Focused Passage

Galatians 4:8-11

No Longer Slaves: Sonship, Pastoral Anguish, and Children of Promise

Paul moves from the temporary minority of heirs under guardians, to redemption and adoption through God's sent Son, to the Spirit's cry of sonship, then to pastoral anguish over the Galatians' regression, and finally to the contrast between slavery and promise through Hagar and Sarah.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

8Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.

9But now that you know God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you are turning back to those weak and worthless principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?

10You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!

11I fear for you, that my efforts for you may have been in vain.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 8

Original words

-ἈλλὰG235Conjunction-μὲνG3303ConjunctionFormerlyτότεG5119AdverbvvvοὐκG3756Adverbwhen you did not knowεἰδότεςG1492Verb - Perfect Participle Active - Nominative Masculine PluralGodΘεὸνG2316Noun - Accusative Masculine Singularyou were slavesἐδουλεύσατεG1398Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person Pluralto those whoτοῖςG3588Article - Dative Masculine Pluralby natureφύσειG5449Noun - Dative Feminine SingularareοὖσινG1510Verb - Present Participle Active - Dative Masculine PluralnotμὴG3361AdverbgodsθεοῖςG2316Noun - Dative Masculine Plural
Verse 9

Original words

ButδὲG1161Conjunctionnow thatνῦνG3568Adverbyou knowγνόντεςG1097Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine PluralGodΘεόνG2316Noun - Accusative Masculine Singularor ratherμᾶλλονG3123AdverbvvvδὲG1161Conjunctionare knownγνωσθέντεςG1097Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine PluralbyὑπὸG5259PrepositionGodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine Singularhow [is it that]πῶςG4459Adverbyou are turningἐπιστρέφετεG1994Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person PluralbackπάλινG3825AdverbtoἐπὶG1909PrepositionthoseτὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter PluralweakἀσθενῆG772Adjective - Accusative Neuter PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionworthlessπτωχὰG4434Adjective - Accusative Neuter PluralprinciplesστοιχεῖαG4747Noun - Accusative Neuter PluralDo you wishθέλετεG2309Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Pluralto be enslavedδουλεύειν*G1398Verb - Present Infinitive Activeby [them]οἷςG3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Dative Neuter Pluralall overἄνωθενG509AdverbagainπάλινG3825Adverb
Verse 10

Original words

You are observingπαρατηρεῖσθεG3906Verb - Present Indicative Middle - 2nd Person Plural[special] daysἡμέραςG2250Noun - Accusative Feminine PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionmonthsμῆναςG3376Noun - Accusative Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionseasonsκαιροὺςG2540Noun - Accusative Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionyearsἐνιαυτούςG1763Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Verse 11

Original words

I fearφοβοῦμαιG5399Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person Singularfor youὑμᾶςG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person Plural[that]μήG3361Adverbmy effortsκεκοπίακαG2872Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularforεἰςG1519PrepositionyouὑμᾶςG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person Pluralmay have beenπωςG4459Adverbin vainεἰκῇG1500Adverb

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.