Galatians 3 · Verse 4

Galatians 3:4

Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.

Galatians 3:4, King James Version

Galatians 3:4 in other translations

BSB	Have you suffered so much for nothing, if it really was for nothing?
WEB	Did you suffer so many things in vain, if it is indeed in vain?
ASV	Did ye suffer so many things in vain? if it be indeed in vain.
YLT	so many things did ye suffer in vain! if, indeed, even in vain.
DARBY	Have ye suffered so many things in vain, if indeed also in vain?
BBE	Did you undergo such a number of things to no purpose? if it is in fact to no purpose.
Webster	Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it is yet in vain.

What does Galatians 3:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

4. Have ye suffered so many things--namely, persecution from Jews and from unbelieving fellow countrymen, incited by the Jews, at the time of your conversion. in vain--fruitlessly, needlessly, since ye might have avoided them by professing Judaism [Grotius]. Or, shall ye, by falling from grace, lose the reward promised for all your sufferings, so that they shall be "in vain" (Ga 4:11; 1Co 15:2, 17-19, 29-32; 2Th 1:5-7; 2Jo 8)? yet--rather, "If it be really (or 'indeed') in vain" [Ellicott]. "If, as it must be, what I have said, 'in vain,' is really the fact" [Alford]. I prefer understanding it as a mitigation of the preceding words. I hope better things of you, for I trust you will return from legalism to grace; if so, as I confidently expect, you will not have "suffered so many things in vain" [Estius]. For "God has given you the Spirit and has wrought mighty works among you" (Ga 3:5; He 10:32-36) [Bengel].

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

Barnes' Notes

Verse 4. Have ye suffered so many things in vain? Paul reminds them of what they had endured on account of their attachment to Christianity, he assures them, that if the opinions on account of which they had suffered were false, then their sufferings had been in vain. They were of no use to them--for what advantage was it to suffer for a false opinion? The opinions for which they had suffered had not been those which they now embraced. They were not those connected with the observance of the Jewish rites. They had suffered on account of their having embraced the gospel--the system of justification by a crucified Redeemer; and now, if those sentiments were wrong, why their sufferings had been wholly in vain. See this argument pursued at much greater length in 1Cor 15:18,19,29-32.

If it be yet in vain. That is,

"I trust it is not in vain. I hope you have not so far
abandoned the gospel, that all your sufferings in its
behalf have been of no avail. I believe the system is
true; and if true, and you are sincere Christians, it
will not be in vain that you have suffered in its behalf,
though you have gone astray. I trust, that although your
principles have been shaken, yet they have not been
wholly overthrown, and that you will yet reap the reward
of your having suffered so much on account of the
gospel."

(1) "so many" "great" (e) "in vain" 2Jn 1:8 (*) "it be yet" "Indeed"

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? - Have ye received and lost so much good? The verb πασχων, as compounded with ευ, well, or κακως, ill, and often without either, signifies to suffer pain or loss, or to possess and enjoy. In such a case the man is considered as the patient, and the good or ill acts upon him. Though it is possible that the Galatians had suffered some persecution for the truth of Christ, yet it is as likely that the apostle refers to the benefits which they had received. Ye have received faith, the pardon of your sins, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and with it many extraordinary gifts and graces; and have ye suffered the loss of all these things? Have ye received all these in vain? if yet in vain - if it be credible that ye have sacrificed so many excellent benefits for an imaginary good.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Galatians 3:1-5

Several things made the folly of the Galatian Christians worse. They had the doctrine of the cross preached, and the Lord's supper administered among them, in both which Christ crucified, and the nature of his sufferings, had been fully and clearly set forth. Had they been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, by the ministration of the law, or on account of any works done by them in obedience thereto? Was it not by…

Read the full comment on Galatians 3:1-5 →

Galatians 3:4 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.

τοσαῦταtosautaSo many thingsG5118

ἐπάθετεepathetedid you sufferG3958

εἰκῇ;eikēain vain?G1500

εἴeiifG1487

γεgeindeedG1065

καὶkaievenG2532

εἰκῇ.¶eikēain vain!G1500

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

Cross references for Galatians 3:4

2 John 1:8
Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
1 Corinthians 15:2
By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
Hebrews 10:32-39
But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used. For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. …
Hebrews 6:4-6
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
Ezekiel 18:24
But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.
2 Peter 2:20-22
For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

ye.
Eze 18:24; Heb 6:4-6; 10:32-39; 2Pe 2:20-22; 2Jo 1:8
so many. or, so great.

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

Context

Galatians 3:3
Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
Galatians 3:4
Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.
Galatians 3:5
He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

Read all of Galatians 3

Galatians 3:4 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	¿Tantas cosas habéis padecido en vano? si empero en vano.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Avez-vous tant souffert en vain, si toutefois c’est en vain?
German Elberfelder 1871	Habt ihr so vieles vergeblich gelitten? wenn es ja auch vergeblich ist.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	tanta passi estis sine causa? si tamen sine causa.