Galatians 4:8

THE MESSAGE

Earlier, before you knew God personally, you were enslaved to so-called gods that had nothing of the divine about them. But now that you know the real God—or rather since God knows you—how can you possibly subject yourselves again to those paper tigers? For that is exactly what you do when you are intimidated into scrupulously observing all the traditions, taboos, and superstitions associated with special days and seasons and years. I am afraid that all my hard work among you has gone up in a puff of smoke!

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
In the past you did not know God. You were slaves to gods that were not real.

Revised Standard Version
Formerly, when you did not know God, you were in bondage to beings that by nature are no gods;

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Notwithstondinge whe ye knewe not God ye dyd service vnto them which by nature were no goddes.

Hebrew Names Version
However at that time, not knowing God, you were in bondage to those who by nature are no gods.

New American Standard Bible
However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are not gods.

New Century Version
In the past you did not know God. You were slaves to gods that were not real.

Update Bible Version
Nevertheless at that time, not knowing God, you served as slaves to those that by nature are no gods:

Webster's Bible Translation
However then, when ye knew not God, ye did service to them which by nature are no gods.

English Standard Version
Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods.

World English Bible
However at that time, not knowing God, you were in bondage to those who by nature are no gods.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Indeed then, when ye knew not God, ye served them that by nature are not gods.

Weymouth's New Testament
But at one time, you Gentiles, having no knowledge of God, were slaves to gods which in reality do not exist.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
But thanne ye vnknowynge God, serueden to hem that in kynde weren not goddis.

English Revised Version
Howbeit at that time, not knowing God, ye were in bondage to them which by nature are no gods:

Berean Standard Bible
Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.

Contemporary English Version
Before you knew God, you were slaves of gods that are not real.

Amplified Bible
But at that time, when you did not know [the true] God and were unacquainted with Him, you [Gentiles] were slaves to those [pagan] things which by [their very] nature were not and could not be gods at all.

American Standard Version
Howbeit at that time, not knowing God, ye were in bondage to them that by nature are no gods:

Bible in Basic English
But at that time, having no knowledge of God, you were servants to those who by right are no gods:

Complete Jewish Bible
In the past, when you did not know God, you served as slaves beings which in reality are non-gods.

Darby Translation
But then indeed, not knowing God, ye were in bondage to those who by nature are not gods;

International Standard Version
However, in the past, when you did not know God, you were slaves to things that are not really gods at all.gods by nature">[fn]Romans 1:25; 1 Corinthians 12:2; Ephesians 2:11-12; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; 4:5;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
For, while not knowing Aloha, you served them who by their nature are not gods:

Murdock Translation
For then, when ye knew not God, ye served them who in their nature are not gods.

King James Version (1611)
Howbeit, then when ye knew not God, yee did seruice vnto them which by nature are no Gods.

New Living Translation
Before you Gentiles knew God, you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist.

New Life Bible
During the time when you did not know God, you worshiped false gods.

New Revised Standard
Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to beings that by nature are not gods.

Geneva Bible (1587)
But euen then, when ye knewe not God, yee did seruice vnto them, which by nature are not gods:

George Lamsa Translation
Howbeit then, when you did not know God, you served those things which from their nature were not gods.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, at that time - not knowing God, ye were in servitude unto them who, by nature, are not Gods;

Douay-Rheims Bible
But then indeed, not knowing God, you served them who, by nature, are not gods.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Notwithstandyng, when ye knewe not God, ye dyd seruice vnto the which by nature are no Gods.

Good News Translation
In the past you did not know God, and so you were slaves of beings who are not gods.

Christian Standard Bible®
But in the past, since you didn’t know God, you were enslaved to things that by nature are not gods.

King James Version
Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.

Lexham English Bible
But at that time when you did not know God, you were enslaved to the things which by nature are not gods.

Literal Translation
But then, indeed, not knowing God, you served as slaves to the ones by nature not being gods.

Young's Literal Translation
But then, indeed, not having known God, ye were in servitude to those not by nature gods,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Notwithstondinge whan ye knewe not God, ye dyd seruyce vnto them, which by nature are no Goddes.

Mace New Testament (1729)
When you did not know God, you did service to those, who in reality are no Gods; but now that you know God,

New English Translation
Formerly when you did not know God, you were enslaved to beings that by nature are not gods at all.

New King James Version
But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods.

Simplified Cowboy Version
It wasn't long ago that you didn't know God. Y'all were slaves to false gods.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods.

Legacy Standard Bible
However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods.

Contextual Overview

⁸Earlier, before you knew God personally, you were enslaved to so-called gods that had nothing of the divine about them. But now that you know the real God—or rather since God knows you—how can you possibly subject yourselves again to those paper tigers? For that is exactly what you do when you are intimidated into scrupulously observing all the traditions, taboos, and superstitions associated with special days and seasons and years. I am afraid that all my hard work among you has gone up in a puff of smoke!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

when: Exodus 5:2, Jeremiah 10:25, John 1:10, Acts 17:23, Acts 17:30, Romans 1:28, 1 Corinthians 1:21, Ephesians 2:11, Ephesians 2:12, Ephesians 4:18, 1 Thessalonians 4:5, 2 Thessalonians 1:8, 1 John 3:1

ye did: Joshua 24:2, Joshua 24:15, Psalms 115:4-8, Psalms 135:15-18, Isaiah 44:9-20, Jeremiah 10:3-16, Acts 14:12, Acts 17:29, Romans 1:23, 1 Corinthians 8:4, 1 Corinthians 10:19, 1 Corinthians 10:20, 1 Corinthians 12:2, 1 Thessalonians 1:9, 1 Peter 4:3

Reciprocal: Genesis 35:2 - strange Judges 2:10 - knew not 1 Kings 18:29 - voice 2 Chronicles 13:9 - no gods Psalms 100:3 - Know Isaiah 19:21 - Lord shall Isaiah 45:4 - though Jeremiah 5:7 - no gods Jeremiah 16:20 - General John 17:25 - the world Acts 19:26 - that they 1 Corinthians 8:5 - that 2 Corinthians 11:29 - and I burn

Cross-References

Genesis 4:3
Time passed. Cain brought an offering to God from the produce of his farm. Abel also brought an offering, but from the firstborn animals of his herd, choice cuts of meat. God liked Abel and his offering, but Cain and his offering didn't get his approval. Cain lost his temper and went into a sulk.

Genesis 4:6
God spoke to Cain: "Why this tantrum? Why the sulking? If you do well, won't you be accepted? And if you don't do well, sin is lying in wait for you, ready to pounce; it's out to get you, you've got to master it."

Genesis 4:9
God said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "How should I know? Am I his babysitter?"

Genesis 4:10
God said, "What have you done! The voice of your brother's blood is calling to me from the ground. From now on you'll get nothing but curses from this ground; you'll be driven from this ground that has opened its arms to receive the blood of your murdered brother. You'll farm this ground, but it will no longer give you its best. You'll be a homeless wanderer on Earth."

Genesis 4:15
God told him, "No. Anyone who kills Cain will pay for it seven times over." God put a mark on Cain to protect him so that no one who met him would kill him.

Matthew 23:35
"You can't squirm out of this: Every drop of righteous blood ever spilled on this earth, beginning with the blood of that good man Abel right down to the blood of Zechariah, Barachiah's son, whom you murdered at his prayers, is on your head. All this, I'm telling you, is coming down on you, on your generation.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Howbeit then, when ye know not God,.... Whilst in Gentilism, and in a state of unregeneracy, they had no true knowledge of God; though they might know by the light of nature, and works of creation, that there was a God, yet they did not know who he was, but called either mortal men, or some one or other of the creatures, or stocks, and stones, and images of men's device, by this name; they knew not the God of Israel; they did not know God in Christ, and are therefore said to be without him; and a common description of them it is, that they knew not God: and whilst this was their case, what follows was true of them,

ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods; only by name, and in the opinion of men, but have no divinity in them, are only called gods, mere nominal, fictitious deities, who have nothing of the nature and essence of God in them; for there is but one God by nature and essence, the Father, Son, and Spirit; all others have only the name and appearance, but not the truth of deity; and these the Gentiles in their times of ignorance did "service" to, which is what the Jews call עבודה זרה, "strange service"; that is, idolatry, concerning which there is a whole treatise in the Talmud, and which bears that name o. This service lay in paying homage to them, worshipping of them, and performing various rites and ceremonies in a way of adoration, and which they reckoned religious service; and which, comparatively speaking, whilst in this state of blindness, was excusable in them; though it is a wonderful instance of grace that such idolaters should be the sons of God.

o Aveda Zara.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Howbeit - But, ἀλλὰ alla. The address in this verse and the following is evidently to the portion of the Galatians who had been pagan. This is probably indicated by the particle ἀλλὰ alla, but denoting a transition. In the previous verses Paul had evidently had the Jewish converts more particularly in his eye, and had described their former condition as one of servitude to the Mosaic rites and customs, and had shown the inconveniences of that condition, compared with the freedom imparted by the gospel. To complete the description, he refers also to the Gentiles, as a condition of worse servitude still, and shows Galatians 4:9 the absurdity of their turning back to a state of bondage of any kind, after the glorious deliverance which they had obtained from the degrading servitude of pagan rites. The sense is, “If the Jews were in such a state of servitude, how much more galling and severe was that of those who had been pagans. Yet fron that servitude the gospel had delivered them, and made them freemen. How absurd now to go back to a state of vassalage, and to become servants under the oppressive rites of the Jewish law!”

When ye knew not God - In your state of paganism, when you had no knowledge of the true God and of his service. The object is not to apologize for what they did, because they did not know God; it is to state the fact that they were in a state of gross and galling servitude.

Ye did service - This does not express the force of the original. The meaning is, “Ye were “slaves” to (ἐδουλεύσατε edouleusate); you were in a condition of servitude, as opposed to the freedom of the gospel;” compare Galatians 4:3, where the same word is used to describe the state of the Jews. The drift of the apostle is, to show that the Jews and Gentiles, before their conversion to Christianity, were in a state of vassalage or servitude, and that it was absurd in the highest degree to return to that condition again.

Unto them which by nature are no gods - Idols, or false gods. The expression “by nature,” φύσει phusei, according to Grotius, means, “in fact, re ipsa.” The sense is, that they really had no pretensions to divinity. Many of them were imaginary beings; many were the objects of creation, as the sun, and winds, and streams; and many were departed heroes that had been exalted to be objects of worship. Yet the servitude was real. It fettered their faculties; controlled their powers; bound their imagination, and commanded their time and property, and made them slaves. Idolatry is always slavery; and the servitude of sinners to their passions and appetites, to lust and gold, and ambition, is not less galling and severe than was the servitude to the pagan gods or the Jewish rites, or than is the servitude of the African now to a harsh and cruel master. Of all Christians it may be said that before their conversion they “did service,” or were slaves to harsh and cruel masters; and nothing but the gospel has made them free. It may be added, that the chains of idolatry all over the world are as fast riveted and as galling as they were in Galatia, and that nothing but the same gospel which Paul preached there can break those chains and restore man to freedom.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 8. When ye knew not God — Though it is evident, from the complexion of the whole of this epistle, that the great body of the Christians in the Churches of Galatia were converts from among the Jews or proselytes to Judaism; yet from this verse it appears that there were some who had been converted from heathenism; unless we suppose that the apostle here particularly addresses those who had been proselytes to Judaism and thence converted to Christianity; which appears to be most likely from the following verses.