God’s Word Translation
Galatians 6:8
8If you plant in ⌞the soil of⌟ your corrupt nature, you will harvest destruction. But if you plant in ⌞the soil of⌟ your spiritual nature, you will harvest everlasting life.
Galatians 6:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
- New International Version (NIV)Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
Context of Galatians 6:8
6The person who is taught God’s word should share all good things with his teacher. 7Make no mistake about this: You can never make a fool out of God. Whatever you plant is what you’ll harvest. If you plant in ⌞the soil of⌟ your corrupt nature, you will harvest destruction. But if you plant in ⌞the soil of⌟ your spiritual nature, you will harvest everlasting life. 9We can’t allow ourselves to get tired of living the right way. Certainly, each of us will receive ⌞everlasting life⌟ at the proper time, if we don’t give up. 10Whenever we have the opportunity, we have to do what is good for everyone, especially for the family of believers.
Read all of Galatians 6Galatians 6:8 word by word
ὅτι ὁ σπείρων εἰς τὴν σάρκα ἑαυτοῦ ἐκ τῆς σαρκὸς θερίσει φθοράν, ὁ δὲ σπείρων εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος θερίσει ζωὴν αἰώνιον.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Forὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
- he thatὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- sowethσπείρωspeirō · to sowG4687
- toεἰςeis · towardG1519
- hisἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
- fleshσάρξsarx · fleshG4561
- shallθερίζωtheridō · to reapG2325
- ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- corruptionφθοράphthora · corruptionG5356
- butδέde · thenG1161
- the Spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
- lifeζωήzōē · lifeG2222
- everlastingαἰώνιοςaiōnios · eternalG166
Cross-references for Galatians 6:8
- Romans 6:13Never offer any part of your body to sin’s power. No part of your body should ever be used to do any ungodly thing. Instead, offer yourselves to God as people who have come back from death and are now alive. Offer all the parts of your body to God. Use them to do everything that God approves of.
- Romans 8:13If you live by your corrupt nature, you are going to die. But if you use your spiritual nature to put to death the evil activities of the body, you will live.
- Romans 13:14Instead, live like the Lord Jesus Christ did, and forget about satisfying the desires of your corrupt nature.
- James 3:18A harvest that has God’s approval comes from the peace planted by peacemakers.
- Proverbs 22:8Whoever plants injustice will harvest trouble, and this weapon of his own fury will be destroyed.
- Jeremiah 12:13My people planted wheat, but they harvested thorns. They worked until they became sick, but they gained nothing by it. They were disappointed by their harvests because of the burning anger of the Lord.
- Hosea 10:13You have planted wickedness and harvested evil. You have eaten the fruit that your lies produced. You have trusted your own power and your many warriors.
- 2 Peter 2:12These false teachers insult what they don’t understand. They are like animals, which are creatures of instinct that are born to be caught and killed. So they will be destroyed like animals
- Revelation 22:11Let those who don’t have God’s approval go without it, and let filthy people continue to be filthy. Let those who have God’s approval continue to have it, and let holy people continue to be holy.”
- Galatians 6:7Make no mistake about this: You can never make a fool out of God. Whatever you plant is what you’ll harvest.
- Psalms 126:5Those who cry while they plant will joyfully sing while they harvest.
- Ecclesiastes 11:6Plant your seed in the morning, and don’t let your hands rest until evening. You don’t know whether this field or that field will be profitable or whether both of them will ⌞turn out⌟ equally well.
- Isaiah 32:20Blessed are those who plant beside every stream and those who let oxen and donkeys roam freely.
- Matthew 19:29And everyone who gave up homes, brothers or sisters, father, mother, children, or fields because of my name will receive a hundred times more and will inherit eternal life.
- Luke 18:30will certainly receive many times as much in this life and will receive eternal life in the world to come.”
- John 4:14But those who drink the water that I will give them will never become thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give them will become in them a spring that gushes up to eternal life.”
Commentaries on Galatians 6:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8He that soweth to his flesh - In like manner, he that sows to the flesh - who indulges his sensual and animal appetites, shall have corruption as the crop: you cannot expect to lead a bad life and go to heaven at last. According as your present life is, so will be your eternal life whether your sowing be to the flesh or to the Spirit, so will your eternal reaping be. To sow, here, means transacting the concerns of a man's natural life. To reap, signifies…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8For he that soweth to his flesh - That makes provision for the indulgence of fleshly appetites and passions; see the notes at Galatians 5:19-21. He who makes use of his property to give indulgence to licentiousness, intemperance, and vanity. Shall of the flesh - From the flesh, or as that which indulgence in fleshly appetites properly produces. Punishment, under the divine government, is commonly in the line of offences. The punishment of licentiousness…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-11Verses 6-11 Many excuse themselves from the work of religion, though they may make a show, and profess it. They may impose upon others, yet they deceive themselves if they think to impose upon God, who knows their hearts as well as actions; and as he cannot be deceived, so he will not be mocked. Our present time is seed time; in the other world we shall reap as we sow now. As there are two sorts of sowing, one to the flesh, and the other to the Spirit, so…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8Living to please the Spirit is only possible with the Spirit's power (3:3; 5:16). People who rely on their own efforts or do whatever they want are in the same situation: They live to satisfy their own sinful desires. These people will face decay and death. Those who live by the Spirit's power and trust in God will gain everlasting life.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. Translate, "He that soweth unto his own flesh," with a view to fulfilling its desires. He does not say, "His spirit," as he does say, "His flesh." For in ourselves we are not spiritual, but carnal. The flesh is devoted to selfishness. corruption--that is, destruction (Php 3:19). Compare as to the deliverance of believers from "corruption" (Ro 8:21). The use of the term "corruption" instead, implies that destruction is not an arbitrary punishment of…Read the comment
Topics related to Galatians 6:8
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Galatians 6
- 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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