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
• New King James Version (NKJV)But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace,
• New Living Translation (NLT)But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him

Context of Galatians 1:15

13For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. 14And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• whenὅτεhote ho te hē te tō te · whenG3753
• it pleasedεὐδοκέωeudokeō · to delightG2106
• Godὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• separatedἀφορίζωaphorizō · to separateG873
• meἐγώegō · 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

Cross-references for Galatians 1:15

• Deuteronomy 7:7It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples,
• 1 Samuel 12:22For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself.
• 1 Chronicles 28:4Yet the Lord God of Israel chose me from all my father's house to be king over Israel forever. For he chose Judah as leader, and in the house of Judah my father's house, and among my father's sons he took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel.
• Matthew 11:26yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.
• Luke 10:21In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.
• 1 Corinthians 1:1Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes,
• Ephesians 1:5he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
• Ephesians 3:11This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,
• Isaiah 49:1Listen to me, O coastlands, and give attention, you peoples from afar. The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name.
• Jeremiah 1:5"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations."
• Luke 1:15for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.
• Acts 9:15But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children 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 22:14And he said, 'The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth;
• Romans 1:1Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,
• Romans 1:5through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations,

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