Galatians 2:12

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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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.
• 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.

Context of Galatians 2:12

10They requested only that we remember the poor, the very thing I also was eager to do. 11But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he had clearly done wrong. Until certain people came from James, he had been eating with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he stopped doing this and separated himself because he was afraid of those who were pro-circumcision. 13And the rest of the Jews also joined with him in this hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray with them by their hypocrisy. 14But when I saw that they were not behaving consistently with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “If you, although you are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you try to force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

Galatians 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, Cephas, and John, who had a reputation as pillars, recognized the grace that had been given to me, they gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we would go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.
• Acts 21:18The next day Paul went in with us to see James, and all the elders were there.
• Acts 10:28He said to them, “You know that it is unlawful for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile, yet God has shown me that I should call no person defiled or ritually unclean.
• Acts 11:3saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and shared a meal with them.”
• Ephesians 2:15when he nullified in his flesh the law of commandments in decrees. He did this to create in himself one new man out of two, thus making peace,
• Ephesians 3:6namely, that through the gospel the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.
• Isaiah 65:5They say, ‘Keep to yourself! Don’t get near me, for I am holier than you!’ These people are like smoke in my nostrils, like a fire that keeps burning all day long.
• Luke 15:2But the Pharisees and the experts in the law were complaining, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
• 1 Thessalonians 5:22Stay away from every form of evil.
• Proverbs 29:25The fear of people becomes a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord will be set on high.
• Isaiah 57:11Whom are you worried about? Whom do you fear, that you would act so deceitfully and not remember me or think about me? Because I have been silent for so long, you are not afraid of me.
• Matthew 26:69Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A slave girl came 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

• Antioch
• Cowardice
• Hypocrisy
• James
• Opinion, Public

In the dictionaries

• Add
• Antioch
• Blame
• Bondage
• Conference
• Crucify
• Forward
• Live
• Peter
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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