Galatians 4:18

But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
But	δὲ de	G1161	but · conjunction
good	καλὸν kalon	G2570	X better · adjective — nominative singular neuter
affected	ζηλοῦσθαι zēlousthai	G2206	to have warmth of feeling for or against · verb — present middle infinitive
always	πάντοτε, pantote	G3842	every when · adverb
in	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
good	καλῷ kalō	G2570	X better · adjective — dative singular neuter
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
not	μὴ mē	G3361	(adverb) not · particle — negative
only	μόνον mónon	G3440	merely
I	με me	G3165	me · personal pronoun — 1st person accusative singular
present	παρεῖναί pareinai	G3918	to be near · verb — second present active infinitive
with	πρὸς pros	G4314	a preposition of direction · preposition
you	ὑμᾶς hymâs	G5209	you (as the objective of a verb or preposition)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Philippians 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation wi…
Philippians 1:27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your af…
Revelation 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Psalms 119:139 My zeal hath consumed me, because mine enemies have forgotten thy words.
1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour…
Galatians 4:13 Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.
Titus 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Numbers 25:11-13 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for m…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Galatians 4:17-18

The apostle is still carrying on the same design as in the foregoing verse, which was, to convince the Galatians of their sin and folly in departing from the truth of the gospel: having just before been expostulating with them about the change of their behaviour towards him who endeavoured to establish them in it, he here gives them the character of those false teachers who made it their business to draw them away from it, which if they would attend to, they might soon see how little reason they had to hearken to them: whatever opinion they might have of them, he tells them they were designing men, who were aiming to set up themselves, and who, under their specious pretences, were more consu…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Galatians 4:18

good to be zealously affected--rather, to correspond to "zealously court" in Gal 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" (Co1 9:20-23). My reason for saying the "not well" (Gal 4:17; the Greek is the same as that for "good," and "in a good cause," in Gal 4:28), is that their zealous courting of you is not in a good cause. The older interpreters, however, support English Version (compare Gal 1:14). always--Translate and arrange the words thus, "At all times, and not only when I am present with you." I do not desire that I exclusiv…

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Adam Clarke on Galatians 4:18

It 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 you to renounce the Gospel, and have brought you again into your former bondage.

The Church Fathers

Here he hints that his absence had been the cause of this, and that the true blessing was for disciples to hold right opinions not only in the presence but also in the absence of their master. But as they had not arrived at this point of perfection, he makes every effort to place them there.
— John Chrysostom, Homily on Galatians 4

He wishes to show that those who now are overturning them, and persuading them to observe to the law, and by this preparing them to become zealous imitators of it, had long ago envied them in the knowledge of the Gospel, when Paul was present and was teaching them. "It is good, however," he says, "to strive enthusiastically in what is good always, and not only when I am present with you." And he shows that they have been deceived during his absence.
— Oecumenius, Commentary on Galatians

No wonder indeed that on the apostle's departure … the Galatians were changed, since even now we witness the same occurrence in the church. For never was there a teacher in the church so distinguished in speech and life.… We see people busy with haste and fervor about alms, fasting, sexual abstinence, relief of the poor, taking care of graves, etc. But when he departs we see that they waste away and, from loss of their food, grow thin, pale and languid. Then follows the death of all that was thriving before.
— Jerome, EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS 2.4.17-18

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Heaven — (1.) Definitions. The phrase “heaven and earth” is used to indicate the whole universe (Gen. 1:1; Jer. 23:24; Acts 17:24). According to the Jewish notion there were three heavens, (a) The firmament,…
Zeal — An earnest temper; may be enlightened (Num. 25:11-13; 2 Cor. 7:11; 9:2), or ignorant and misdirected (Rom. 10:2; Phil. 3:6). As a Christian grace, it must be grounded on right principles and directed…
Affections · Should be zealously engaged for God — Should be zealously engaged for God
Affections, The · Should be zealously engaged for God — Should be zealously engaged for God
Zeal · Should be exhibited: In well-doing — Should be exhibited: In well-doing
Zeal, Religious · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Galatians 4:18

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Galatians 4:17-18

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Galatians 4:18

Adam Clarke on Galatians 4:18

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Galatians 4:18

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Galatians 4:17-18

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Galatians 4:18

Adam Clarke on Galatians 4:18

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on Galatians 4:18

John Calvin on Galatians 4:12-20

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Galatians 4:18