Galatians 5 · Verse 22

Galatians 5:22

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Galatians 5:22, King James Version

Galatians 5:22 in other translations

BSBBut the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
WEBBut the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith,
ASVBut the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
YLTAnd the fruit of the Spirit is: Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith,
DARBYBut the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, fidelity,
BBEBut the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, a quiet mind, kind acts, well-doing, faith,
WebsterBut the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

What does Galatians 5:22 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Galatians 5:19-23

19-23. Confirming Ga 5:18, by showing the contrariety between the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. manifest--The hidden fleshly principle betrays itself palpably by its works, so that these are not hard to discover, and leave no doubt that they come not from the Spirit. which are these--Greek, "such as," for instance. Adultery--omitted in the oldest manuscripts. lasciviousness--rather, "wantonness"…

Read the full comment on Galatians 5:19-23 →

Barnes' Notes
Verse 22. But the fruit of the Spirit. That which the Holy Spirit produces. It is not without design, evidently, that the apostle uses the word "Spirit" here, as denoting that these things do not flow from our own nature. The vices above enumerated are the proper "works" or result of the operations of the human heart; the virtues which he enumerates are produced by a foreign influence--the agency of the Holy Spirit. Hence Paul does not trace them to our own hearts, even when renewed. He says that they are to be regarded as the proper result of the Spirit's operations on the soul.

Is love. To God and to men. Probably the latter here is particularly intended, as the fruits of the Spirit are placed in contradistinction from those vices which lead to strifes among men. On the meaning of the word love, 1Cor 13:1; and for an illustration of operations and effects, see the Notes on that whole chapter.

Joy. In the love of God; in the evidences of pardon; in communion with the Redeemer, and in his service; in the duties of religion, in trial, and in the hope of heaven. Rom 5:2. Comp. 1Pet 1:8.

Peace. As the result of reconciliation with God. Rom 5:1.

Long-suffering. In affliction and trial, and when injured by others. 1Cor 13:4.

Gentleness. The same word which is translated kindness in 2Cor 6:6. 2Cor 6:6. The word means goodness, kindness, benignity; and is opposed to a harsh, crabbed, crooked temper. It is a disposition to be pleased; it is mildness of temper, calmness of spirit, an unruffled disposition, and a disposition to treat all with urbanity and politeness. This is one of the regular effects of the Spirit's operations on the heart. Religion makes no one crabbed, and morose, and sour. It sweetens the temper; corrects an irritable disposition; makes the heart kind; disposes us to make all around us as happy as possible. This is true politeness: a kind of politeness which can far better be learned in the school of Christ than in that of Chesterfield; by the study of the New Testament than under the direction of the dancing-master.

Goodness. Rom 15:14. Here the word seems to be used in the sense of beneficence, or a disposition to do good to others. The sense is, that a Christian must be a good man.

Faith. On the meaning of the word faith, Mk 16:16. The word here may be used in the sense of fidelity, and may denote that the Christian will be a faithful man--a man faithful to his word and promises; a man who can be trusted or confided in. It is probable that the word is used in this sense because the object of the apostle is not to speak of the feelings which we have towards God, so much as to illustrate the influences of the Spirit in directing and controlling our feelings towards men. True religion makes a man faithful. The Christian is faithful as a man; faithful as a neighbour, friend, father, husband, son. He is faithful to his contracts; faithful to his promises. No man can be a Christian who is not thus faithful; and all pretensions to being under the influences of the Spirit, when such fidelity does not exist, are deceitful and vain.

(a) "fruit" Jn 15:5, Eph 5:9

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 22 But the fruit of the Spirit - Both flesh - the sinful dispositions of the human heart and spirit - the changed or purified state of the soul, by the grace and Spirit of God, are represented by the apostle as trees, one yielding good the other bad fruit; the productions of each being according to the nature of the tree, as the tree is according to the nature of the seed from which it sprung. The bad seed produced a bad tree, yielding all manner of bad fruit; the good seed produced a good tree, bringing forth fruits of the most excellent kind. The tree of the flesh, with all its bad fruits, we have already seen; the tree of the Spirit, with its good fruits, we shall now see. Love - Αγαπη· An intense desire to please God, and to do good to mankind; the very soul and spirit of all true religion; the fulfilling of the law, and what gives energy to faith itself. See Gal 5:6. Joy - Χαρα· The exultation that arises from a sense of God's mercy communicated to the soul in the pardon of its iniquities, and the prospect of that eternal glory of which it has the foretaste in the pardon of sin. See Rom 5:2. Peace - Ειρηνη· The calm, quiet, and order, which take place in the justified soul, instead of the doubts, fears, alarms, and dreadful forebodings, which every true penitent less or more feels, and must feel till the assurance of pardon brings peace and satisfaction to the mind. Peace is the first sensible fruit of the pardon of sin. See Rom 5:1, and the notes there. Long-suffering - Μακροθυμια· Long-mindedness, bearing with the frailties and provocations of others, from the consideration that God has borne long with ours; and that, if he had not, we should have been speedily consumed: bearing up also through all the troubles and difficulties of life without murmuring or repining; submitting cheerfully to every dispensation of God's providence, and thus deriving benefit from every occurrence. Gentleness - Χρηστοτης· Benignity, affability; a very rare grace, often wanting in many who have a considerable share of Christian excellence. A good education and polished manners, when brought under the influence of the grace of God, will bring out this grace with great effect. Goodness - Αγαθωσυνη· The perpetual desire and sincere study, not only to abstain from every appearance of evil, but to do good to the bodies and souls of men to the utmost of our ability. But all this must spring from a good heart - a heart purified by the Spirit of God; and then, the tree being made good, the fruit must be good also. Faith - Πιστις, here used for fidelity - punctuality in performing promises, conscientious carefulness in preserving what is committed to our trust, in restoring it to its proper owner, in transacting the business confided to us, neither betraying the secret of our friend, nor disappointing the confidence of our employer.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Galatians 5:16-26

If it be our care to act under the guidance and power of the blessed Spirit, though we may not be freed from the stirrings and oppositions of the corrupt nature which remains in us, it shall not have dominion over us. Believers are engaged in a conflict, in which they earnestly desire that grace may obtain full and speedy victory. And those who desire thus to give themselves up to be led by the Holy Spirit, are not…

Read the full comment on Galatians 5:16-26 →

Galatians 5:22 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.

ὁho<the>G3588
δὲdeButG1161
καρπὸςkarposthe fruitG2590
τοῦtouof theG3588
πνεύματόςpneumatosSpiritG4151
ἐστινestinisG1510
ἀγάπη,agapēlove,G26
χαρά,charajoy,G5479
εἰρήνη,eirēnēpeace,G1515
μακροθυμία,makrothumiapatience,G3115
χρηστότης,chrēstotēskindness,G5544
ἀγαθωσύνη,agathōsunēgoodness,G19
πίστις,pistisfaithfulness,G4102

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

Cross references for Galatians 5:22

  • Colossians 3:12-17

    Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. …

  • 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

    Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

  • John 15:5

    I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

  • James 3:17-18

    But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

  • John 15:2

    Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

  • Ephesians 5:9

    (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

  • Psalms 1:3

    And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

  • John 15:16

    Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

  • Philippians 4:4-9

    Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. …

  • Romans 7:4

    Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

  • 2 Peter 1:5-8

    And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

  • 1 Peter 1:22

    Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the fruit.
16-18; Ps 1:3; 92:14; Ho 14:8; Mt 12:33; Lu 8:14,15; 13:9
Joh 15:2,5,16; Ro 6:22; 7:4; Eph 5:9; Php 1:11; Col 1:10
love.
13; Ro 5:2-5; 12:9-18; 15:3; 1Co 13:4-7; Eph 4:23-32; 5:1,2
Php 4:4-9; Col 3:12-17; 1Th 1:3-10; 5:10-22; Tit 2:2-12
Jas 3:17,18; 1Pe 1:8,22; 2Pe 1:5-8; 1Jo 4:7-16
goodness.
Ro 15:14
faith.
1Co 13:7,13; 2Th 3:2; 1Ti 3:11; 4:12; 1Pe 5:12

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

Context

  • Galatians 5:21

    Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

  • Galatians 5:22

    But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

  • Galatians 5:23

    Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Read all of Galatians 5

Galatians 5:22 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Mas el fruto del Espíritu es: caridad, gozo, paz, tolerancia, benignidad, bondad, fe,
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Mais le fruit de l’Esprit est l’amour, la joie, la paix, la longanimité, la bienveillance, la bonté, la fidélité,
German
Elberfelder 1871		Die Frucht des Geistes aber ist: Liebe, Freude, Friede, Langmut, Freundlichkeit, Gütigkeit, Treue, Sanftmut, Enthaltsamkeit;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Fructus autem Spiritus est caritas, gaudium, pax, patientia, benignitas, bonitas, longanimitas,