the Week of Proper 24 / Ordinary 29
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Webster's Bible Translation
Galatians 4:8
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In the past you did not know God. You were slaves to gods that were not real.
Formerly, when you did not know God, you were in bondage to beings that by nature are no gods;
Notwithstondinge whe ye knewe not God ye dyd service vnto them which by nature were no goddes.
However at that time, not knowing God, you were in bondage to those who by nature are no gods.
However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are not gods.
In the past you did not know God. You were slaves to gods that were not real.
Nevertheless at that time, not knowing God, you served as slaves to those that by nature are no gods:
Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods.
However at that time, not knowing God, you were in bondage to those who by nature are no gods.
Indeed then, when ye knew not God, ye served them that by nature are not gods.
But at one time, you Gentiles, having no knowledge of God, were slaves to gods which in reality do not exist.
But thanne ye vnknowynge God, serueden to hem that in kynde weren not goddis.
Howbeit at that time, not knowing God, ye were in bondage to them which by nature are no gods:
Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.
Before you knew God, you were slaves of gods that are not real.
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.
Howbeit at that time, not knowing God, ye were in bondage to them that by nature are no gods:
But at that time, having no knowledge of God, you were servants to those who by right are no gods:
In the past, when you did not know God, you served as slaves beings which in reality are non-gods.
But then indeed, not knowing God, ye were in bondage to those who by nature are not gods;
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]
For, while not knowing Aloha, you served them who by their nature are not gods:
For then, when ye knew not God, ye served them who in their nature are not gods.
Howbeit, then when ye knew not God, yee did seruice vnto them which by nature are no Gods.
Before you Gentiles knew God, you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist.
During the time when you did not know God, you worshiped false gods.
Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to beings that by nature are not gods.
But euen then, when ye knewe not God, yee did seruice vnto them, which by nature are not gods:
Howbeit then, when you did not know God, you served those things which from their nature were not gods.
But, at that time - not knowing God, ye were in servitude unto them who, by nature, are not Gods;
But then indeed, not knowing God, you served them who, by nature, are not gods.
Notwithstandyng, when ye knewe not God, ye dyd seruice vnto the which by nature are no Gods.
In the past you did not know God, and so you were slaves of beings who are not gods.
But in the past, since you didn’t know God, you were enslaved to things that by nature are not gods.
Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
But at that time when you did not know God, you were enslaved to the things which by nature are not gods.
But then, indeed, not knowing God, you served as slaves to the ones by nature not being gods.
But then, indeed, not having known God, ye were in servitude to those not by nature gods,
Notwithstondinge whan ye knewe not God, ye dyd seruyce vnto them, which by nature are no Goddes.
When you did not know God, you did service to those, who in reality are no Gods; but now that you know God,
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!
Formerly when you did not know God, you were enslaved to beings that by nature are not gods at all.
But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods.
It wasn't long ago that you didn't know God. Y'all were slaves to false gods.
However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods.
However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods.
Contextual Overview
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
And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering to the LORD.
And the LORD said to Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
And the LORD said to Cain, Where [is] Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: [Am] I my brother's keeper?
And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth to me from the ground.
When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield to thee its strength: A fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.
And the LORD said to him, Therefore whoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him seven-fold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
If Cain shall be avenged seven-fold, truly Lamech seventy and seven-fold.
And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.
And when Abner had returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly, and smote him there under the fifth [rib] that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.
And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and [there was] none to part them, but the one smote the other and slew him.
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 ×¢×××× ×ר×, "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, αÌÎ»Î»Î±Ì 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 αÌÎ»Î»Î±Ì 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, âIf 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!â
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, âYe were âslavesâ to (εÌÎ´Î¿Ï Î»ÎµÏ ÌÏαÏε edouleusate); you were in a condition of servitude, as opposed to the freedom of the gospel;â 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 âby nature,â ÏÏ ÌÏει phusei, according to Grotius, means, âin fact, re ipsa.â 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 âdid service,â 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.
