New King James Version
Galatians 2:12
12for 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.
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 Living Translation (NLT)When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision.
Context of Galatians 2:12
10They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do. 11Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; 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. 13And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. 14But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews?
Read all of Galatians 2Galatians 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 seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.
- Acts 21:18On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.
- Acts 10:28Then he said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
- Acts 11:3saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!”
- Ephesians 2:15having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace,
- Ephesians 3:6that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel,
- Isaiah 65:5Who say, ‘Keep to yourself, Do not come near me, For I am holier than you!’ These are smoke in My nostrils, A fire that burns all the day.
- Luke 15:2And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.”
- 1 Thessalonians 5:22Abstain from every form of evil.
- Proverbs 29:25The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.
- Isaiah 57:11“And of whom have you been afraid, or feared, That you have lied And not remembered Me, Nor taken it to your heart? Is it not because I have held My peace from of old That you do not fear Me?
- Matthew 26:69Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.”
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
In the dictionaries
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries