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Wednesday, July 9th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Etheridge Translation

Galatians 5:3

But I attest again to every man who is circumcised, that he is obligated to fulfil the whole law.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Circumcision;   Obedience;   The Topic Concordance - Legalism;   Waiting;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Circumcision;   Creditors;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Debtor;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Circumcision;   Law;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Discipline;   Flesh;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Law;   Liberty;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Circumcision;   Galatians, the Epistle to the;   Gilgal;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Galatians, Letter to the;   Proselytes;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Galatians, Epistle to the;   Justification, Justify;   Law;   Quotations;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Debt, Debtor;   Galatians Epistle to the;   Law;   Moses;   Proselyte;   Proselyte (2);   Universalism (2);   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Circumcision;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Galatians, Epistle to the;   Lord's Day;   Proselyte;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Polemics and Polemical Literature;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for November 8;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to do the entire law.
King James Version (1611)
For I testifie againe to euery man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to doe the whole Law.
King James Version
For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
English Standard Version
I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law.
New American Standard Bible
And I testify again to every man who has himself circumcised, that he is obligated to keep the whole Law.
New Century Version
Again, I warn every man: If you allow yourselves to be circumcised, you must follow all the law.
Amplified Bible
Once more I solemnly affirm to every man who receives circumcision [as a supposed requirement of salvation], that he is under obligation and required to keep the whole Law.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law.
Legacy Standard Bible
And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law.
Berean Standard Bible
Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.
Contemporary English Version
If you do, you must obey the whole Law.
Complete Jewish Bible
Again, I warn you: any man who undergoes b'rit-milah is obligated to observe the entire Torah!
Darby Translation
And I witness again to every man [who is] circumcised, that he is debtor to do the whole law.
Easy-to-Read Version
Again, I warn everyone: If you allow yourselves to be circumcised, then you must follow the whole law.
Geneva Bible (1587)
For I testifie againe to euery man, which is circumcised, that he is bound to keepe the whole Lawe.
George Lamsa Translation
For I testify again to every man who is circumcised, that he is under obligation to fulfill the whole law.
Good News Translation
Once more I warn any man who allows himself to be circumcised that he is obliged to obey the whole Law.
Lexham English Bible
And again I testify to every man who becomes circumcised, that he is under obligation to keep the whole law.
Literal Translation
And I testify again to every man being circumcised, that he is a debtor to do all the Law,
American Standard Version
Yea, I testify again to every man that receiveth circumcision, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
Bible in Basic English
Yes, I give witness again to every man who undergoes circumcision, that he will have to keep all the law.
Hebrew Names Version
Yes, I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
International Standard Version
Again, I insisttestify">[fn] that everyone who allows himself to be circumcised is obligated to obey the entire law.Galatians 3:10;">[xr]
Murdock Translation
And again, I testify to every one who becometh circumcised, that he is bound to fulfill the whole law.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For I testifie agayne to euery man which is circumcised, that he is a detter to do the whole lawe.
English Revised Version
Yea, I testify again to every man that receiveth circumcision, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
World English Bible
Yes, I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, he is a debtor to do the whole law.
Weymouth's New Testament
I once more protest to every man who receives circumcision that he is under obligation to obey the whole Law of Moses.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Y witnesse eftsoones to ech man that circumcidith hym silf, that he is dettour of al the lawe to be don.
Update Bible Version
Yes, I testify again to every man that receives circumcision, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
Webster's Bible Translation
For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
New English Translation
And I testify again to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.
New King James Version
And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law.
New Living Translation
I'll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses.
New Life Bible
I say it again. Every man who has the religious act of becoming a Jew done on him must obey every Law.
New Revised Standard
Once again I testify to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obliged to obey the entire law.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Yea, I bear solemn witness again, unto every man getting circumcised, - that he is, a debtor, to do, the whole law.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And I testify again to every man circumcising himself that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
Revised Standard Version
I testify again to every man who receives circumcision that he is bound to keep the whole law.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
I testifie agayne to every man which is circumcised that he is bounde to kepe the whole lawe.
Young's Literal Translation
and I testify again to every man circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
I testifye agayne vnto euery man which is circumcysed, that he is bounde to kepe the whole lawe.
Mace New Testament (1729)
for I testify to every man that is circumcised, that he is under an obligation to perform the whole law.
Simplified Cowboy Version
I've said it once and I'll say it again, any cowboy who tries to go by one part of the Law must obey every part of the Law—every twist, turn, nook, and cranny.

Contextual Overview

1 Stand therefore in that liberty with which the Meshiha hath freed you, and be not enthralled with the yoke of bondage. 2 Behold, I, Paulos, tell you, that if you be circumcised, the Meshiha profiteth you nothing. 3 But I attest again to every man who is circumcised, that he is obligated to fulfil the whole law. 4 You have ceased from the Meshiha who are justified by the law, and from grace you have fallen. 5 But we through the Spirit, who is from faith, expect the hope of righteousness. 6 For, in the Meshiha Jeshu, circumcision is not any thing, nor uncircumcision, but faith which is made perfect by love. 7 Well did you run; who hath impeded you, that to the truth you should not be in obedience? 8 Your persuasion is not from him who called you. 9 A little leaven the whole mass leaveneth. 10 I am confident of you in our Lord, that no other thing you will think; and he who disturbeth you shall bear judgment, whoever he is.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

testify: Deuteronomy 8:19, Deuteronomy 31:21, Nehemiah 9:29, Nehemiah 9:30, Nehemiah 9:34, Luke 16:28, Acts 2:40, Acts 20:21, Ephesians 4:17, 1 Thessalonians 4:6, 1 John 4:14

a debtor: Galatians 3:10, Deuteronomy 27:26, Matthew 23:16, Matthew 23:18,*Gr: James 2:10, James 2:11

Reciprocal: Genesis 17:10 - Every Leviticus 12:3 - General Nehemiah 13:15 - I testified Acts 13:39 - from which Romans 2:25 - circumcision Romans 9:31 - hath Romans 10:3 - to establish Galatians 5:6 - in 1 Timothy 1:7 - to

Cross-References

Luke 1:35
The angel answered and said to her, The Spirit of Holiness shall come, and the Power of the Most High [fn] shall shadow over thee; on account of this He who (shall be) born from thee is the Holy, and the Son of Aloha shall be called.
John 3:6
Whatever is born of the flesh, is flesh; and whatever is born of the Spirit, is spirit.
Romans 5:12
As by one man sin entered into the world, and by sin death, so death hath passed upon all men through this, that all have sinned.
1 Corinthians 15:39
39 For every body is not alike: [fn] for there is one body of man, and another of the beast, and another of the fowl, and another of fishes.
Ephesians 2:3
in those works in which we also walked from the first in the lusts of our flesh, doing the will of our flesh and of our mind, and were the sons of wrath fully as the rest.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For I testify again to every man,.... This is the form of an oath, a calling God to witness, swearing by the living God, and declaring as in his presence to every man, whether Jew or Gentile, whoever he be:

that is circumcised; in order to obtain salvation, and as necessary to it:

that he is a debtor to do the whole law; and this it is that made circumcision an insupportable yoke, for that itself might be bore, and was bore by children of eight days old; but the fulfilling of the whole law cannot be done by any man; and yet everyone that is circumcised, in order to procure righteousness and life, is bound to keep the whole law; because the law is only his righteousness, when he observes all that is required in it, and as the Lord has commanded; if he does not, he is pronounced accursed: and this proves what was before said, that Christ is of no profit to such persons; because they reject him and his righteousness, and, as much as in them lie, make void his obedience, sufferings, and death: hence the same thing is repeated, though not in the same words, in the next verse.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For I testify again - Probably he had stated this when he had preached the gospel to them first, and he now solemnly bears witness to the same thing again. Bloomfield, however, supposes that the word “again” here (πάλιν palin) means, on the other hand, or, “furthermore,” or, as we would say, “and again.”

That he is a debtor to do the whole law - He binds himself to obey all the Law of Moses. Circumcision was the distinguishing badge of the Jews, as baptism is of Christians. A man, therefore, who became circumcised became a professor of the Jewish religion, and bound himself to obey all its special laws. This must be understood, of course, with reference to the point under discussion; and means, if he did it with a view to justification, or as a thing that was necessary and binding. It would not apply to such a case as that of Timothy, where it was a matter of mere expediency or prudence; see the note at Galatians 5:2.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Galatians 5:3. He is a debtor to do the whole law. — Lays himself, by receiving circumcision, under the obligation to fulfil all its precepts, ordinances, &c.


 
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