Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you. New Living Translation If someone is eager to do good things for you, that’s all right; but let them do it all the time, not just when I’m with you. English Standard Version It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, Berean Standard Bible Nevertheless, it is good to be zealous if it serves a noble purpose—at any time, and not only when I am with you. Berean Literal Bible Now it is good to be zealous in a right thing, at all times and not only in my being present with you. King James Bible But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you. New King James Version But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always, and not only when I am present with you. New American Standard Bible But it is good always to be eagerly sought in a commendable way, and not only when I am present with you. NASB 1995 But it is good always to be eagerly sought in a commendable manner, and not only when I am present with you. NASB 1977 But it is good always to be eagerly sought in a commendable manner, and not only when I am present with you. Legacy Standard Bible But it is good always to be zealously sought in a commendable manner, and not only when I am present with you. Amplified Bible Now it is always pleasant to be eagerly sought after [provided that it is] for a good purpose, and not just when I am with you [seeking you myself—but beware of the others doing it]. Christian Standard Bible But it is always good to be pursued in a good manner—and not just when I am with you. Holman Christian Standard Bible Now it is always good to be enthusiastic about good—and not just when I am with you. American Standard Version But it is good to be zealously sought in a good matter at all times, and not only when I am present with you. Aramaic Bible in Plain English But it is good that you would imitate excellence always, and not only when I am with you. Contemporary English Version It is always good to give your attention to something worthwhile, even when I am not with you. Douay-Rheims Bible But be zealous for that which is good in a good thing always: and not only when I am present with you. English Revised Version But it is good to be zealously sought in a good matter at all times, and not only when I am present with you. GOD'S WORD® Translation (Devotion to a good cause is always good, even when I'm not with you.) Good News Translation Now, it is good to have such a deep interest if the purpose is good--this is true always, and not merely when I am with you. International Standard Version (Now it is always good to be devoted to a good cause, even when I am not with you.) Literal Standard Version and [it is] good to be zealously regarded, in what is good, at all times, and not only in my being present with you; Majority Standard Bible Nevertheless, it is good to be zealous if it serves a noble purpose—at any time, and not only when I am with you. New American Bible Now it is good to be shown interest for good reason at all times, and not only when I am with you. NET Bible However, it is good to be sought eagerly for a good purpose at all times, and not only when I am present with you. New Revised Standard Version It is good to be made much of for a good purpose at all times, and not only when I am present with you. New Heart English Bible But it is always good to be zealous in a good cause, and not only when I am present with you. Webster's Bible Translation But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you. Weymouth New Testament It is always an honourable thing to be courted in an honourable cause; always, and not only when I am with you, my children-- World English Bible But it is always good to be zealous in a good cause, and not only when I am present with you. Young's Literal Translation and it is good to be zealously regarded, in what is good, at all times, and not only in my being present with you; Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Paul's Fears for the Galatians…17Those people are zealous for you, but not in a good way. Instead, they want to isolate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them. 18Nevertheless, it is good to be zealous if it serves a noble purpose— at any time, and not only when I am with you. 19My children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,… Cross References Galatians 4:13 You know that it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you. Galatians 4:17 Those people are zealous for you, but not in a good way. Instead, they want to isolate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them. Treasury of Scripture But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you. it is. Numbers 25:11-13 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy… Psalm 69:9 For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me. Psalm 119:139 My zeal hath consumed me, because mine enemies have forgotten thy words. I am. Galatians 4:20 I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you. Philippians 1:27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; Philippians 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Jump to Previous Affected Always Cause Children Commendable Eagerly Fine Good Honourable Manner Matter Present Provided Purpose Regarded Sought Times Zealous ZealouslyJump to Next Affected Always Cause Children Commendable Eagerly Fine Good Honourable Manner Matter Present Provided Purpose Regarded Sought Times Zealous ZealouslyGalatians 4 1. We were under the law till Christ came, as the heir is under the guardian till he be of age.5. But Christ freed us from the law; 7. therefore we are servants no longer to it. 14. Paul remembers the Galatians' good will to him, and his to them; 22. and shows that we are the sons of Abraham by the freewoman. (18) It is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing.--A disinterested zeal between teachers and taught is indeed good in itself. The Apostle does not wish to dissuade the Galatians from that. He would be only too glad to see such a mutual interchange himself--in his absence as well as in his presence. It seems a mistake to refer this either to the Galatians alone or to St. Paul alone. The proposition is stated in a general form, so as to cover both. It is right to be zealously affected always. Their eager zeal should not have its ebbs and flows, but should subsist constantly, whether those between whom it is felt are present together or not. In a good thing.--This expression corresponds to "but not well" in the last verse, and means honestly, disinterestedly, with a view to the spread of the gospel, and not to personal ascendancy. Verse 18. - But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you (καλὸν δὲ ζηλοῦσθαι, [Receptus, τὸ ζηλοῦσθαι] ἐν καλῷ παντότε καὶ μὴ μόνον ἐν τῷ παρεῖναί με πρὸς ὑμᾶς); but good it is to be admired, in what is good, at all times and not only when I am present with you. That is, but as to being admired and felicitated, the good kind of admiring felicitation is that which, being tendered on a good account, is enjoyed at all times, and not only, my little children, when 1 am with you, as on that first occasion when you were so full of mutual felicitation and joy in the newly found sense of God's adoption and love in Christ Jesus. In signification, this ζηλοῦσθαι, to be admired, is equivalent to μακαρίζεσθαι, to be congratulated, and was illustrated in the first note on ver. 17, especially by the reference to Aristophanes, 'Nubes,' 1188. Ζηλοῦσθαι ἐν τῷ παρεῖναι με πρὸς ὑμας, "to be objects of admiration when I am present with you," is manifestly a recital of the μακαρισμὸς ὑμῶν, "the gratulation of yourselves," of ver. 15. The vivid remembrance of the simple-hearted joy and frank sympathy with each other's happiness of those days comes back to the apostle's mind with fresh force, after his brief mention and rebuke of the false-hearted gratulations and compliments by which they were now in danger of being ensnared. With a gentle reprehension of their levity, in that they were now bartering that former well-founded happiness for this later poor gratification of being recipients of mere false flattery, he yearns to bring them back to what they were so senselessly casting away, and that they should hold it fast, a stable joy, whether he was with them or not. This would be the case if "Christ were truly formed in them." The phrase, ἐν καλῷ, "in what is good," is similar to ἐν κρυπτῷ (John 7:4); ὁ ἐν τῷ φανερῷ ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ Ἰουδαῖος (Romans 2:28, 29). The sphere in which this admiring felicitation acts must be "what is good;" here that highest good which these Galatians were in danger of losing, if, indeed, they possessed it - being, and knowing themselves to be, sons of God. It is a doubtful point whether ver. 19 should be conjoined with this present verse, with a colon between vers. 19 and 20, and a comma only at the end of ver. 18; or whether the sentences should be separated as they appear in our Authorized Version. But at all events, the earnest, anxious, tender affectionateness which, as it were, wrings the apostle's heart in writing ver. 19, is to be felt already working in his soul in the writing of this eighteenth verse. The sense above given to the verb ζηλοῦν, though disallowed by Alford and Bishops Ellicott and Lightfoot, appears to be that recognized by the Greek commentators Chrysostom and Theophylact.Parallel Commentaries ... Greek Nevertheless,δὲ (de) Conjunction Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc. [it is] good καλὸν (kalon) Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular Strong's 2570: Properly, beautiful, but chiefly good, i.e. Valuable or virtuous. to be zealous ζηλοῦσθαι (zēlousthai) Verb - Present Infinitive Middle or Passive Strong's 2206: From zelos; to have warmth of feeling for or against. if it serves ἐν (en) Preposition Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc. a noble [purpose]— καλῷ (kalō) Adjective - Dative Neuter Singular Strong's 2570: Properly, beautiful, but chiefly good, i.e. Valuable or virtuous. at any time, πάντοτε (pantote) Adverb Strong's 3842: Always, at all times, ever. From pas and hote; every when, i.e. At all times. and καὶ (kai) Conjunction Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely. not μὴ (mē) Adverb Strong's 3361: Not, lest. A primary particle of qualified negation; not, lest; also (whereas ou expects an affirmative one) whether. only μόνον (monon) Adverb Strong's 3440: Alone, but, only. Neuter of monos as adverb; merely. when ἐν (en) Preposition Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc. I am με (me) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 1st Person Singular Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I. with πρὸς (pros) Preposition Strong's 4314: To, towards, with. A strengthened form of pro; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. Toward. you. ὑμᾶς (hymas) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person Plural Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou. Links Galatians 4:18 NIVGalatians 4:18 NLT Galatians 4:18 ESV Galatians 4:18 NASB Galatians 4:18 KJV Galatians 4:18 BibleApps.com Galatians 4:18 Biblia Paralela Galatians 4:18 Chinese Bible Galatians 4:18 French Bible Galatians 4:18 Catholic Bible NT Letters: Galatians 4:18 But it is always good to be (Gal. Ga) |
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