Galaten 6:13

Staten Vertaling

Want ook zij zelven, die besneden worden, houden de wet niet; maar zij willen, dat gij besneden wordt, opdat zij in uw vlees roemen zouden.

Parallel Translations

Gereviseerde Leidse Vertaling
Want die mannen die zich laten besnijden houden zelf de wet niet, maar willen dat gij besneden wordt; dan kunnen zij zich daarop beroemen.

Gereviseerde Lutherse Vertaling
Want ook zijzelve, die zich laten besnijden, houden de Wet niet, maar zij willen, dat gij u laat besnijden, opdat zij zich op uw vlees zouden kunnen beroemen.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

keep: Matthew 23:3, Matthew 23:15, Matthew 23:23, Romans 2:17-24, Romans 3:9-19, 2 Peter 2:19

that they may: 1 Corinthians 3:21, 1 Corinthians 5:6, 2 Corinthians 11:18

Reciprocal: Matthew 23:4 - General Luke 5:38 - General Luke 11:46 - Woe John 3:26 - he that John 7:19 - yet Acts 7:53 - and have Acts 15:1 - ye Acts 15:24 - Ye must Acts 20:30 - to draw Romans 2:21 - therefore Romans 4:2 - he hath 1 Corinthians 1:31 - General 2 Corinthians 10:17 - General 2 Corinthians 11:12 - they glory Galatians 1:7 - but Galatians 4:17 - zealously Galatians 5:10 - but Galatians 6:4 - and not Galatians 6:12 - as desire Philippians 3:3 - rejoice Philippians 3:19 - whose glory 1 Thessalonians 2:6 - of men James 3:14 - glory

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But neither they themselves that are circumcised,.... That is, the pleaders for, and preachers of circumcision, whether they themselves were actually circumcised, or not; it means those that were of the circumcision, on that side of the question, whether heartily or not:

keep the law; of circumcision, as persons may preach up that, which they themselves do not practise; as did the Pharisees, the predecessors of these men; or if they did keep the law, and submit to it, yet this might be done, not out of regard unto it, and zeal for it, but for some other end; as Simon Magus submitted to baptism, and others preached Christ of envy and contention, and not of good will; or if they did do it in obedience to the law, yet this was not keeping the whole law, which circumcision obliged to; and which, unless they did so keep it, would signify nothing; and this no man is capable of keeping perfectly, and consequently no righteousness, life, and salvation, can be had hereby: besides, though these men were so zealous for the lighter matters of the law, the rites and ceremonies of it, as circumcision, c. they disregarded the weightier and more material parts of it, as judgment, mercy, and faith these they kept not, nor attended to: and many of them lived very dissolute lives and conversations, at least secretly, if not openly; which abundantly proved that they were far from keeping the law; and that their pleading for it, and submitting to some of the rituals of it, were not out of pure love and strict regard to it, but for some other end:

but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh; that is, in the circumcision of it; or, as the Ethiopic version, "in your bodies". Their view in bringing persons to submit to circumcision was, that they might have occasion to glory among the Jews, and boast to them of the numbers of proselytes they brought, and of the service they did to Judaism, and so increase their fame and glory among them.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For neither they themselves who are circumcised - The Jewish teachers, or perhaps all Jews. It was true in general that the Jews did not wholly and entirely obey the Law of Moses, but it is probable that the apostle refers particularly here to the judaizing teachers in Galatia.

Keep the law - The Law of Moses, or the Law of God. Paul’s idea is, that if they were circumcised they brought themselves under obligation to keep the whole law of God; see the note at Galatians 5:3. But they did not do it.

(1) No person perfectly observes the whole law of God.

(2) The Jewish nation as such were very far from doing it.

(3) It is probable that these persons did not pretend even to keep the whole Law of Moses.

Paul insists on it that if they were circumcised, and depended on that for salvation, they were under obligation to keep the whole law. But they did not. Probably they did not offer sacrifice, or join in any of the numerous observances of the Jewish nation, except some of the more prominent, such as circumcision. This, says Paul, is inconsistent in the highest degree; and they thus show their insincerity and hypocrisy.

That they may glory in your flesh - In having you as converts, and in persuading you to be circumcised, that they may show their zeal for the Law, and thus escape persecution. The phrase “in your flesh” here, is equivalent to “in your circumcision;” making use of your circumcision to promote their own importance, and to save themselves from persecution.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 13. Neither they themselves who are circumcised — They receive circumcision and profess Judaism, not from a desire to be conformed to the will of God; but Judaism was popular, and the more converts the false teachers could make; the more occasion of glorying they had, and they wished to get those Christian converts, who had been before proselytes of the gate, to receive circumcision, that they might glory in their flesh. Behold my converts! Thus they gloried, or boasted, not that the people were converted to God, but that they were circumcised.