Galatians 5:3

Galatians 5:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
• New International Version (NIV)Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.
• English Standard Version (ESV)I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law.

Context of Galatians 5:3

1Christ has made us free so that we can be really free! So be strong and do not turn back. Do not let yourselves become slaves to the Jewish rules again. 2Listen carefully! I, Paul, tell you this. If you agree that someone should circumcise you, then Christ will be worth nothing to you. I will say it very clearly. Every man who lets someone circumcise him must then obey all the Jewish rules. 4I say this to you people who try to obey the rules of God's Law. If you think that God will accept you as right because you do that, you have turned away from Christ. You no longer agree to accept God's kind gift. 5But if we trust what Christ has done for us, God's Spirit helps us to wait. We are sure that God will accept us as right with him.

Galatians 5:3 word by word

μαρτύρομαι δὲ πάλιν παντὶ ἀνθρώπῳ περιτεμνομένῳ ὅτι ὀφειλέτης ἐστὶν ὅλον τὸν νόμον ποιῆσαι.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forδέde · thenG1161
• I testifyμαρτύρομαιmarturomai · to testifyG3143
• againπάλινpalin · againG3825
• to everyπᾶςpas · allG3956
• manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• that is circumcisedπεριτέμνωperitemnō · to circumciseG4059
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• he isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• a debtorὀφειλέτηςopheiletēs · debtorG3781
• to doποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• theὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• theνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
• wholeὅλοςholos · allG3650

Cross-references for Galatians 5:3

• Deuteronomy 8:19But if you forget the Lord your God, he will destroy you. If you turn to other gods and you worship them, I warn you now: God will certainly destroy you!
• Deuteronomy 31:21Many bad things will happen to them so that they are in great trouble. Then this song will show them that they are guilty. Their descendants will never forget it. Even now, I know what they are thinking. I know what they want to do, even before I take them into the land that I have promised to them.’
• Nehemiah 9:29You warned them to obey your laws. But they refused to listen to you. They did not obey your commands. You had given them rules which would help them to have true life if they obeyed them. But they would not obey your laws. They turned away from you and they continued to do bad things.
• Luke 16:28I have five brothers that are still alive. He can tell them not to do the same things as I did. Then they will not also come here when they die. They will not be in great pain, as I am.”
• Acts 2:40Peter also told them many other things. He continued to speak strongly to them. He told them to be careful and he said, ‘People who are alive today do not do what is right. Save yourselves from the punishment that God will send on them.’
• Acts 20:21I have taught the same things both to Jewish people and to Gentiles. I have said clearly to them all, “You must stop doing wrong things. Change the way that you live and turn to God. Believe in our Lord Jesus.”
• Ephesians 4:17So I say this to you. I am sure that I have the Lord's authority to say it. You must not live any longer like the Gentile people who do not know God. They do whatever their silly ideas teach them to do.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:6No man among you should ever have sex with the wife of a Christian friend. That would be the same as if you robbed him. It would be a bad thing to do against him. Remember that the Lord will punish everyone who does things like that. We have already told you that. We warned you very seriously about it.
• 1 John 4:14God the Father sent his Son to come into the world. God sent him to save the people of the world from their sins. We apostles have seen that this is true. So now we are telling people about it.
• Galatians 3:10But some people try to obey all the rules of God's Law. They think that they will become right with God if they do this very well. But God will speak against people like that and he will punish them. It is written in the Bible: ‘God will punish everyone who does not always obey all the rules in his Law completely.’
• Deuteronomy 27:26‘God will curse anyone who refuses to obey all the words of this law.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Yes, we agree!’
• Matthew 23:16It will be very bad for you, teachers. You cannot see what is true, but you show people which way to go. You say to people, “You may make a promise by the name of the temple. Then it is not a serious promise. You do not have to do it. But you may also make a promise by the gold things in the temple. Then it is a serious promise, and you must do it.”
• James 2:10Even if you fail to obey only one rule in God's Law, it means that you are guilty. It is the same as if you fail to obey all God's Law.

Commentaries on Galatians 5:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3He is a debtor to do the whole law - Lays himself, by receiving circumcision, under the obligation to fulfill all its precepts, ordinances, etc.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3For I testify again - Probably he had stated this when he had preached the gospel to them first, and he now solemnly bears witness to the same thing again. Bloomfield, however, supposes that the word “again” here ( ́ palin) means, on the other hand, or, “furthermore,” or, as we would say, “and again.” That he is a debtor to do the whole law - He binds himself to obey all the Law of Moses. Circumcision was the distinguishing badge of the Jews, as baptism…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3People who try to be righteous by obeying the law must obey every one of its rules without exception (see 2:15–16; compare James 2:10).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. For--Greek, "Yea, more"; "Moreover." I testify ... to every man--as well as "unto you" (Ga 5:2). that is circumcised--that submits to be circumcised. Such a one became a "proselyte of righteousness." the whole law--impossible for man to keep even in part, much less wholly (Jas 2:10); yet none can be justified by the law, unless he keep it wholly (Ga 3:10).Read the comment

Topics related to Galatians 5:3

• Circumcision
• Obedience

In the dictionaries

• Affection
• Bite
• Contrary
• Cross
• Crucify
• Debtor
• Flesh
• Gentleness
• Goodness
• Meekness

Commentaries on Galatians 5

• 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