God’s Word Translation
Galatians 5:12
12I wish those troublemakers would castrate themselves.
Galatians 5:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)I would they were even cut off which trouble you.
- New International Version (NIV)As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!
- English Standard Version (ESV)I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!
- New King James Version (NKJV)I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off!
Context of Galatians 5:12
10The Lord gives me confidence that you will not disagree with this. However, the one who is confusing you will suffer God’s judgment regardless of who he is. 11Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching that circumcision is necessary, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the cross wouldn’t be offensive anymore. I wish those troublemakers would castrate themselves. 13You were indeed called to be free, brothers and sisters. Don’t turn this freedom into an excuse for your corrupt nature to express itself. Rather, serve each other through love. 14All of Moses’ Teachings are summarized in a single statement, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”
Read all of Galatians 5Galatians 5:12 word by word
ὄφελον καὶ ἀποκόψονται οἱ ἀναστατοῦντες ὑμᾶς.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Galatians 5:12
- Galatians 5:10The Lord gives me confidence that you will not disagree with this. However, the one who is confusing you will suffer God’s judgment regardless of who he is.
- Galatians 1:8Whoever tells you good news that is different from the Good News we gave you should be condemned to hell, even if he is one of us or an angel from heaven.
- Genesis 17:14Any uncircumcised male must be excluded from his people because he has rejected my promise.”
- Exodus 12:15For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the very first day you must remove any yeast that you have in your houses. Whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh day must be excluded from Israel.
- Exodus 30:33Whoever prepares a perfume like this or puts it on anyone who is not a priest must be excluded from the people.’ ”
- Leviticus 22:3“Tell them: In future generations if any of your descendants, while unclean, comes near the holy offerings the Israelites set apart for the Lord, that person must be excluded from my presence. I am the Lord.
- Joshua 7:12“The people of Israel will not be able to defend themselves against their enemies. They will run away from their enemies because the people of Israel are now claimed for destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy what I have claimed for myself.
- John 9:34The Jews answered him, “You were born full of sin. Do you think you can teach us?” Then they threw him out ⌞of the synagogue⌟.
- Acts 5:5When Ananias heard Peter say this, he dropped dead. Everyone who heard about his death was terrified.
- 1 Corinthians 5:13God will judge those who are outside. Remove that wicked man from among you.
- Acts 15:1Some men came from Judea and started to teach believers that people can’t be saved unless they are circumcised as Moses’ Teachings require.
Commentaries on Galatians 5:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12I would they were even cut off which trouble you - This saying has puzzled many, and different interpretations of the place have been proposed by learned men. At first sight it seems as if the apostle was praying for the destruction of the false teachers who had perverted the Churches of Galatia. Mr. Wakefield thought might be translated, I wish that they were made to weep; and in his translation of the New Testament the passage stands thus: "I wish that…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12I would they were even cut off - That is, as I understand it, from the communion of the church. So far am I, says Paul, from agreeing with them, and preaching the necessity of circumcision as they do, that I sincerely wish they were excluded from the church as unworthy a place among the children of God. For a very singular and monstrous interpretation of this passage, though adopted by Chrysostom, Theodoret, Theophylact, Jerome, Grotius, Rosenmuller…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-12Verses 7-12 The life of a Christian is a race, wherein he must run, and hold on, if he would obtain the prize. It is not enough that we profess Christianity, but we must run well, by living up to that profession. Many who set out fairly in religion, are hindered in their progress, or turn out of the way. It concerns those who begin to turn out of the way, or to tire in it, seriously to inquire what hinders them. The opinion or persuasion, ver. #(8), was…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12emasculate themselves (literally cut themselves off; compare Philippians 3:2): Paul uses strong words to criticize people who demanded circumcision (cutting off the foreskin from the male sex organ). Paul might refer to pagan priests in Galatia who castrated themselves (removed their testicles) for their gods. Insisting on circumcision for Christians is similar. It involved cutting the flesh to please God through physical actions instead of faith in…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. they ... which trouble you--Translate, as the Greek is different from Ga 5:10, "they who are unsettling you." were even cut off--even as they desire your foreskin to be cut off and cast away by circumcision, so would that they were even cut off from your communion, being worthless as a castaway foreskin (Ga 1:7, 8; compare Php 3:2). The fathers, Jerome, Ambrose, Augustine, and Chrysostom, explain it, "Would that they would even cut themselves off,"…Read the comment
Topics related to Galatians 5:12
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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