As for those who are agitating you, I wish they would proceed to emasculate themselves!
Parallel translations
- WEB I wish that those who disturb you would cut themselves off.
- KJV I would they were even cut off which trouble you.
- NKJV I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off!
- NASB I wish that those who are troubling you would even emasculate themselves.
- NLT I just wish that those troublemakers who want to mutilate you by circumcision would mutilate themselves.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Paul expresses a sharp wish that the agitators pressing circumcision would go all the way and emasculate themselves. His strong words underscore how dangerous their error is.
Overview
With biting irony, Paul wishes the circumcision-advocates would mutilate themselves, exposing the absurdity of their fixation on the flesh. The harshness reflects the seriousness of a false gospel that endangers souls. While the language is severe, it conveys Paul's deep concern that the church not be led astray from the freedom of grace.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Gal 5:10I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is troubling you will bear the judgment, whoever he may be.
- 1 Cor 5:13God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”
- Exod 30:33Anyone who mixes perfume like it or puts it on an outsider shall be cut off from his people.’”
- Exod 12:15For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day you are to remove the leaven from your houses. Whoever eats anything leavened from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel.
- Gen 17:14But if any male is not circumcised, he will be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.”
- Josh 7:25“Why have you brought this trouble upon us?” said Joshua. “Today the LORD will bring trouble upon you!” And all Israel stoned him to death. Then they stoned the others and burned their bodies.
- Lev 22:3Tell them that for the generations to come, if any of their descendants in a state of uncleanness approaches the sacred offerings that the Israelites consecrate to the LORD, that person must be cut off from My presence. I am the LORD.
- Gal 2:4This issue arose because some false brothers had come in under false pretenses to spy on our freedom in Christ Jesus, in order to enslave us.
- Titus 3:10Reject a divisive man after a first and second admonition,
- Acts 5:5On hearing these words, Ananias fell down and died. And great fear came over all who heard what had happened.
- Acts 15:1–2Then some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
- Acts 5:9“How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord?” Peter replied. “Look, the feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”
- John 9:34They replied, “You were born in utter sin, and you are instructing us?” And they threw him out.
- Gal 1:8–9But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be under a curse!
- Josh 7:12This is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies. They will turn their backs and run from their enemies, because they themselves have been set apart for destruction. I will no longer be with you unless you remove from among you whatever is devoted to destruction.
- Acts 15:24It has come to our attention that some went out from us without our authorization and unsettled you, troubling your minds by what they said.
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Christ at the center
Christ became a curse for us to redeem us from the law's curse, that we might receive the Spirit and be sons — justified by faith in him, not by works.
How Galatians 5:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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