Galatians 4:13

Galatians 4:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.
• New International Version (NIV)As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you,
• English Standard Version (ESV)You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first,
• New King James Version (NKJV)You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first.

Context of Galatians 4:13

11I fear for you that my work for you may have been in vain. 12I beg you, brothers and sisters, become like me, because I have become like you. You have done me no wrong! But you know it was because of a physical illness that I first proclaimed the gospel to you, 14and though my physical condition put you to the test, you did not despise or reject me. Instead, you welcomed me as though I were an angel of God, as though I were Christ Jesus himself! 15Where then is your sense of happiness now? For I testify about you that if it were possible, you would have pulled out your eyes and given them to me!

Galatians 4:13 word by word

οἴδατε δὲ ὅτι δι᾽ ἀσθένειαν τῆς σαρκὸς εὐηγγελισάμην ὑμῖν τὸ πρότερον,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Ye knowεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
• ·δέde · thenG1161
• howὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• throughδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
• infirmityἀσθένειαastheneia · weakness: weakG769
• of the fleshὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• of the fleshσάρξsarx · fleshG4561
• I preached the gospelεὐαγγελίζομαιeuaggelizō · to speak good newsG2097
• unto youσύsu · youG4771
• at the firstπρότερονproteron · previouslyG4386

Cross-references for Galatians 4:13

• 1 Corinthians 2:3And I was with you in weakness and in fear and with much trembling.
• 2 Corinthians 10:10because some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but his physical presence is weak and his speech is of no account.”
• 2 Corinthians 11:6And even if I am unskilled in speaking, yet I am certainly not so in knowledge. Indeed, we have made this plain to you in everything in every way.
• 2 Corinthians 12:7even because of the extraordinary character of the revelations. Therefore, so that I would not become arrogant, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to trouble me – so that I would not become arrogant.
• 2 Corinthians 13:4For indeed he was crucified by reason of weakness, but he lives because of God’s power. For we also are weak in him, but we will live together with him, because of God’s power toward you.
• Galatians 1:6I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are following a different gospel –
• Acts 16:6They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in the province of Asia.

Commentaries on Galatians 4:13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13Ye know how through infirmity - The apostle seems to say that he was much afflicted in body when he first preached the Gospel to them. And is this any strange thing, that a minister, so laborious as St. Paul was, should be sometimes overdone and overcome by the severity of his labors? Surely not. This might have been only an occasional affliction, while laboring in that part of Asia Minor; and not a continual and incurable infirmity, as some have too…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13Ye know how - To show them the folly of their embracing the new views which they had adopted, he reminds them of past times, and particularly of the strength of the attachment which they had evinced for him in former days. Through infirmity of the flesh - Greek “Weakness” ( ̓́ astheneian); compare the 1 Corinthians 2:3 note; 2 Corinthians 10:10; 2 Corinthians 12:7 notes.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-18Verses 12-18 The apostle desires that they would be of one mind with him respecting the law of Moses, as well as united with him in love. In reproving others, we should take care to convince them that our reproofs are from sincere regard to the honour of God and religion and their welfare. The apostle reminds the Galatians of the difficulty under which he laboured when he first came among them. But he notices, that he was a welcome messenger to them. Yet…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13-14because of an illness: Paul might have had a long-term health issue, but we do not know what it was (see 2 Corinthians 12:7). Paul's condition was serious and seemed to cause problems or even upset the new church in Galatia. People often saw physical problems as a sign of God's judgment (see John 9:1–2; Acts 28:4). The Galatians looked beyond Paul's physical state and accepted him as God's messenger (literally angel; Greek angelos). as if I were Christ…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1313. how through infirmity--rather, as Greek, "Ye know that because of an infirmity of my flesh I preached," &c. He implies that bodily sickness, having detained him among them, contrary to his original intentions, was the occasion of his preaching the Gospel to them. at the first--literally, "at the former time"; implying that at the time of writing he had been twice in Galatia. See my Introduction; also see on Ga 4:16, and Ga 5:21. His sickness was…Read the comment

Topics related to Galatians 4:13

• Love
• Minister, Christian
• Paul

In the dictionaries

• Doubt
• Flesh
• Galatia
• Galatians, Epistle to
• Observe
• Paul
• Thorn in the flesh
• Zealously
• Chronology of the New Testament
• Galatians, Epistle to the

Commentaries on Galatians 4

• 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