Galatians 5:7
in Galatians 5You were running so well. Who has obstructed you from obeying the truth?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Ye were running well; who hindered you that ye should not obey the truth?
KJV
Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
⋯
This verse in Galatians 5
Commentary
12 notes on this verse(Verse 7.) You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? The Latin translator, in his interpretation, put 'not obeying the truth', which is written in Greek as 'τῇ ἀληθείᾳ μὴ πείθεσθαι'. He interpreted it in the previous place as 'not believing the truth', which we noted in its proper place because it is not found in ancient manuscripts, although the Greek copies have been confused by this error.
This site's exposition
You were running so well
on Galatians 5:7-9
The race turns to a question, Who has obstructed you from obeying the truth? Enekopsen is a military word for breaking up a road to stop an advancing column.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
"who hindered you?" The "who" is not of one asking, but of one sorrowful, as if he had said: You were reaching perfection, what has happened? Who has had such power as to prevent you from obeying the truth of the Gospel?
They bear in mind how the churches were rebuked by the apostle: "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you? " and, "Ye did run so well; who hath hindered you? " and how the epistle actually begins: "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from Him, who hath called you as His own in grace, to another gospel.
This is not an interrogation, but an expression of doubt and sorrow. How hath such a course been cut short? who hath been able to do this? ye who were superior to all and in the rank of teachers, have not even continued in the position of disciples. What has happened? who could do this? these are rather the words of one who is exclaiming and lamenting, as he said before, "Who did bewitch you?" (Gal. iii: 1.)
The Medieval Church2 voices
Then when he says, "You did run well. Who hath hindered you that you should not obey the truth?" he deals with the obstacle to standing. First, he mentions the obstacle; Secondly, he teaches its removal (v. 8). The obstacle to their standing fast was …
This is not a question, but a lament. He says: you had attained perfection, but what happened? Who gained such power as to hinder you from obeying not the evangelical truth, but the abolished law?
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Ye did run well,.... In the Christian race; when they first set out in a profession of religion, they embraced and held fast, and were zealously attached to the truths of the Gospel; they were in the lively exercise of grace on its proper object, and very diligent in the discharge of duty; they made great proficiency in the knowledge of divine things, and ran with cheerfulness and without weariness in the ways of Christ, and in the paths of truth and holiness.
Note, (1.) The life of a Christian is a race, wherein he must run, and hold on, if he would obtain the prize. (2.) It is not enough that we run in this race, by a profession of Christianity, but we must run well, by living up to that profession.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Ye did run well - The Christian life is often represented as a race; see the notes at 1Co 9:24-26. Paul means here, that they began the Christian life with ardour and zeal; compare Gal 4:15. Who did hinder you - Margin, “Drive you back.” The word used here (ἀνακόπτω anakoptō) means properly to beat or drive back. Hence, it means to hinder, check, or retard.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Translate, "Ye were running well" in the Gospel race (1Co 9:24-26; Php 3:13, 14). who, &c.--none whom you ought to have listened to [BENGEL]: alluding to the Judaizers (compare Ga 3:1). hinder--The Greek means, literally, "hinder by breaking up a road." not obey the truth--not submit yourselves to the true Gospel way of justification.
Ye did run well - Ye once had the faith that worked by love - ye were genuine, active, useful Christians. Who doth hinder - Who prevented you from continuing to obey the truth? Ye could only be turned aside by your own consent. St. Paul here, as in 1Co 9:24 (note), compares Christianity to a race. See the notes on the above text.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἐτρέχετε | etrechete | You were running | G5143 → | 20 times |
| καλῶς· | kalos | well; | G2573 → | |
| τίς | tis | Who | G5101 → | 563 times |
| ὑμᾶς | humas | you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ἐνέκοψεν | enekopsen | impeded | G1465 → | |
| τῇ | tea | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀληθείᾳ | aletheia | truth | G225 → | 109 times |
| μὴ | me | not | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| πείθεσθαι; | peithesthai | to obey? | G3982 → | 51 times |
ἐτρέχετεYou were running
etrecheteG5143 →20 times
καλῶς·well;
kalosG2573 →
τίςWho
tisG5101 →563 times
ὑμᾶςyou
humasG4771 →2973 times
ἐνέκοψενimpeded
enekopsenG1465 →
τῇthe
teaG3588 →19766 times
ἀληθείᾳtruth
aletheiaG225 →109 times
μὴnot
meG3361 →1066 times
πείθεσθαι;to obey?
peithesthaiG3982 →51 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
Hebrews 12:1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set…
it leads to
- Philippians 2:16
as you hold forth the word of life, in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Timothy 4:7
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
- 1 Corinthians 9:24–27
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize.
- Luke 21:34
But watch yourselves, or your hearts will be weighed down by dissipation, drunkenness, and the worries of life—and that day will spring upon you suddenly like a snare.
- Hebrews 10:35–39
So do not throw away your confidence; it holds a great reward.
- Philippians 2:16
Through
1 Corinthians 9:24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize.
it leads to
- Philippians 3:14
I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus.
- Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set…
- 2 Timothy 4:7–8
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
- Philippians 3:14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies27
- Bearing One Another's Burdens
- Faith and Works
- The Fruit of the Spirit
- The Words Tov and Agathosyne
- Holiness and Legalism
- How Scripture Shapes Christian Ethics
Show the next 6 titles
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 on the New Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); J. B. Lightfoot, Saint Paul's Epistle to the Galatians; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Galatians; John Chrysostom, Homily on Galatians 5; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Galatians; Tertullian, The Prescription Against Heretics; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Galatians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Galatians.
