Galatians 4 · Verse 17

Galatians 4:17

They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.
Galatians 4:17, King James Version

Galatians 4:17 in other translations

BSBThose people are zealous for you, but not in a good way. Instead, they want to isolate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them.
WEBThey zealously seek you in no good way. No, they desire to alienate you, that you may seek them.
ASVThey zealously seek you in no good way; nay, they desire to shut you out, that ye may seek them.
YLTthey are zealous for you-- yet not well, but they wish to shut us out, that for them ye may be zealous;
DARBYThey are not rightly zealous after you, but desire to shut you out from us, that ye may be zealous after them.
BBETheir interest in you is not good; but their desire is that you may be shut out, so that you may go after them.
WebsterThey zealously affect you, but not well; for, they would exclude you, that ye may affect them.

What does Galatians 4:17 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
17. They--your flatterers: in contrast to Paul himself, who tells them the truth. zealously--zeal in proselytism was characteristic especially of the Jews, and so of Judaizers (Ga 1:14; Mt 23:15; Ro 10:2). affect you--that is, court you (2Co 11:2). not well--not in a good way, or for a good end. Neither the cause of their zealous courting of you, nor the manner, is what it ought to be. they would exclude you--"They wish to shut you out" from the kingdom of God (that is, they wish to persuade you that as uncircumcised Gentiles, you are shut out from it), "that ye may zealously court them," that is, become circumcised, as zealous followers of themselves. Alford explains it, that their wish was to shut out the Galatians from the general community, and attract them as a separate clique to their own party. So the English word "exclusive," is used.

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 17. They zealously affect you. See 1Cor 12:31, (Greek;) 1Cor 14:39. The word here used, ζηλοω) means to be zealous towards; i.e., for or against any person or thing; usually, in a good sense, to be eager for here it means, that the false teachers made a show of zeal towards the Galatians, or professed affection for them in order to gain them as their followers. They were full of ardour, and professed an extraordinary concern for their welfare--as men always do who are demagogues, or who seek to gain proselytes. The object of the apostle in this is, probably, to say, that it was not wholly owing to themselves that they had become alienated from the doctrines which he had taught. Great pains had been taken to do it; and there had been a show of zeal which would be likely to endanger any person.

But not well. Not with good motives, or with good designs.

Yea, they would exclude you. Margin, us. A few printed editions of the New Testament have ημας, us, instead of υμας, you.--Mill. The word exclude here probably means, that they endeavoured to exclude the Galatians from the love and affection of Paul. They would shut them out from that, in order that they might secure them for their own purposes. If the reading in the margin, however, should be retained, the sense would be clearer: "They wish to exclude us, i.e., me, the apostle, in order that they may have you wholly to themselves. If they can once get rid of your attachment to me, then they will have no difficulty in securing you for themselves." This reading, says Rosenmuller, is found "in many of the best codices, and versions, and fathers." It is adopted by Doddridge, Locke, and others. The main idea is clear: Paul stood in the way of their designs. The Galatians were truly attached to him; and it was necessary, in order to accomplish their ends, to withdraw their affections from him. When false teachers have designs on a people, they begin by alienating their confidence and affections from their pastors and teachers. They can hope for no success until this is done; and hence the efforts of errorists, and of infidels, and of scorners, is to undermine the confidence of a people in the ministry; and when this is done, there is little difficulty in drawing them over to their own purposes.

That ye might affect them. The same word as in the former part of the verse--" that ye might zealously affect them;" i.e., that ye might show ardent attachment to them. Their first work is to manifest special interest for your welfare; their second, to alienate you from him who had first preached the gospel to you; their object, not your salvation, or your real good, but to secure your zealous love for themselves.

(d) "but not well" Rom 10:2 (2) "exclude you" "us"

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 17 They zealously affect you, but not well - It is difficult for common readers to understand the meaning of these words: perhaps it would be better to translate Ζηλουσιν ὑμας ου καλως, these false teachers endeavor to conciliate your esteem, but not in honest or true principles; they work themselves into your good graces; they wish you to place all your affection upon themselves. They would exclude you - They wish to shut you out from the affection of your apostle, that you might affect them, ἱνα αυτους ζηλουτε, that you might love them alone, hear them alone, abide by their directions only, and totally abandon him who called you into the grace of the Gospel of Christ. Some MSS. read ἡμας, us, instead of ὑμας, you; they wish to shut us entirely out from among you, that you may receive and believe them alone. The sense is nearly the same but the former appears to be the more authentic reading.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Galatians 4:12-18

The apostle desires that they would be of one mind with him respecting the law of Moses, as well as united with him in love. In reproving others, we should take care to convince them that our reproofs are from sincere regard to the honour of God and religion and their welfare. The apostle reminds the Galatians of the difficulty under which he laboured when he first came among them. But he notices, that he was a…

Read the full comment on Galatians 4:12-18 →

Galatians 4:17 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.

ζηλοῦσινzēlousinThey are zealous afterG2206
ὑμᾶςhumasyouG4771
οὐounotG3756
καλῶς,kalōsrightly,G2573
ἀλλ᾽all᾽butG235
ἐκκλεῖσαιekkleisaito excludeG1576
ὑμᾶςhumasyou [from us]G4771
θέλουσιν,thelousinThey desireG2309
ἵναinaso thatG2443
αὐτοὺςautousthemG846
ζηλοῦτε.zēlouteyou may be zealous after.G2206

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

Cross references for Galatians 4:17

  • 2 Corinthians 11:13-15

    For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

  • Romans 16:18

    For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

  • 2 Peter 2:3

    And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

  • Matthew 23:15

    Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

  • 1 Corinthians 4:8

    Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.

  • Romans 10:2

    For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.

  • Philippians 2:21

    For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.

  • 2 Peter 2:18

    For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.

  • Galatians 6:12-13

    As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.

  • 1 Corinthians 11:2

    Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.

  • 1 Corinthians 4:18

    Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you.

  • 2 Corinthians 11:3

    But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
zealously.
6:12,13; Mt 23:15; Ro 10:2; 16:18; 1Co 11:2; 2Co 11:3,13-15
Php 2:21; 2Pe 2:3,18
exclude you. or, exclude us.
1Co 4:8,18

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

Context

  • Galatians 4:16

    Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?

  • Galatians 4:17

    They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.

  • Galatians 4:18

    But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.

Read all of Galatians 4

Galatians 4:17 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Tienen celos de vosotros, pero no bien: antes os quieren echar fuera para que vosotros los celéis á ellos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Ils ne sont pas zélés à votre égard comme il faut, mais ils veulent vous exclure, afin que vous soyez zélés à leur égard.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Sie eifern um euch nicht gut, sondern sie wollen euch ausschließen, auf daß ihr um sie eifert.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Æmulantur vos non bene: sed excludere vos volunt, ut illos æmulemini.