Galatians 4:16

Galatians 4:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?
• English Standard Version (ESV)Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?
• New King James Version (NKJV)Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?
• New Living Translation (NLT)Have I now become your enemy because I am telling you the truth?

Context of Galatians 4:16

14and even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. 15Where, then, is your blessing of me now? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? 17Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may have zeal for them. 18It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you.

Galatians 4:16 word by word

ὥστε ἐχθρὸς ὑμῶν γέγονα ἀληθεύων ὑμῖν;Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Am Iγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• thereforeὥστεhōste · soG5620
• yourσύsu · youG4771
• enemyἐχθρόςechthros · enemyG2190
• because I tellἀληθεύωalētheuō · be truthfulG226

Cross-references for Galatians 4:16

• Galatians 3:1You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.
• 1 Kings 18:17When he saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?”
• 1 Kings 21:20Ahab said to Elijah, “So you have found me, my enemy!” “I have found you,” he answered, “because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord.
• 1 Kings 22:8The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one prophet through whom we can inquire of the Lord, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” “The king should not say such a thing,” Jehoshaphat replied.
• 2 Chronicles 24:20Then the Spirit of God came on Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands? You will not prosper. Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken you.’ ”
• 2 Chronicles 25:16While he was still speaking, the king said to him, “Have we appointed you an adviser to the king? Stop! Why be struck down?” So the prophet stopped but said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.”
• Psalms 141:5Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness; let him rebuke me—that is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it, for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers.
• Proverbs 9:8Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you; rebuke the wise and they will love you.
• John 7:7The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil.
• John 8:45Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!
• Galatians 2:5We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.
• Galatians 5:7You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth?

Commentaries on Galatians 4:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Am I therefore become your enemy - How is it that you are so much altered towards me, that you now treat me as an enemy, who formerly loved me with the most fervent affection? Is it because I tell you the truth; that very truth for which you at first so ardently loved me?Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Am I therefore become your enemy … - Is my telling you the truth in regard to the tendency of the doctrines which you have embraced, and the character of those who have led you astray, and your own error, a proof that I have ceased to be your friend? How apt are we to feel that the man who tells us of our faults is our enemy! How apt are we to treat him coldly, and to “cut his acquaintance,” and to regard him with dislike! The reason is, he gives us pain…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. 16At first, the Galatians gladly accepted Paul and his message when they became Christians. But now they were unsure about Paul and possibly even rejected him.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. Translate, "Am I then become your enemy (an enemy in your eyes) by telling you the truth" (Ga 2:5, 14)? He plainly did not incur their enmity at his first visit, and the words here imply that he had since then, and before his now writing, incurred it: so that the occasion of his telling them the unwelcome truth, must have been at his second visit (Ac 18:23, see my Introduction). The fool and sinner hate a reprover. The righteous love faithful reproof…Read the comment

Topics related to Galatians 4:16

• Love
• Reproof
• Truth

In the dictionaries

• Doubt
• Flesh
• Observe
• Zealously
• 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