Galatians 4:15

Galatians 4:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.
• New International Version (NIV)Where, then, is your blessing of me now? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.
• English Standard Version (ESV)What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me.
• New King James Version (NKJV)What 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.

Context of Galatians 4:15

13You must remember that I first came to you because I was ill. That was when I first told God's good news to you. 14I caused trouble for you because I was ill. But you did not insult me. You did not tell me to go away. But you were kind to me. You took care of me as if I were an angel from God, or even Christ Jesus himself. But now you do not seem to be happy with me any more. I can say that you would have pulled out your own eyes to help me. You would have given them to me, if that had been possible. 16But now I seem to have become your enemy! Is that because I am telling you God's true message? 17Those false teachers try very much to please you. But they do not really want what is good for you. They want to make you turn away from me. Then you will only want to listen to them.

Galatians 4:15 word by word

Ποῦ οὖν ὁ μακαρισμὸς ὑμῶν; μαρτυρῶ γὰρ ὑμῖν ὅτι, εἰ δυνατόν, τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ὑμῶν ἐξορύξαντες ἐδώκατέ μοι.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Whereτίςtis · which?G5101
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• thenοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• the blessednessὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the blessednessμακαρισμόςmakarismos · blessednessG3108
• ye spake ofσύsu · youG4771
• forγάρgar · forG1063
• I bearμαρτυρέωmartureō · to testifyG3140
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• ifεἰei · ifG1487
• possibleδυνατόςdunatos · ableG1415
• ye would have plucked outἐξορύσσωexorussō · to dig through/outG1846
• eyesὀφθαλμόςophthalmos · eyeG3788
• ·ἄνan · ifG302
• and have given themδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
• to meἐγώegō · I/weG1473

Cross-references for Galatians 4:15

• Galatians 3:14Christ died in that way so that God would bless the Gentiles in the way that he blessed Abraham. Also, if we believe in Christ, we can then receive God's Spirit that he promised.
• Galatians 5:22But God's Spirit causes us to live in a different way. We love other people. We are happy and we have peace in our minds. We are patient, kind and good. People can trust us to do what is right.
• Galatians 6:4Everyone should think carefully about the things that they themselves do. If those things are good, that is a reason to be proud. A person like that does not need to think about whether he is better than anyone else.
• Luke 8:13Some seeds fell on ground with rocks in it. This is like people who hear the message from God and they are very happy for a time. But they are like plants that have not grown down well into the soil. They believe in God for a short time. But when they have problems, they stop believing.
• Romans 4:6David also wrote about the same thing. He describes those people that God has accepted as right with himself. God has not accepted them because they have done good things, but as his gift to them. David tells us how happy people like that are.
• Romans 5:2Also, because we trust Jesus Christ, he has caused us to know that God is very kind. That makes us strong in our lives here. We also are sure that we will live with God in heaven. So we are very happy.
• Romans 15:13God is the one who causes us to hope for good things. I pray that God will bless you very much. I pray that he will cause you to be happy and to have peace in your minds. He will do this because you believe in him. As a result, God's Holy Spirit will make you strong with his power, so that you hope even more certainly.
• Romans 10:2I can say this about them: They really want to serve God well. But they do not understand the right way to do this.
• 2 Corinthians 8:3Let me tell you this. They gave as much money as they were able to give. Then they gave even more than that! They gave it because they wanted to.
• Colossians 4:13I can tell you this about Epaphras: He has worked very hard for you, and also for the people at Laodicea and at Hierapolis.
• Galatians 4:19My children, I feel like a mother who is giving birth to you again. I will continue to feel that kind of pain until you become more completely like Christ.
• Romans 9:3I belong to the same family as they do. They are my own people. I really want them to believe in Christ too. If it would help them, I would even ask God to curse me. I would ask him to make me separate from Christ.
• 1 Thessalonians 2:8We loved you very much, so we wanted to tell you God's good news. We wanted to share our lives with you too.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:13Show them how valuable they are to you. And love them very much because of the work that they do. Live at peace among yourselves.
• 1 John 3:16This is how we know what true love is: Jesus Christ gave his own life on the cross. He died on our behalf. So we too ought to give our lives for other believers.

Commentaries on Galatians 4:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? - Ye spake of should be in italics, there being no corresponding word in the Greek text. Perhaps there is not a sentence in the New Testament more variously translated than this. I shall give the original: ̔ ̔· What was then your blessedness! Or, How great was your happiness at that time! Or, What blessings did ye then pour on me! It is worthy of remark, that, instead of , what, ABCFG, several others, the older…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15Where is then the blessedness - Margin, “What was” - in accordance with the Greek. The words “ye spake of” are not in the Greek, and should have been printed in italics. But they obscure the sense at any rate. This is not to be regarded as a question, asking what had become of the blessedness, implying that it had departed; but it is rather to be regarded as an exclamation, referring to the happiness of that moment, and their affection and joy when they…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-18Verses 12-18 The apostle desires that they would be of one mind with him respecting the law of Moses, as well as united with him in love. In reproving others, we should take care to convince them that our reproofs are from sincere regard to the honour of God and religion and their welfare. The apostle reminds the Galatians of the difficulty under which he laboured when he first came among them. But he notices, that he was a welcome messenger to them. Yet…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15The Galatians were happy and thankful when Paul shared the good news about Jesus with them. you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me: Some think this means Paul had eye problems, but he might have used eyes as a symbol for something valuable (see Deuteronomy 32:10; Psalm 17:8; Matthew 18:9). The Galatians were thankful for Pual's message of good news. So, the Galatians would have given Paul their most valuable possession.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. Where, &c.--Of what value was your congratulation (so the Greek for "blessedness" expresses) of yourselves, on account of your having among you me, the messenger of the Gospel, considering how entirely you have veered about since? Once you counted yourselves blessed in being favored with my ministry. ye would have plucked out your own eyes--one of the dearest members of the body--so highly did you value me: a proverbial phrase for the greatest…Read the comment

Topics related to Galatians 4:15

• Affections
• Love

In the dictionaries

• Doubt
• Flesh
• Observe
• Zealously
• Blessedness
• Galatians, Epistle to the
• Paul, the Apostle
• Thorn in the Flesh
• Paul

Commentaries on Galatians 4

• 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