Galatians 5:12

12 As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!

Galatians 5:12 in Other Translations

12 I would they were even cut off which trouble you.

12 I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

12 I just wish that those troublemakers who want to mutilate you by circumcision would mutilate themselves.

12 Why don't these agitators, obsessive as they are about circumcision, go all the way and castrate themselves!

12 I would that they that unsettle you would even go beyond circumcision.

12 I wish those troublemakers would castrate themselves.

12 I wish those who are disturbing you might also get themselves castrated!

12 So then, what about troublemakers who try to get others to be circumcised? I wish they would go the whole way! I wish they would cut off everything that marks them as men!

Galatians 5:12 Meaning and Commentary

Galatians 5:12

I would they were even cut off which trouble you.
] These words are a solemn wish of the apostle's with respect to the false teachers, or an imprecation of the judgment of God upon them; that they might be cut off out of the land of the living by the immediate hand of God, that they might do no more mischief to the churches of Christ: this he said not out of hatred to their persons, but from a concern for the glory of God, and the good of his people. The word here used answers to the Hebrew word (xpq) , and which is often made use of by the Jews in solemn imprecations; we read ^F15 of a righteous man, (wynb ta xpqm) , "that cut off his children": the gloss upon it is,

``he used to say, when he made any imprecation, (ynb ta xpqa) , "may I cut off my children";''

that is, may they die, may they be cut off by the hand of God, and I bury them;

``says R. Tarphon ^F16, may my children be "cut off", if these books of heretics come into my hands, that I will burn them;''

and says the same Rabbi ^F17 may I "cut off" my children, or may my children be cut off, if this sentence or constitution is cut off, or should perish. There is another use of this word, which may have a place here, for it sometimes signifies to confute a person, or refute his notion ^F18.

``It is a tradition of the Rabbius, that after the departure of R. Meir, R. Judah said to his disciples, let not the disciples of R. Meir come in hither, for they are contentious; and not to learn the law do they come, but (twklhb ynxpql) , "to cut me off"; (i.e. as the gloss says, to show how sharp they are that none can stand against them;) to confute and overcome me, by their sentences, or constitutions.''

So the apostle here might wish that the mouths of these false teachers were stopped, their notions refuted, that they might give them no more trouble; to which agrees the Arabic version; "they that trouble you I wish they were dumb"; or that their mouths were stopped, as such vain talkers should be; see ( Titus 1:10 Titus 1:11 ) or the sense of the apostle is, that it was his will and desire that these men should be cut off from the communion of the church; with which views he mentions the proverbial expression in ( Galatians 5:9 ) with which compare ( 1 Corinthians 5:6 1 Corinthians 5:7 ) or that they would cut themselves off, by withdrawing from them, going out from among them, and leaving them as these men sometimes did.

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FOOTNOTES:

F15 T. Bab. Bava Metzia, fol. 85. 1.
F16 T. Bab. Sabbat, fol, 116. 1.
F17 T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 17. 1. Misn. Oholot, c. 16. sect. 1. & Maimon, in Bartenora in ib.
F18 T. Bab. Kiddushin, fol. 52. 2. Nazir, fol. 49. 2.

Galatians 5:12 In-Context

10 I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty.

11 Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished.

12 As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!

13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh ; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Cross References

• 1. ver 10