Galatians 4:17 - Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown

Galatians 4:17

15 ¹What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me.

16 Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?

17 They ^azealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them.

18 But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always, and not only when I am present with you.

19 ^aMy little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you,

20 I would like to be present with you now and to change my tone; for I have doubts about you.

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21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?

22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons: ^athe one by a bondwoman, ^bthe other by a freewoman.

23 But he who was of the bondwoman ^awas born according to the flesh, ^band he of the freewoman through promise,

Commentaries:

Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown

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Galatians 4:17

They—your flatterers: in contrast to Paul himself, who tells them the truth.

zealously—zeal in proselytism was characteristic especially of the Jews, and so of Judaizers (Galatians 1:14; Matthew 23:15; Romans 10:2).

affect you—that is, court you (II Corinthians 11:2).

not well—not in a good way, or for a good end. 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. ALFORD explains it, that their wish was to shut out the Galatians from the general community, and attract them as a separate clique to their own party. So the English word "exclusive," is used.

Other Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown entries containing Galatians 4:17:

Malachi 3:1
Galatians 1:7
Galatians 4:18
Galatians 4:19
Galatians 5:10

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Galatians 4:18 >>

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