GAL 4:19 Interlinear View

1. Greek word
2. Greek lemma
3. OET-LV words
4. OET-RV words
5. Strongs
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. Τέκνα
2. teknon
3. Children
4. -
5. 50430
6. N····VNP
7. children
8. children
9. S
10. Y58
11. 127134
1. τεκνία
2. teknion
3. -
4. -
5. 50400
6. N····VNP
7. little_children
8. little_children
9. -
10. -
11. 127135
1. μού
2. egō
3. of me
4. My
5. 14730
6. R···1G·S
7. ˱of˲ me
8. ˱of˲ me
9. -
10. Y58
11. 127136
1. οὕς
2. hos
3. whom
4. -
5. 37390
6. R····AMP
7. whom
8. whom
9. -
10. Y58
11. 127137
1. πάλιν
2. palin
3. again
4. again
5. 38250
6. D·······
7. again
8. again
9. -
10. Y58
11. 127138
1. ὠδίνω
2. ōdinō
3. I am labouring in birth
4. labouring
5. 56050
6. VIPA1··S
7. ˱I˲ ˓am˒ labouring_in_birth
8. ˱I˲ ˓am˒ laboring_in_birth
9. -
10. Y58; R125554; Person=Paul
11. 127139
1. μέχρις
2. meχri
3. until
4. until
5. 33600
6. C·······
7. until
8. until
9. -
10. Y58
11. 127140
1. ἄχρις
2. aχri
3. -
4. -
5. 8910
6. P·······
7. until
8. until
9. -
10. -
11. 127141
1. οὗ
2. hos
3. of which
4. -
5. 37390
6. R····GNS
7. ˱of˲ which
8. ˱of˲ which
9. -
10. Y58
11. 127142
1. μορφωθῇ
2. morfoō
3. may be formed
4. -
5. 34450
6. VSAP3··S
7. ˓may_be˒ formed
8. ˓may_be˒ formed
9. -
10. Y58
11. 127143
1. Χριστός
2. χristos
3. chosen one messiah
4. messiah
5. 55470
6. N····NMS
7. chosen_one/messiah
8. Christ
9. WN
10. Y58; Person=Jesus
11. 127144
1. ἐν
2. en
3. in
4. -
5. 17220
6. P·······
7. in
8. in
9. -
10. Y58
11. 127145
1. ὑμῖν
2. su
3. you all
4. you
5. 47710
6. R···2D·P
7. you_all
8. you_all
9. -
10. Y58
11. 127146

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 4:8–20: Paul begged the Galatians not to turn away from the true gospel

In this section, Paul again rebuked the Galatians for turning to the law and turning away from the true gospel. He begged them to change their thinking and their actions. He said that turning to the law put them back into the slavery that they were in before they knew Christ. He equated obeying the law with paganism. This is a startling and shocking comparison.

Paul appealed to the Galatians on the basis of the emotional bond between him and them. He reminded them of how that bond had developed and that it had resulted in their full acceptance of the true gospel. But now their turning away from the true gospel had perplexed him. He said that they were now like enemies because they followed the false teachers and had turned away from the true gospel.

But the false teachers were the real enemies. For selfish reasons, they taught the Galatians to add something to their faith. They taught them to obey the law. They were not working for the good of the Galatians.

Some possible headings for this section are:

The folly of turning to the law

Paul’s concern for the Galatians

4:19a

My children,

My children in Christ,
You are like my children.

My children: Paul used this phrase to remind the Galatians of their close relationship with him.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

My little children (ESV)

My own children in Christ

If the word children is only used literally and would be misunderstood, then you can say something like:

You are like my children

4:19b

for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth

I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, (NLT)
Just like a woman who feels pain during childbirth, so I am once more suffering for you.

for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth: This clause is a metaphor. In this metaphor, Paul compared his ministry among the Galatians to childbirth. Paul had brought the Galatians to Christ. This was like giving birth to a child. They are similar in that both are difficult and painful.

Paul had already done this one time during his first visit. But the Galatians were turning away from their faith. So he had to bring them to the truth again. It was like Paul was giving birth to them again.

Some ways to translate this clause are:

Keep the metaphor. For example:
I am suffering birth pains for you again (GW)
again I feel the pain of childbirth for you (NCV)
Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:
I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again (NLT)
Like a woman who has pain when she gives birth, I am again suffering for you
Translate the meaning without using a figure of speech. For example:
I am suffering terrible pain on your behalf once more

until Christ is formed in you: This clause refers to Christ changing the lives of the Galatians. Paul stated that his birth pains would continue until the Galatians were mature in Christ.According to the commentaries, there are at least two ways to interpret this clause: (1) It is a complete change of the metaphor in 4:19a. According to this interpretation, the Galatians are now pictured as the pregnant mother. Christ’s nature is forming in them. Paul would be in pain until Christ was fully developed in them. Those who follow this interpretation are: Schreiner, p. 289; George, p. 330; Longenecker, p. 195; and Burton, pp. 248–249. (2) It continues the metaphor in 4:19b. According to this interpretation, Paul continues to be pictured as the pregnant mother. He would continue to be in the agony of childbirth until the Galatians developed and became like Christ. For example: “until you take the shape of Christ” (NEB). Even though the majority of commentators follow interpretation (1), there are many difficulties in finding a good way to translate this clause according to that interpretation. So it is recommended that translators follow interpretation (2) or translate the meaning of this clause without trying to keep the metaphor.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

until you truly become like Christ (NCV)

until Christ is shown/revealed in you

until Christ’s nature is formed in you (GNT)

4:19c

until Christ is formed in you,

until you truly become like Christ. (NCV)
I will continue to suffer until you are more mature in Christ.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

τέκνα μου

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Τέκνα μού οὕς πάλιν ὠδίνω μέχρις οὗ μορφωθῇ Χριστός ἐν ὑμῖν)

Paul speaks of the Galatian believers as if they were his children and he was their parent. The Galatian believers experienced their spiritual birth as a result of Paul’s work of proclaiming the gospel to them, so he was their spiritual parent and they were his spiritual children. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning in plain language. Alternate translation: [You who believed the message about Jesus that I proclaimed to you] or [My spiritual children]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

πάλιν ὠδίνω

again ˱I˲_˓am˒_laboring_in_birth

Paul speaks of his work of seeking to help the Galatians grow in spiritual maturity and the mental and physical suffering he endured as a result of this work as if it were the labor that a mother endures when giving birth to a child. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could use a simile. Alternate translation: [I am again in anguish as though I am giving birth] or [it is as if I am in labor again]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

μορφωθῇ Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν

˓may_be˒_formed (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Τέκνα μού οὕς πάλιν ὠδίνω μέχρις οὗ μορφωθῇ Χριστός ἐν ὑμῖν)

In the phrase Christ would be formed in you the word Christ refers Christ’s character and likeness. Christ being formed in them refers to them becoming mature in their spiritual thinking and acting in a way that resembles Jesus’ actions. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your culture or plain language. Alternate translation: [Christ’s nature becomes fully developed in you] or [you become a mature follower of Christ]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

μορφωθῇ Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν

˓may_be˒_formed (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Τέκνα μού οὕς πάλιν ὠδίνω μέχρις οὗ μορφωθῇ Χριστός ἐν ὑμῖν)

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you must state who did the action, Paul implies that God will do it. Alternate translation: [God forms Christ in you] or [God would form Christ in you]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.

OET interlinear GAL 4:19

SR Greek word order (including unused variant words in grey)

Section 4:8–20: Paul begged the Galatians not to turn away from the true gospel

4:19a

4:19b

4:19c

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)