Galatians 4:20

20 how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!

Galatians 4:20 in Other Translations

20 I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.

20 I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

20 I wish I were with you right now so I could change my tone. But at this distance I don’t know how else to help you.

20 Oh, I keep wishing that I was with you. Then I wouldn't be reduced to this blunt, letter-writing language out of sheer frustration.

20 but I could wish to be present with you now, and to change my tone; for I am perplexed about you.

20 I wish I were with you right now so that I could change the tone of my voice. I'm completely puzzled by what you've done!

20 I'd like to be with you right now and change my tone of voice, because I don't know what to do about you.

20 I wish I could be with you now. I wish I could change my tone of voice. As it is, you bewilder me.

Galatians 4:20 Meaning and Commentary

Galatians 4:20

I desire to be present with you now
His meaning is, either that be wished he was personally present among them; that he had but an opportunity of seeing them face to face, and telling them all his mind, and in such a manner as he could not in a single epistle; or that they would consider him, when they read this epistle, as if he was really among them; and as if they saw the concern of his mind, the agonies of his soul, the looks of his countenance, and heard the different tone of his voice:

and to change my voice;
when present with them, either by a different way of preaching; that whereas before he preached the Gospel of the grace of God unto them, and his voice was charming to them like that of an angel, and even of Jesus Christ himself; but they having turned their backs upon it, and slighted it, he would now thunder out the law to them they seemed to be so fond of; even that voice of words, which when, the Israelites on Mount Sinai heard, entreated they might hear no more; as these Galatians also must when they heard the true voice of it, which is no other than a declaration of wrath, curse, and damnation; or by using a different way of speaking to them, as necessity might require, either softly or roughly, beseeching or chiding them, which might more move and affect them than an epistle could:

for I stand in doubt of you,
The Vulgate Latin reads it, "I am confounded in you"; and the Syriac, (hymtd) , "I am stupefied"; and to the same sense the Arabic. He was ashamed of them for their apostasy and degeneracy; he was amazed and astonished at their conduct; or, as the word may be rendered, be was "perplexed" on their account; he did not know what to think of them, and their state; sometimes he hoped well of them, at other times he was ready to despair; nor did he well know what course to take with them, whether to use them roughly or smoothly, and what arguments might be most proper and pertinent, in order to reclaim them.

Galatians 4:20 In-Context

18 It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you.

19 My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,

20 how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!

21 Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says?

22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.