This site's exposition

the fruit of the Spirit is love

on Galatians 5:22-23

Fruit is singular against the plural works of the flesh, karpos not karpoi, one organic yield with nine facets rather than nine separate achievements to pursue independently. The list runs from love outward through joy and peace to the self-controlled temperance at its close, and against such there is no law states that no legal code stands over conduct the Spirit has already produced, since law exists to restrain what grace has already replaced. Wesley reads the whole list as a single description of the Spirit-filled life rather than a checklist to work through one virtue at a time.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

Love - The root of all the rest. Gentleness - Toward all men; ignorant and wicked men in particular. Goodness - The Greek word means all that is benign, soft, winning, tender, either in temper or behaviour.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

But the fruit of the Spirit - Both flesh - the sinful dispositions of the human heart and spirit - the changed or purified state of the soul, by the grace and Spirit of God, are represented by the apostle as trees, one yielding good the other bad fruit; the productions of each being according to the nature of the tree, as the tree is according to the nature of the seed from which it sprung.
OBSERVE, "the fruit of the Spirit," for the product of the Spirit of God is one. As some fruits are easily divisible into several parts, so you perceive that the fruit of the Spirit, though it is but one, is threefold, no, it makes three times three—"love, joy, peace; longsuffering, gentleness, goodness; faith, meekness, temperance"—all one! Perhaps "love" is put first not only because it is a right royal virtue, nearest akin to the Divine perfection, but because it is a comprehensive Grace and contains all the others.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

on Galatians 5:19-23

The identification of "the natural (Greek, 'animal-souled') man," with the "carnal" or fleshly man (1Co 2:14), shows that "the flesh" expresses human nature as estranged from God. TRENCH observes, as a proof of our fallen state, how much richer is every vocabulary in words for sins, than in those for graces.

The words behind it

13 Greek words

Every 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.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

18 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

2 Timothy 1:7For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.208 worksColossians 3:12–17Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.202 works1 Corinthians 13:4–7Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.187 worksJohn 15:5I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.147 worksJames 3:17–18But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peace-loving, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere.138 worksJohn 15:2He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful.112 works
The other 12 cross-references, with their words ▾
Philippians 4:8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things.101 worksEphesians 5:9for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.100 worksPsalms 1:3He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does.83 worksJohn 15:16You did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will remain—so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.74 worksPhilippians 4:4–9Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!72 worksRomans 7:4Therefore, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.66 worksPhilippians 4:7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.65 worksMatthew 5:9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.62 worksRomans 15:13Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.60 works2 Peter 1:5–8For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge;57 works1 Peter 1:22Since you have purified your souls by obedience to the truth so that you have a genuine love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from a pure heart.51 worksJohn 14:27Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.49 works

Where this verse connects

5 approved connections.

  • The same word

    John 15:5

    G2590 karpos exact-Strong's link: 'fruit of the Spirit' (Gal 5:22) and 'beareth much fruit' (John 15:5) are the same lemma; joins the facet stem to its source vine. Floor-verifiable.

    Source: same-word method

  • The same word

    Matthew 3:8

    'Fruits meet for repentance' (G2590): the ethical-evidence sense of karpos; supporting link.

  • Growth against effort

    Galatians 5:24

    Fruit grows on the abiding branch (5:22 + John 15) YET 'they that are of Christ have crucified the flesh' (5:24, active): the passage holds both sanctification poles; the Depth-3 traditions drawer.

    Source: Gal 5 text

  • Judged by its fruit

    Matthew 7:17

    'Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit' (G2590 + dendron G1186): the 'known by its fruit' sayings make the vine discourse's demand; the fruit of the Spirit is how the good tree is known.

  • Flesh against Spirit

    Galatians 5:17

    'The flesh lusteth against the Spirit... these are contrary the one to the other': the passage supplies its own antithesis (works of flesh 5:19-21 vs fruit 5:22-23); structural warrant for the facet-vs-antonym pairing.

    Source: Gal 5 text

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    John 15:5

    I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.

    it leads to

    • Philippians 4:13

      I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

    • Colossians 1:10

      so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,

    • John 15:16

      You did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will remain—so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.

    • Proverbs 11:30

      The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

    • 2 Corinthians 13:8

      For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.

  • Through

    John 15:2

    He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful.

    it leads to

    • Matthew 3:10

      The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

    • Hebrews 12:10–11

      Our fathers disciplined us for a short time as they thought best, but God disciplines us for our good, so that we may share in His holiness.

    • Matthew 15:13

      But Jesus replied, “Every plant that My heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by its roots.

Where this verse is studied

By subject

Love35 verses

Everything on Love

On this page

Studies4

On this verse

On this chapter

About Galatians

The Crucifixion — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)
The Crucifixion — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)
Galatians: the study guide →Read Galatians 5 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 1582: “The Fruit of the Spirit—Joy” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Galatians; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament and John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament.

Read on in Galatians 5 →