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

13You heard about the way I once lived when I followed the Jewish religion. You heard how I violently persecuted God’s church and tried to destroy it. 14You also heard how I was far ahead of other Jews in my age group in following the Jewish religion. I had become that fanatical for the traditions of my ancestors. But God, who appointed me before I was born and who called me by his kindness, was pleased 16to show me his Son. He did this so that I would tell people who are not Jewish that his Son is the Good News. When this happened, I didn’t talk it over with any other person. 17I didn’t even go to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went to Arabia and then came back 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 7:7The Lord set his heart on you and chose you, even though you didn’t outnumber all the other people. You were the smallest of all nations.
• 1 Samuel 12:22For the sake of his great name, the Lord will not abandon his people, because the Lord wants to make you his people.
• 1 Chronicles 28:4Yet, from my entire family the Lord God of Israel chose me to be king of Israel permanently. He had chosen the tribe of Judah to lead ⌞Israel⌟. From the families of Judah he chose my father’s family. From among my father’s sons he was pleased to make me king of all Israel.
• Matthew 11:26Yes, Father, this is what pleased you.
• Luke 10:21In that hour the Holy Spirit filled Jesus with joy. Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from wise and intelligent people and revealing them to little children. Yes, Father, this is what pleased you.
• 1 Corinthians 1:1From Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and from Sosthenes, our brother in the Christian faith.
• Ephesians 1:5Because of his love he had already decided to adopt us through Jesus Christ. He freely chose to do this
• Ephesians 3:11This was God’s plan for all of history which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.
• Isaiah 49:1Listen to me, you islands. Pay attention, you people far away. Before I was born, the Lord chose me. While I was in my mother’s womb, he recorded my name.
• Jeremiah 1:5“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I set you apart for my holy purpose. I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.”
• Luke 1:15As far as the Lord is concerned, he will be a great man. He will never drink wine or any other liquor. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.
• Acts 9:15The Lord told Ananias, “Go! I’ve chosen this man to bring my name to nations, to kings, and to the people of Israel.
• Acts 13:2While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set Barnabas and Saul apart for me. I want them to do the work for which I called them.”
• Acts 22:14“Ananias said, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the one who has God’s approval, and to hear him speak to you.
• Romans 1:1From Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle and appointed to spread the Good News of God.
• Romans 1:5Through him we have received God’s kindness and the privilege of being apostles who bring people from every nation to the obedience that is associated with faith. This is for the honor of his name.

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
• Equal
• Faith
• Criticism of the Bible
• Discrepancies, Biblical
• Galatians, Epistle to the
• Immaculate Conception, the
• Inspiration
• Laodiceans, Epistle to the
• Paul, the Apostle

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