Galatians 1:15

Galatians 1:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace,
• New International Version (NIV)But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased
• English Standard Version (ESV)But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace,
• New King James Version (NKJV)But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace,

Context of Galatians 1:15

13For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how severely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. 14I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by His grace, was pleased 16to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not rush to consult with flesh and blood, 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to the apostles who came before me, but I went into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.

Galatians 1:15 word by word

ὅτε δὲ εὐδόκησεν ὁ θεὸς ὁ ἀφορίσας με ἐκ κοιλίας μητρός μου καὶ καλέσας διὰ τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦRead the interlinear

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• whenὅτεhote ho te hē te tō te · whenG3753
• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• set me apartἀφορίζωaphorizō · to separateG873
• set me apartἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• fromἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• mother’sμήτηρmētēr · motherG3384
• wombκοιλίαkoilia · belly/womb/stomachG2836
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• calledκαλέωkaleō · to call: callG2564
• byδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
• Hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• graceχάριςcharis · graceG5485
• was pleasedεὐδοκέωeudokeō · to delightG2106

Cross-references for Galatians 1:15

• Deuteronomy 7:7The LORD did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than the other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.
• 1 Samuel 12:22Indeed, for the sake of His great name, the LORD will not abandon His people, because He was pleased to make you His own.
• 1 Chronicles 28:4Yet the LORD, the God of Israel, chose me out of all my father’s house to be king over Israel forever. For He chose Judah as leader, and from the house of Judah He chose my father’s household, and from my father’s sons He was pleased to make me king over all Israel.
• Matthew 11:26Yes, Father, for this was well-pleasing in Your sight.
• Luke 10:21At that time Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was well-pleasing in Your sight.
• 1 Corinthians 1:1Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,
• Ephesians 1:5He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will,
• Ephesians 3:11according to the eternal purpose that He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.
• Isaiah 49:1Listen to Me, O islands; pay attention, O distant peoples: The LORD called Me from the womb; from the body of My mother He named Me.
• Jeremiah 1:5“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
• Luke 1:15for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He shall never take wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb.
• Acts 9:15“Go!” said the Lord. “This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings, and before the people of Israel.
• Acts 13:2While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
• Acts 22:14Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear His voice.
• Romans 1:1Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, and set apart for the gospel of God—
• Romans 1:5Through Him and on behalf of His name, we received grace and apostleship to call all those among the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.

Commentaries on Galatians 1:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Who separated me from my mother's womb - Him whom I acknowledge as the God of nature and the God of grace; who preserved me by his providence when I was a helpless infant, and saved me by his grace when I was an adult persecutor. For some useful remarks on these passages see the introduction, sec. 2.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15But when it pleased God - Paul traced all his hopes of eternal life, and all the good influences which had ever borne upon his mind, to God. Who separated me … - That is, who destined me; or who purposed from my very birth that I should be a preacher and an apostle. The meaning is, that God had in his secret purposes set him apart to be an apostle. It does not mean that he had actually called him in his infancy to the work, for this was not so, but that…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-24Verses 15-24 St. Paul was wonderfully brought to the knowledge and faith of Christ. All who are savingly converted, are called by the grace of God; their conversion is wrought by his power and grace working in them. It will but little avail us to have Christ revealed to us, if he is not also revealed in us. He instantly prepared to obey, without hesitating as to his worldly interest, credit, ease, or life itself. And what matter of thanksgiving and joy is…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15-16God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb: God chose Paul for special work even before he was born. This is like how God chose other leaders (see Jeremiah 1:5; Psalm 139:13–16; Isaiah 49:1–6; Romans 9:10–13). called me by His grace: For Paul's conversion story (how he became a follower of Jesus), see Acts 9:1–19; 22:1–21; 26:9–23. Paul was called to share the good news about Jesus with non-Jews (Galatians 2:7). He even taught other apostles what this…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. separated--"set me apart": in the purposes of His electing love (compare Ac 9:15; 22:14), in order to show in me His "pleasure," which is the farthest point that any can reach in inquiring the causes of his salvation. The actual "separating" or "setting apart" to the work marked out for him, is mentioned in Ac 13:2; Ro 1:1. There is an allusion, perhaps, in the way of contrast, to the derivation of Pharisee from Hebrew, "pharash," "separated." I was…Read the comment

Topics related to Galatians 1:15

• Gentiles
• Grace of God
• Ignorance
• Minister, Christian
• Paul
• Predestination
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Equal
• Faith
• Criticism of the Bible
• Discrepancies, Biblical
• Galatians, Epistle to the
• Immaculate Conception, the
• Inspiration
• Laodiceans, Epistle to the

Commentaries on Galatians 1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings