GAL 5:15 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. εἰ
2. ei
3. if
4. -
5. 14870
6. C·······
7. if
8. if
9. -
10. Y58
11. 127542
1. Δέ
2. de
3. But
4. -
5. 11610
6. C·······
7. but
8. but
9. S
10. Y58
11. 127543
1. ἀλλήλους
2. allēlōn
3. one another
4. -
5. 2400
6. R····AMP
7. one_another
8. one_another
9. -
10. Y58; R127507
11. 127544
1. δάκνετε
2. daknō
3. you all are biting
4. -
5. 11430
6. VIPA2··P
7. ˱you_all˲ ˓are˒ biting
8. ˱you_all˲ ˓are˒ biting
9. -
10. Y58; R127507
11. 127545
1. καί
2. kai
3. and
4. But and
5. 25320
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. Y58
11. 127546
1. κατεσθίετε
2. katesthiō
3. you all are devouring
4. -
5. 27190
6. VIPA2··P
7. ˱you_all˲ ˓are˒ devouring
8. ˱you_all˲ ˓are˒ devouring
9. -
10. Y58; R127507
11. 127547
1. βλέπετε
2. blepō
3. be watching out
4. watch
5. 9910
6. VMPA2··P
7. ˓be˒ watching_out
8. ˓be˒ watching_out
9. -
10. Y58; R127507
11. 127548
1. μή
2. mē
3. lest
4. -
5. 33610
6. C·······
7. lest
8. lest
9. -
10. Y58
11. 127549
1. ὑπʼ
2. hupo
3. by
4. -
5. 52590
6. P·······
7. by
8. by
9. -
10. Y58
11. 127550
1. ἀλλήλων
2. allēlōn
3. one another
4. -
5. 2400
6. R····GMP
7. one_another
8. one_another
9. -
10. Y58; R127507
11. 127551
1. ἀναλωθῆτε
2. analoō
3. you all may be consumed up
4. -
5. 3550
6. VSAP2··P
7. ˱you_all˲ ˓may_be˒ consumed_up
8. ˱you_all˲ ˓may_be˒ consumed_up
9. -
10. Y58; R127507
11. 127552

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 5:13–26: Let the Spirit of God lead you

In this section, Paul talked about what freedom means. He no longer focused on how a person is made righteous. He focused on how a person who has received the righteousness of Christ should live.

Paul told the Galatians that choosing to live their lives in the power of the Holy Spirit would keep them from living sinful lives. It would keep them from living as slaves to the law. A life lived in the Spirit is a life of love for each other.

Some other possible headings for this section are:

Follow closely the Spirit of God

Obey God’s Spirit, not your sinful desires

Paragraph 5:13–15

In this paragraph, Paul stated that the freedom that the Galatians had in Christ did not mean that they could do whatever they wished. Their freedom did not permit them to live sinful lives. Instead, they should lovingly serve each other.

5:15a

But if you keep on biting and devouring one another,

But if you^(plur) act like wild animals/dogs who bite and devour/eat each other,
If you go on hurting each other and tearing each other apart (NCV)
But when you^(plur) criticize and fight each other,

But: There is a contrast between 5:14b and 5:15. The contrast is between the command to love one another and the way that the Galatians were actually treating one another. The BSB indicates this contrast with the conjunction But.

if you keep on biting and devouring one another: This clause is a metaphor. In this metaphor, the way that the Galatians were treating one another is compared to the kinds of actions that wild animals do. Paul implied that the actions of the sinful nature are as destructive as the actions of wild animals.

Paul used two words, biting and devouring (that is, eating), to emphasize how serious the situation in Galatia was.

Some ways to translate this metaphor are:

Keep the metaphor but make the image explicit. For example:
if you are wild animals that bite and devour/eat one another
Change the metaphor to a simile and make the image explicit. For example:
when you act like wild animals that bite and eat each other
if you act like wild animals, hurting and harming each other (GNT)
Translate the meaning without using a figure of speech. For example:
if you criticize and attack each other (GW)

devouring: The Greek word that the BSB translates as devouring is a word used for wild animals eating food. They eat greedily and swallow food without chewing it. This is not the normal word used to describe humans eating.

5:15b

watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.

watch out, or you will completely destroy one another.
be careful, or you will completely destroy each other. (NCV)
be careful that you do not ruin the lives of each other.

watch out, or you will be consumed by one another: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as consumed means “destroyed.” It refers to the results of biting and devouring one another. Paul asked the Galatians to stop and think about the effects of not loving one another.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

watch out or you will be destroyed by each other (NIV)

look out! Beware ruining one another.

be careful that you don’t destroy each other (GW)

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-condition-hypothetical

εἰ & ἀλλήλους δάκνετε καὶ κατεσθίετε, βλέπετε μὴ ὑπ’ ἀλλήλων ἀναλωθῆτε

if & one_another ˱you_all˲_˓are˒_biting (Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἰ Δέ ἀλλήλους δάκνετε καί κατεσθίετε βλέπετε μή ὑπʼ ἀλλήλων ἀναλωθῆτε)

Paul is using a hypothetical situation to teach the Galatians what the results will be if they fight with each other. The result of consuming each other will happen if they fulfill the condition of biting and devouring one another. The word “then” is implied before the phrase watch out. If it would help your readers, you could supply this word in your translation. Alternate translation: [if you are biting and devouring one another, then watch out that you might not be consumed by one another]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

εἰ & ἀλλήλους δάκνετε καὶ κατεσθίετε

Here Paul speaks of the Galatian believers fighting each other as if they were wild animals that attack each other. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly or use a simile. Alternate translation: [if you are mistreating and hurting one another] or [if you are acting like wild animals that bite and devour one another]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

μὴ ὑπ’ ἀλλήλων ἀναλωθῆτε

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἰ Δέ ἀλλήλους δάκνετε καί κατεσθίετε βλέπετε μή ὑπʼ ἀλλήλων ἀναλωθῆτε)

Here Paul speaks of the Galatian believers fighting each other as if they were wild animals that eat each other. Here consumed could mean: (1) the believers themselves would be destroyed. Alternate translation: [you might not be destroyed by one another] (2) the fellowship of Galatian believers would be destroyed. Alternate translation: [your group of believers might not be destroyed by one another]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

μὴ ὑπ’ ἀλλήλων ἀναλωθῆτε

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἰ Δέ ἀλλήλους δάκνετε καί κατεσθίετε βλέπετε μή ὑπʼ ἀλλήλων ἀναλωθῆτε)

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. Alternate translation: [you might not consume one another]

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

1. OET-LV words
2. OET-RV words
3. Strongs
4. Greek word
5. Greek lemma
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. But
2. -
3. 11610
4. S
5. de
6. C-·······
7. but
8. but
9. S
10. Y58
11. 127543
1. if
2. -
3. 14870
5. ei
6. C-·······
7. if
8. if
9. -
10. Y58
11. 127542
1. you all are biting
2. -
3. 11430
5. daknō
6. V-IPA2··P
7. ˱you_all˲ ˓are˒ biting
8. ˱you_all˲ ˓are˒ biting
9. -
10. Y58; R127507
11. 127545
1. one another
2. -
3. 2400
5. allēlōn
6. R-····AMP
7. one_another
8. one_another
9. -
10. Y58; R127507
11. 127544
1. and
2. But and
3. 25320
5. kai
6. C-·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. Y58
11. 127546
1. you all are devouring
2. -
3. 27190
5. katesthiō
6. V-IPA2··P
7. ˱you_all˲ ˓are˒ devouring
8. ˱you_all˲ ˓are˒ devouring
9. -
10. Y58; R127507
11. 127547
1. be watching out
2. watch
3. 9910
5. blepō
6. V-MPA2··P
7. ˓be˒ watching_out
8. ˓be˒ watching_out
9. -
10. Y58; R127507
11. 127548
1. lest
2. -
3. 33610
5. mē
6. C-·······
7. lest
8. lest
9. -
10. Y58
11. 127549
1. you all may be consumed up
2. -
3. 3550
5. analoō
6. V-SAP2··P
7. ˱you_all˲ ˓may_be˒ consumed_up
8. ˱you_all˲ ˓may_be˒ consumed_up
9. -
10. Y58; R127507
11. 127552
1. by
2. -
3. 52590
5. hupo
6. P-·······
7. by
8. by
9. -
10. Y58
11. 127550
1. one another
2. -
3. 2400
5. allēlōn
6. R-····GMP
7. one_another
8. one_another
9. -
10. Y58; R127507
11. 127551

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 5:15

SR Greek word order

Section 5:13–26: Let the Spirit of God lead you

Paragraph 5:13–15

5:15a

5:15b

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