GALATIANS 4:9-11 But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain.
NSB* Paul was in effect asking the Galatians "Is it spiritual progress again to be enslaved to weak and beggarly rituals and observances (v.10)? How could you have known God and turned away to 'childish (v.3) things'? The Galatians had come to know God through faith in Jesus Christ (see John 17:2-3). He had adopted them as His own sons, but they were turning back to the law that enslaved them.
Notes Reference - John 17:2-3 You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
Known God; to "know" (absolutely) in a great variety of applications and with many implications (as follow, with others not thus clearly expressed). Derivation: a prolonged form of a primary verb; "to be known of God;" here the "knowing" suggests approval and bears the meaning "to be approved;" The Greek word for "known" is γινώσκω ginōskō. Vine's (def A-1), Strong's G1097.
Turn Again; "ye turned," the aorist tense indicating an immediate and decisive change, consequent upon a deliberate choice; conversion is a voluntary act in response to the presentation of truth. My Notes - Often this has a positive connotation like in "James 5:20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins." However in this case it's the opposite, basically going back to that which is weak and beggarly. Strong's defines it simply as "to revert" The Greek word here is ἐπιστρέφω epistrephō. Strong's G1994. So what is weak and beggarly? Well, I am glad you asked.
Weak: strengthless (in various applications, literal, figurative, and moral). In the spiritual sense, Paul is saying of the rudiments of the Jewish religion, in their inability to justify anyone, but in this instance, Paul specifically cites the Law. The Greek word used here for "weak" is ἀσθενής asthenēs. Vine's (def A-1b), Strong's G772.
Beggarly: Dodson denotes poor, destitute poor, destitute, spiritually poor, either in a good sense (humble devout persons) or bad. i.e., poverty-stricken, powerless to enrich, metaphorically descriptive of the religion of the Jews. While prosaites is descriptive of a "beggar," and stresses his "begging," ptochos stresses his poverty-stricken condition. The Greek word used here is πτωχός ptōchos. Strong's G4434. Vine's (def B-1)
Elements; See this study under "elements".
Bondage; See this study under "slaves".
Colossians 2:20 Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations—
Hebrews 7:18 For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness,
Moving to Verse 10.
Galatians 4:10 You observe days and months and seasons and years.
NSB* The word days likely refers to Sabbaths or special feasts. Months and seasons pertain to longer observances, such as celebrations between Passover and the day of Pentecost. Years probably indicates the Year of Jubilee, the fiftieth year in which slaves were freed, family lands returned to their original owners, and the left, fallow (see Leviticus 23-25). The Jews commemorated all these feasts in order to please God.
Days; Thayer denotes 1) the day, used of the natural day, or the interval between sunrise and sunset, as distinguished from and contrasted with the night 1a) in the daytime 1b) metaph., "the day" is regarded as the time for abstaining from indulgence, vice, crime, because acts of the sort are perpetrated at night and in darkness 2) of the civil day, or the space of twenty four hours (thus including the night) 2a) Eastern usage of this term differs from our western usage. Any part of a day is counted as a whole day, hence the expression "three days and three nights" does not mean literally three whole days, but at least one whole day plus part of two other days. 3) of the last day of this present age, the day Christ will return from heaven, raise the dead, hold the final judgment, and perfect his kingdom 4) used of time in general, i.e. the days of his life. The Greek word for day is ἡμέρα hēmera. Strong's G2250. For how it is used contextually here, see the NSB* notes above.
Months; Thayer's defines a month as - 1) a month 2) the time of the new moon, new moon (the first day of each month, when the new moon appeared was a festival among the Hebrews). Strong's μήν mēn.
Years; Thayer's defines year as 1) a year, in a wider sense, for some fixed definite period of time. The Greek word is ἐνιαυτός eniautos. Strong's G1763.
Moving to Verse 11.
Galatians 4:11 I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain.
Afraid; Dodson denotes I fear, am terrified, I fear, dread, reverence, am afraid, terrified. LSJ Gloss denotes, to put to flight. Strong's defines this word as to frighten, i.e. (passively) to be alarmed; by analogy, to be in awe of, i.e. revere. The Greek word here is φοβέω phobeō.Strong's G5399.
My Notes - There are a bunch of different words for "fear" and "afraid" in Greek. This is the one Paul uses here. I can only imagine that Paul was hopeful they would turn back to the gospel because it would have been like a spiritual gut punch if they didn't given not only that we are talking about souls here, but that they had already known God and still gone back to the law.
Labored; Thayer denotes 1) to grow weary, tired, exhausted (with toil or burdens or grief) 2) to labour with wearisome effort, to toil 2a) of bodily labour. The Greek word used here is κοπιάω kopiaō. Strong's G2872.
Vain; We get the same exact usage of this word here under "vain".
Takeaway - The idea of this passage is that we are not to return to the laws, rituals, and traditions of man or in this case the Mosaic Law in an effort to please God, but Paul is addressing Jewish legalists here. We are now under grace and in the next few studies we can really dig into the differences between the two approaches to God. We do not want to mistake grace for being free to just fly off the handle and run to sin. That is not what grace means.
*NSB = Nelson Study Bible.
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