Galatians 4:18

Galatians 4:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.
• New International Version (NIV)It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you.
• English Standard Version (ESV)It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you,
• New Living Translation (NLT)If someone is eager to do good things for you, that’s all right; but let them do it all the time, not just when I’m with you.

Context of Galatians 4:18

16Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth? 17They zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them. But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always, and not only when I am present with you. 19My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you, 20I would like to be present with you now and to change my tone; for I have doubts about you.

Galatians 4:18 word by word

καλὸν δὲ ζηλοῦσθαι ἐν καλῷ πάντοτε, καὶ μὴ μόνον ἐν τῷ παρεῖναί με πρὸς ὑμᾶς,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• goodκαλόςkalos · goodG2570
• to be zealously affectedζηλόωzēloō · be eagerG2206
• alwaysπάντοτεpantote · alwaysG3842
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• notμήmē · notG3361
• onlyμόνονmonon · onlyG3440
• when Iἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• am presentπάρειμιpareimi · be presentG3918
• withπρόςpros · to/withG4314
• youσύsu · youG4771
• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588

Cross-references for Galatians 4:18

• Numbers 25:11“Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal.
• Psalms 69:9Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up, And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.
• Psalms 119:139My zeal has consumed me, Because my enemies have forgotten Your words.
• Isaiah 59:17For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, And was clad with zeal as a cloak.
• John 2:17Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.”
• 1 Corinthians 15:58Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
• Revelation 3:19As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
• Galatians 4:20I would like to be present with you now and to change my tone; for I have doubts about you.
• Philippians 1:27Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,
• Philippians 2:12Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;

Commentaries on Galatians 4:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18It is good to be zealously affected - It is well to have a determined mind and an ardent heart in reference to things which are laudable and good. Not only when I am present - You were thus attached to me when I was among you, but now ye have lost both your reverence and affection for me. Your false teachers pretended great concern for you, that you might put all your confidence in them; they have gained their end; they have estranged you from me, and got…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18But it is good to be, zealously affected - The meaning of this is, “Understand me: I do not speak against zeal. I have not a word to say in its disparagement. In itself, it is good; and their zeal would be good if it were in a good cause.” Probably, they relied much on their zeal; perhaps they maintained, as errorists and deceivers are very apt to do, that zeal was sufficient evidence of the goodness of their cause, and that persons who are so very…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. 18It was good for the Galatians to continue eagerly embracing Paul and his message, even when he was not there with them. Some English Bibles translate like this: If someone is eager to do good things for you, that’s all right; but let them do it all the time, not just when I’m with you (New Living Translation). In this case, Paul might be saying that it was okay for others to seek the Galatians' loyalty, but those teachers were not truly trying to help…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. good to be zealously affected--rather, to correspond to "zealously court" in Ga 4:18, "to be zealously courted." I do not find fault with them for zealously courting you, nor with you for being zealously courted: provided it be "in a good cause" (translate so), "it is a good thing" (1Co 9:20-23). My reason for saying the "not well" (Ga 4:17; the Greek is the same as that for "good," and "in a good cause," in Ga 4:28), is that their zealous courting of…Read the comment

Topics related to Galatians 4:18

• Affections
• Love
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Doubt
• Flesh
• Observe
• Zeal
• Zealously
• Affect; Affection
• 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