Galatians 1 · Verse 21

Galatians 1:21

Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia;
Galatians 1:21, King James Version

Galatians 1:21 in other translations

BSBLater I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
WEBThen I came to the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
ASVThen I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
YLTthen I came to the regions of Syria and of Cilicia,
DARBYThen I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
BBEThen I came to the parts of Syria and Cilicia.
WebsterAfterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia;

What does Galatians 1:21 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
21. I came into ... Syria and Cilicia--"preaching the faith" (Ga 1:23), and so, no doubt, founding the churches in Syria and Cilicia, which he subsequently confirmed in the faith (Ac 15:23, 41). He probably went first to Cæsarea, the main seaport, and thence by sea to Tarsus of Cilicia, his native place (Ac 9:30), and thence to Syria; Cilicia having its geographical affinities with Syria, rather than with Asia Minor, as the Tarsus mountains separate it from the latter. His placing "Syria" in the order of words before "Cilicia," is due to Antioch being a more important city than Tarsus, as also to his longer stay in the former city. Also "Syria and Cilicia," from their close geographical connection, became a generic geographical phrase, the more important district being placed first [Conybeare and Howson]. This sea journey accounts for his being "unknown by face to the churches of Judea" (Ga 1:22). He passes by in silence his second visit, with alms, to Judea and Jerusalem (Ac 11:30); doubtless because it was for a limited and special object, and would occupy but a few days (Ac 12:25), as there raged at Jerusalem at the time a persecution in which James, the brother of John, was martyred, and Peter was m prison, and James seems to have been the only apostle present (Ac 12:17); so it was needless to mention this visit, seeing that he could not at such a time have received the instructions which the Galatians alleged he had derived from the primary fountains of authority, the apostles.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 21. Afterwards I came, etc. In this account he has omitted a circumstance recorded by Luke, Acts 9:29 of the controversy which he had with the Grecians or Hellenists, It was not material to the purpose which he has here in view, which is to state that he was not indebted to the apostles for his knowledge of the doctrines of Christianity. He therefore merely states that he left Jerusalem soon after he went there, and travelled to other places.

The regions of Syria. Syria was between Jerusalem and Cilicia. Antioch was the capital of Syria, and in that city and the adjacent places he spent considerable time. Comp. Acts 15:23,41.

Cilicia. This was a province of Asia Minor, of which Tarsus, the native place of Paul, was the capital. Acts 6:9.

(c) "I came" Acts 9:30

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 21 Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria, etc. - The course of the apostle's travels, after his conversion, was this: He went from Damascus to Jerusalem, and from Jerusalem into Syria and Cilicia. "At Damascus the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket; and when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples;" Act 9:25, Act 9:26. Afterwards, when the brethren knew the conspiracy formed against him at Jerusalem, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus, a city of Cilicia, Act 9:30. This account in the Acts agrees with that in this epistle.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Galatians 1:15-24

St. Paul was wonderfully brought to the knowledge and faith of Christ. All who are savingly converted, are called by the grace of God; their conversion is wrought by his power and grace working in them. It will but little avail us to have Christ revealed to us, if he is not also revealed in us. He instantly prepared to obey, without hesitating as to his worldly interest, credit, ease, or life itself. And what matter…

Read the full comment on Galatians 1:15-24 →

Galatians 1:21 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἔπειταepeitaThenG1899
ἦλθονēlthonI wentG2064
εἰςeisintoG1519
τὰtatheG3588
κλίματαklimataregionsG2824
τῆςtēs<the>G3588
ΣυρίαςSuriasof SyriaG4947
καὶkaiandG2532
τῆςtēs<the>G3588
Κιλικίας·KilikiasCilicia;G2791

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Galatians 1:21

  • Acts 15:41

    And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.

  • Acts 6:9

    Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen.

  • Acts 9:30

    Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Cesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus.

  • Acts 13:1

    Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

  • Acts 15:23

    And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia:

  • Acts 11:25-26

    Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

  • Acts 21:3

    Now when we had discovered Cyprus, we left it on the left hand, and sailed into Syria, and landed at Tyre: for there the ship was to unlade her burden.

  • Acts 18:18

    And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow.

  • Acts 23:34

    And when the governor had read the letter, he asked of what province he was. And when he understood that he was of Cilicia;

  • Acts 22:3

    I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.

  • Acts 21:39

    But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
I came.
Ac 9:30; 11:25,26; 13:1; 15:23,41; 18:18; 21:3
Cilicia.
Ac 6:9; 21:39; 22:3; 23:34

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Galatians 1:20

    Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.

  • Galatians 1:21

    Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia;

  • Galatians 1:22

    And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judea which were in Christ:

Read all of Galatians 1

Galatians 1:21 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Después fuí á las partes de Siria y de Cilicia;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Ensuite j’allai dans les pays de Syrie et de Cilicie.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Darauf kam ich in die Gegenden von Syrien und Cilicien.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Deinde veni in partes Syriæ, et Ciliciæ.