Passage

Galatians 4.17-18

Book: Galatians · NASB95

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV (ASV)

"15. Where then is that gratulation of yourselves? for I bear you witness, that, if possible, ye would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me. 16. So then am I become your enemy, by telling you the truth?"

"17. They zealously seek you in no good way; nay, they desire to shut you out, that ye may seek them. 18. But it is good to be zealously sought in a good matter at all times, and not only when I am present with you."

"19. My little children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you, 20. but I could wish to be present with you now, and to change my tone; for I am perplexed about you." (Galatians 4:15-20, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"15. What was the blessing you enjoyed? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me. 16. So then, have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?"

"17. They zealously seek you in no good way. No, they desire to alienate you, that you may seek them. 18. But it is always good to be zealous in a good cause, and not only when I am present with you."

"19. My little children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ is formed in you, 20. but I could wish to be present with you now, and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you." (Galatians 4:15-20, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"15. Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me. ^{Where: or, What was then} 16. Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?"

"17. They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them. ^{exclude you: or, exclude us} 18. But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you."

"19. My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, 20. I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you. ^{I stand: or, I am perplexed for you} ^{I stand: or, I am perplexed for you}" (Galatians 4:15-20, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"15. what then was your happiness? for I testify to you, that if possible, your eyes having plucked out, ye would have given to me; 16. so that your enemy have I become, being true to you?"

"17. they are zealous for you, [yet] not well, but they wish to shut us out, that for them ye may be zealous; 18. and [it is] good to be zealously regarded, in what is good, at all times, and not only in my being present with you;"

"19. my little children, of whom again I travail in birth, till Christ may be formed in you, 20. and I was wishing to be present with you now, and to change my voice, because I am in doubt about you." (Galatians 4:15-20, YLT)

Setting

Speaker: TBD
Audience: TBD
Location: TBD
Time period: TBD

Theological reading

Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added.

Key words

Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap.

TBD
TBD
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Quoted in

G2205 - zelos

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.