Galatians 4:19

Galatians 4:19 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
• New International Version (NIV)My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,
• English Standard Version (ESV)my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!
• New King James Version (NKJV)My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you,

Context of Galatians 4:19

17They zealously seek you, butnot for good; for, they would exclude you, that ye may seek them. 18But it is good to be zealously sought always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you. My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, 20I desire to be present with you now, and to change my tone; for I stand in doubt of you. 21Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

Galatians 4:19 word by word

τέκνα μου, οὓς πάλιν ὠδίνω μέχρις οὗ μορφωθῇ Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν.Read the interlinear

• Myμοῦmou · of meG3450
• childrenτεκνίονteknion · childrenG5040
• whomὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• birthὠδίνωōdinō · be in laborG5605
• againπάλινpalin · againG3825
• untilἄχριachri achris · untilG891
• ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
• formedμορφόωmorphoō · to formG3445
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• youὑμῖνhumin · to youG5213

Cross-references for Galatians 4:19

• 1 Corinthians 4:14I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you .
• 1 Timothy 1:2To Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
• Philemon 1:10I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds:
• James 1:18Of his own will he hath begotten us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
• 1 John 2:1My little children, these things I write to you, that ye sin not. And if any man sinneth, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
• 1 John 5:21Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
• Numbers 11:11And Moses said to the LORD, Why hast thou afflicted thy servant? and why have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?
• Isaiah 53:11He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
• Luke 22:44And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling to the ground.
• Philippians 1:8For God is my witness, how greatly I long after you all in the affection of Jesus Christ.
• Philippians 2:17Yea, and if I am offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.
• Colossians 2:1For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;
• Colossians 4:12Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, greeteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
• Hebrews 5:7Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears to him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
• Revelation 12:1And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
• Romans 8:29For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Commentaries on Galatians 4:19

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19My little children - · My beloved children. As their conversion to God had been the fruit of much labor, prayers, and tears, so he felt them as his children, and peculiarly dear to him, because he had been the means of bringing them to the knowledge of the truth; therefore he represents himself as suffering the same anxiety and distress which he endured at first when he preached the Gospel to them, when their conversion to Christianity was a matter of…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19My little children - The language of tender affection, such as a parent would use toward his own offspring; see the note at 1 Corinthians 4:15; compare Matthew 18:3; John 13:33; 1 John 2:1, 1 John 2:12-13; 1 John 4:4; 1 John 5:21. The idea here is, that Paul felt that he sustained toward them the relation of a father, and he had for them the deep and tender feelings of a parent. Of whom I travail in birth again - For whose welfare I am deeply anxious: and…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 19-20Verses 19-20 The Galatians were ready to account the apostle their enemy, but he assures them he was their friend; he had the feelings of a parent toward them. He was in doubt as to their state, and was anxious to know the result of their present delusions. Nothing is so sure a proof that a sinner has passed into a state of justification, as Christ being formed in him by the renewal of the Holy Spirit; but this cannot be hoped for, while men depend on the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19The Galatians were like Paul's spiritual children (see 1 Corinthians 4:14–15; Philemon 1:10). Bringing them to Christ was like giving birth to children and experiencing labor pains. It was difficult but rewarding. Now, Paul felt his work was not finished. until Christ is formed in you: Paul uses the picture of giving birth to explain something important. If the Galatians continued to trust in Christ as Paul had taught them, Christ's image would grow in…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1919. My little children--(1Ti 1:18; 2Ti 2:1; 1Jo 2:1). My relation to you is not merely that of one zealously courting you (Ga 4:17, 18), but that of a father to his children (1Co 4:15). I travail in birth--that is, like a mother in pain till the birth of her child. again--a second time. The former time was when I was "present with you" (Ga 4:18; compare Note, see on Ga 4:13). Christ be formed in you--that you may live nothing but Christ, and think nothing…Read the comment

Topics related to Galatians 4:19

• Love
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• Christ, Messiah
• Doubt
• Flesh
• Galatians, Epistle to
• Observe
• Zealously
• Child; Children
• Form
• 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