Galatians 5:7

THE MESSAGE

You were running superbly! Who cut in on you, deflecting you from the true course of obedience? This detour doesn't come from the One who called you into the race in the first place. And please don't toss this off as insignificant. It only takes a minute amount of yeast, you know, to permeate an entire loaf of bread. Deep down, the Master has given me confidence that you will not defect. But the one who is upsetting you, whoever he is, will bear the divine judgment.

Parallel Translations

New American Standard Bible (1995)
You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?

Legacy Standard Bible
You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?

Simplified Cowboy Version
Man, y'all were doing so good! What on earth made y'all sidestep the truth? What did that fellow say to y'all to make you turn away from Jesus?

Bible in Basic English
You were going on well; who was the cause of your not giving ear to what is true?

Darby Translation
Ye ran well; who has stopped you that ye should not obey the truth?

Christian Standard Bible®
You were running well. Who prevented you from obeying the truth?

World English Bible
You were running well! Who interfered with you that you should not obey the truth?

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Ye did run well: who hath hindered you, that ye should not obey the truth?

Weymouth's New Testament
You were running the race nobly! Who has interfered and caused you to swerve from the truth?

King James Version (1611)
Ye did run well; who did hinder you, that ye should not obey the trueth?

Literal Translation
You were running well; who held you back that you do not obey the truth?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Ye ranne well, who was a let vnto you, that ye shulde not obeye the trueth?

Mace New Testament (1729)
You set out well in your course: who hath obstructed your progress in the truth?

Amplified Bible
You were running [the race] well; who has interfered and prevented you from obeying the truth?

American Standard Version
Ye were running well; who hindered you that ye should not obey the truth?

Revised Standard Version
You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Ye did runne well: who was a let vnto you that ye shuld not obey the trueth?

Update Bible Version
You were running well; who hindered you that you should not obey the truth?

Webster's Bible Translation
Ye did run well, who hindered you that ye should not obey the truth?

Young's Literal Translation
Ye were running well; who did hinder you -- not to obey the truth?

New Century Version
You were running a good race. Who stopped you from following the true way?

New English Translation
You were running well; who prevented you from obeying the truth?

Berean Standard Bible
You were running so well. Who has obstructed you from obeying the truth?

Contemporary English Version
You were doing so well until someone made you turn from the truth.

Complete Jewish Bible
You were running the race well; who has stopped you from following the truth?

English Standard Version
You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?

Geneva Bible (1587)
Ye did runne well: who did let you, that ye did not obey the trueth?

George Lamsa Translation
You were progressing well; who confused you that you should not obey the truth?

Hebrew Names Version
You were running well! Who interfered with you that you should not obey the truth?

International Standard Version
You were running beautifully! Who cut in on you and stopped you from obeying the truth?1 Corinthians 9:24; Galatians 3:1;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
Well did you run; who hath impeded you, that to the truth you should not be in obedience?

Murdock Translation
Ye did run well: who hath interrupted you, that ye acquiesce not in the truth?

New King James Version
You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?

New Living Translation
You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth?

New Life Bible
You were doing well. Who stopped you from obeying the truth?

English Revised Version
Ye were running well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?

New Revised Standard
You were running well; who prevented you from obeying the truth?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Ye were running well: - who hath hindered you, that, by truth, ye are not to be persuaded?

Douay-Rheims Bible
You did run well. What hath hindered you, that you should not obey the truth?

King James Version
Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?

Lexham English Bible
You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Ye dyd runne well, who was a let vnto you, that ye should not obey ye trueth?

Easy-to-Read Version
You were doing so well. Who caused you to stop following the truth?

New American Standard Bible
You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?

Good News Translation
You were doing so well! Who made you stop obeying the truth? How did he persuade you?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Ye runnen wel; who lettide you that ye obeyede not to treuthe?

Contextual Overview

¹ Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you. ²I am emphatic about this. The moment any one of you submits to circumcision or any other rule-keeping system, at that same moment Christ's hard-won gift of freedom is squandered. I repeat my warning: The person who accepts the ways of circumcision trades all the advantages of the free life in Christ for the obligations of the slave life of the law. ⁴I suspect you would never intend this, but this is what happens. When you attempt to live by your own religious plans and projects, you are cut off from Christ, you fall out of grace. Meanwhile we expectantly wait for a satisfying relationship with the Spirit. For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love. ⁷You were running superbly! Who cut in on you, deflecting you from the true course of obedience? This detour doesn't come from the One who called you into the race in the first place. And please don't toss this off as insignificant. It only takes a minute amount of yeast, you know, to permeate an entire loaf of bread. Deep down, the Master has given me confidence that you will not defect. But the one who is upsetting you, whoever he is, will bear the divine judgment. ¹¹As for the rumor that I continue to preach the ways of circumcision (as I did in those pre-Damascus Road days), that is absurd. Why would I still be persecuted, then? If I were preaching that old message, no one would be offended if I mentioned the Cross now and then—it would be so watered-down it wouldn't matter one way or the other. Why don't these agitators, obsessive as they are about circumcision, go all the way and castrate themselves!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

run: Matthew 13:21, 1 Corinthians 9:24, Hebrews 12:1

hinder you: or, drive you back, Galatians 3:1

obey: Acts 6:7, Romans 2:8, Romans 6:17, Romans 10:16, Romans 15:18, Romans 16:26, 2 Corinthians 10:5, 2 Thessalonians 1:8, Hebrews 5:9, Hebrews 11:8, 1 Peter 1:22

Reciprocal: Ezekiel 18:24 - when Matthew 7:24 - whosoever Matthew 19:30 - General Galatians 1:6 - so Galatians 4:16 - because Philippians 3:16 - whereto Colossians 1:23 - ye continue 1 Peter 4:17 - obey 2 John 1:1 - known

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Ye did run well,.... In the Christian race; when they first set out in a profession of religion, they embraced and held fast, and were zealously attached to the truths of the Gospel; they were in the lively exercise of grace on its proper object, and very diligent in the discharge of duty; they made great proficiency in the knowledge of divine things, and ran with cheerfulness and without weariness in the ways of Christ, and in the paths of truth and holiness. The metaphor is taken from runners in a race; see 1 Corinthians 9:24 so far this is said to their commendation, but this should have been persisted in:

who did hinder you; not the apostle, or any of his brethren; no, they encouraged them to go on, and gave them all the assistance they could, to help them forward; but it was the false apostles that hindered them, who did all they could to remove them to another Gospel, and turn them aside out of the right way:

that ye should not obey the truth? of the Gospel, particularly the truth of justification by the righteousness of Christ; which they did not so cheerfully embrace, and show such a respect unto, as they had formerly done; see Galatians 3:1, and which he says not by way of inquiry, but of complaint and concern; and with some indignation against the persons who had been the means of hindering their Christian progress, and with a view to reclaim the Galatians if possible.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Ye did run well - The Christian life is often represented as a race; see the notes at 1 Corinthians 9:24-26. Paul means here, that they began the Christian life with ardour and zeal; compare Galatians 4:15.

Who did hinder you - Margin, “Drive you back.” The word used here (ἀνακόπτω anakoptō) means properly to beat or drive back. Hence, it means to hinder, check, or retard. Dr. Doddridge remarks that this is “an Olympic expression, and properly signifies “coming across the course” while a person is running in it, in such a manner as to jostle, and throw him out of the way.” Paul asks, with emphasis, who it could have been that retarded them in their Christian course, implying that it could have been done only by their own consent, or that there was really no cause why they should not have continued as they began.

That ye should not obey the truth - The true system of justification by faith in the Redeemer. That you should have turned aside, and embraced the dangerous errors in regard to the necessity of obeying the laws of Moses.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 7. Ye did run well — Ye once had the faith that worked by love-ye were genuine, active, useful Christians.

Who doth hinder — Who prevented you from continuing to obey the truth? Ye could only be turned aside by your own consent. St. Paul here, as in 1 Corinthians 9:24, compares Christianity to a race. See the notes on the above text.