English Standard Version
Galatians 2:12
12For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party.
Galatians 2:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.
- New International Version (NIV)For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group.
- New King James Version (NKJV)for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision.
- New Living Translation (NLT)When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision.
Context of Galatians 2:12
10Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do. 11But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, "If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?"
Read all of Galatians 2Galatians 2:12 word by word
πρὸ τοῦ γὰρ ἐλθεῖν τινας ἀπὸ Ἰακώβου μετὰ τῶν ἐθνῶν συνήσθιεν· ὅτε δὲ ἦλθον, ὑπέστελλεν καὶ ἀφώριζεν ἑαυτὸν φοβούμενος τοὺς ἐκ περιτομῆς·Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Forγάρgar · forG1063
- beforeπρόpro · beforeG4253
- thatὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- certainτιςtis · oneG5100
- cameἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
- fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
- JamesἸάκωβοςIakōbos · JamesG2385
- he did eatσυνεσθίωsunesthiō · to eat withG4906
- withμετάmeta · with/afterG3326
- the Gentilesἔθνοςethnos · GentilesG1484
- butδέde · thenG1161
- whenὅτεhote ho te hē te tō te · whenG3753
- he withdrewὑποστέλλωhupostellō · to withdrawG5288
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- separatedἀφορίζωaphorizō · to separateG873
- himselfἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
- fearingφοβέωphobeō · to fearG5399
- were ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- the circumcisionπεριτομήperitomē · circumcisionG4061
Cross-references for Galatians 2:12
- Galatians 2:9and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.
- Acts 21:18On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.
- Acts 10:28And he said to them, "You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean.
- Acts 11:3"You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them."
- Ephesians 2:15by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,
- Ephesians 3:6This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
- Isaiah 65:5who say, "Keep to yourself, do not come near me, for I am too holy for you." These are a smoke in my nostrils, a fire that burns all the day.
- Luke 15:2And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them."
- 1 Thessalonians 5:22Abstain from every form of evil.
- Proverbs 29:25The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.
- Isaiah 57:11Whom did you dread and fear, so that you lied, and did not remember me, did not lay it to heart? Have I not held my peace, even for a long time, and you do not fear me?
- Matthew 26:69Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, "You also were with Jesus the Galilean."
Commentaries on Galatians 2:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles - Here was Peter's fault. He was convinced that God had pulled down the middle wall of partition that had so long separated the Jews and Gentiles, and he acted on this conviction, associating with the latter and eating with them; but when certain Jews came from James, who it appears considered the law still to be in force, lest he should place a stumbling-block before them he withdrew from…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12For before that certain came - Some of the Jews who had been converted to Christianity. They evidently observed in the strictest manner the rites of the Jewish religion. Came from James - See the note at Galatians 1:19. Whether they were sent by James, or whether they came of their own accord, is unknown. It is evident only that they had been intimate with James at Jerusalem, and they doubtless pleaded his authority. James had nothing to do with the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-14Verses 11-14 Notwithstanding Peter's character, yet, when Paul saw him acting so as to hurt the truth of the gospel and the peace of the church, he was not afraid to reprove him. When he saw that Peter and the others did not live up to that principle which the gospel taught, and which they professed, namely, That by the death of Christ the partition wall between Jew and Gentile was taken down, and the observance of the law of Moses was no longer in force…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12Peter ate with the non-Jewish believers because God had shown him it was right (Acts 10:9–16, 34–35). James's friends wanted to stop Jewish and non-Jewish believers from eating and meeting together freely. These people insisted that everyone should follow strict Jewish religious customs. They tried to force non-Jewish believers to follow Jewish rules about food and religious practices. he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. certain--men: perhaps James' view (in which he was not infallible, any more than Peter) was that the Jewish converts were still to observe Jewish ordinances, from which he had decided with the council the Gentiles should be free (Ac 15:19). Neander, however, may be right in thinking these self-styled delegates from James were not really from him. Ac 15:24 favors this. "Certain from James," may mean merely that they came from the Church at Jerusalem…Read the comment
Topics related to Galatians 2:12
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Galatians 2
- 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
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