GAL 2:12 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) He’d been eating with non-Jews, but when Yacob and his companions arrived, he about-faced and started eating separately, because he was afraid of being criticised by the strict Jews.

Key: khaki:verbs, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT For before certain ones came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles. But when they came, he was withdrawing and was separating himself, being afraid of the ones from the circumcision.

UST This is what happened: Peter had been eating with the non-Jewish believers there. But then some men came who were from the group of Jewish believers in Jerusalem that James was leading. These men said that believers should keep the Jewish laws. Peter was afraid of what people who want Jewish believers to keep the Jewish laws might do, and so he began to withdraw from the non-Jews and eat with only the Jewish believers.

BSB For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself, for fear of those in [the] circumcision [ group ].

BLB For before certain ones came from James, he had been eating with the Gentiles. But when they came, he was drawing back and was separating himself, being afraid of those of the circumcision.

AICNT For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those from the circumcision.

OEB Before certain persons came from James, he had been in the habit of eating with the Gentile converts; but, when they came, he began to withdraw and hold aloof, because he was afraid of offending those who still held to circumcision.

WEBBE For before some people came from James, he ate with the Gentiles. But when they came, he drew back and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision.

WMBB For before some people came from Jacob, he ate with the Gentiles. But when they came, he drew back and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision.

NET Until certain people came from James, he had been eating with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he stopped doing this and separated himself because he was afraid of those who were pro-circumcision.

LSV for before the coming of some from James, he was eating with the nations, and when they came, he was withdrawing and separating himself, fearing those of circumcision,

FBV Before some of James' friends arrived, Peter used to eat with the foreigners. But when these people came he stopped doing this and stayed away from the foreigners. He was afraid of being criticized by those who insisted that men had to be circumcised.

TCNT For he regularly ate with the Gentiles until certain men came from James. But when they came, he drew back and separated himself because he was afraid of the circumcision faction.

T4T This is what happened: Peter went to Antioch and started eating regularly with non-Jewish believers there. Later there were certain Jewish believers who came to Antioch who claimed that James, the leader of the congregations in Jerusalem, had sent them. But when those certain men came, Peter gradually quit eating with the non-Jewish believers and would not associate with them. He was afraid that the Jewish believers from Jerusalem would criticize him for associating with non-Jews.

LEB For before certain people came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles, but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, because he[fn] was afraid of those who were of the circumcision,

2:12 *Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“was afraid of”) which is understood as causal

BBE For before certain men came from James, he did take food with the Gentiles: but when they came, he went back and made himself separate, fearing those who were of the circumcision.

Moff Before certain emissaries of James arrived, he ate along with the Gentile Christians; but when they arrived, he began to draw back and hold aloof, because he was afraid of the circumcision party.

Wymth For until certain persons came from James he had been accustomed to eat with Gentiles; but as soon as these persons came, he withdrew and separated himself for fear of the Circumcision party.

ASV For before that certain came from James, he ate with the Gentiles; but when they came, he drew back and separated himself, fearing them that were of the circumcision.

DRA For before that some came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them who were of the circumcision.

YLT for before the coming of certain from James, with the nations he was eating, and when they came, he was withdrawing and separating himself, fearing those of the circumcision,

Drby for before that certain came from James, he ate with [those of] the nations; but when they came, he drew back and separated himself, fearing those of [the] circumcision;

RV For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they came, he drew back and separated himself, fearing them that were of the circumcision.
(For before that certain came from Yames/Yacob, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they came, he drew back and separated himself, fearing them that were of the circumcision. )

SLT For before certain came from James, he ate with the nations: and when they came, he drew down, and separated himself, being afraid of them of the circumcision.

Wbstr For before that certain came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles: but when they had come, he withdrew, and separated himself, fearing them who were of the circumcision.

KJB-1769 For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.
(For before that certain came from Yames/Yacob, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. )

KJB-1611 For before that certaine came from Iames, he did eate with the Gentiles: but when they were come, hee withdrew, and separated himselfe, fearing them which were of the Circumcisiō.
(For before that certain came from Yames/Yacob, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew, and separated himself, fearing them which were of the Circumcisiō.)

Bshps For yer yt certaine came from Iames, he dyd eate with the gentiles: But whe they were come, he withdrue, and seperated himselfe, fearing them which were of the circumcision.
(For ere/before it certain came from Yames/Yacob, he did eat with the gentiles: But when they were come, he withdrue, and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.)

Gnva For before that certaine came from Iames, he ate with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himselfe, fearing them which were of the Circumcision.
(For before that certain came from Yames/Yacob, he ate with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the Circumcision. )

Cvdl For afore there came certayne from Iames, he ate with the Heythe. But wha they were come, he withdrue and separated himselfe, fearinge the which were of the circumcision.
(For afore there came certain from Yames/Yacob, he ate with the Heathen. But what they were come, he withdrue and separated himself, fearinge the which were of the circumcision.)

TNT For yerr that certayne came from Iames he ate with the gentyls. But when they were come he withdrue and separated him selfe fearinge them which were of the circumcision.
(For yerr that certain came from Yames/Yacob he ate with the gentiles. But when they were come he withdrue and separated himself fearinge them which were of the circumcision. )

Wycl For bifor that ther camen summen fro James, he eete with the hethene men; but whanne thei weren comun, he withdrowy, and departide hym, dredinge hem that weren of circumcisioun.
(For before that there came summen from Yames/Yacob, he eat with the heathen men; but when they were come, he withdrowy, and departed him, dreading hem that were of circumcision.)

Luth Denn zuvor, ehe etliche von Jakobus kamen, aß er mit den Heiden; da sie aber kamen, entzog er sich und sonderte sich, darum daß er die von der Beschneidung fürchtete.
(Because before, before several from Yakobus came, ate he with the heathens; there they/she/them but came, entzog he itself/yourself/themselves and separate itself/yourself/themselves, therefore that he the from the/of_the Beschneidung feared.)

ClVg Prius enim quam venirent quidam a Jacobo, cum gentibus edebat: cum autem venissent, subtrahebat, et segregabat se, timens eos qui ex circumcisione erant.[fn]
(Prius because how to_coment some from Yacobo, when/with nations edebat: when/with however they_would_have_come, subtrahebat, and segregabat himself, afraid them who/which from circumcision they_were. )

2.12 Prius enim quam venirent, etc. Qui dam æmulatores legis, qui æquo jure Christum et legem venerabantur, quos timens non miscebatur gentibus. Quod si solum esset, non esset reprehensibile. Sicut et ipse Paulus pro scandalo aliquando cessit. Sed in hoc erratum est, quod gentes cogebat judaizare.

2.12 Prius because how to_coment, etc. Who dam æmulatores law, who/which equal right/justly Christ/Messiah and the_law venerabantur, which afraid not/no miscebatur nations. That when/but_if only was, not/no was reprehensibile. Like and exactly_that/himself Paulus for scandalo sometimes cessit. But in/into/on this erratum it_is, that people/nations cogebat yudaizare.

UGNT πρὸ τοῦ γὰρ ἐλθεῖν τινας ἀπὸ Ἰακώβου, μετὰ τῶν ἐθνῶν συνήσθιεν; ὅτε δὲ ἦλθον, ὑπέστελλεν καὶ ἀφώριζεν ἑαυτόν, φοβούμενος τοὺς ἐκ περιτομῆς.
(pro tou gar elthein tinas apo Yakōbou, meta tōn ethnōn sunaʸsthien; hote de aʸlthon, hupestellen kai afōrizen heauton, foboumenos tous ek peritomaʸs.)

SBL-GNT πρὸ τοῦ γὰρ ἐλθεῖν τινας ἀπὸ Ἰακώβου μετὰ τῶν ἐθνῶν συνήσθιεν· ὅτε δὲ ⸀ἦλθον, ὑπέστελλεν καὶ ἀφώριζεν ἑαυτόν, φοβούμενος τοὺς ἐκ περιτομῆς.
(pro tou gar elthein tinas apo Yakōbou meta tōn ethnōn sunaʸsthien; hote de ⸀aʸlthon, hupestellen kai afōrizen heauton, foboumenos tous ek peritomaʸs.)

RP-GNT Πρὸ τοῦ γὰρ ἐλθεῖν τινὰς ἀπὸ Ἰακώβου, μετὰ τῶν ἐθνῶν συνήσθιεν· ὅτε δὲ ἦλθον, ὑπέστελλεν καὶ ἀφώριζεν ἑαυτόν, φοβούμενος τοὺς ἐκ περιτομῆς.
(Pro tou gar elthein tinas apo Yakōbou, meta tōn ethnōn sunaʸsthien; hote de aʸlthon, hupestellen kai afōrizen heauton, foboumenos tous ek peritomaʸs.)

TC-GNT Πρὸ τοῦ γὰρ ἐλθεῖν τινας ἀπὸ Ἰακώβου, μετὰ τῶν ἐθνῶν συνήσθιεν· ὅτε δὲ ἦλθον, ὑπέστελλε καὶ ἀφώριζεν ἑαυτόν, φοβούμενος τοὺς ἐκ περιτομῆς.
(Pro tou gar elthein tinas apo Yakōbou, meta tōn ethnōn sunaʸsthien; hote de aʸlthon, hupestelle kai afōrizen heauton, foboumenos tous ek peritomaʸs. )

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, orange:accents differ, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 2:11–21: Paul corrected Peter in Antioch

In this section, Paul told his readers what the true gospel is. It is salvation by faith in Christ alone. Obeying the law is not part of the true gospel. Doing what the law demands does not justify anyone.

Paul told how Peter had deserted the true gospel. He wanted the Galatians to understand how they too were deserting the true gospel. They had started to think that it was necessary to obey the law to be justified. Paul wanted them to read about his rebuke to Peter so that they could recognize how their own situation was similar. They must completely reject justification through the law. He emphasized that justification is by faith in Christ alone.

This section also shows that Paul’s authority as an apostle was at least as great as Peter’s was. This section is also an indirect rebuke of the false teachers who had come to the Galatian churches and required the non-Jews to adopt Jewish traditions to be accepted as true Christians.

Some other possible headings for this section are:

Paul rebukes Peter

Paul defended the truth of the gospel

Paul shows how Peter was wrong

Paragraph 2:11–13

In this paragraph, Paul wrote about an event that happened when he and Barnabas were teaching together in Antioch. (Acts 11:25–30 also talks about their time in Antioch.) During that period, Peter came to visit. While he was there, a group of Jewish Christians from Jerusalem also arrived. They did not accept uncircumcised non-Jewish believers as true Christians. While these people were in Antioch, Peter, Barnabas, and some of the other Jewish Christians decided to stop having fellowship with the uncircumcised non-Jewish believers.

Peter’s actions did not follow the truth of the gospel. So Paul rebuked him for his actions.

2:12a–b

For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles.

I did that because Peter frequently/always ate with the Gentile believers before/until certain men came from James.
When Peter first arrived, he regularly ate with those believers who were not Jews. But then some Jews arrived whom James had sent.

The clause “certain men came from James” (in 2:12a) describes what happened after Peter had been eating with the Gentiles (2:12b). In some languages, it will be more natural to change the order of these two clauses. For example:

^bHe ate with people who were not Jewish ^auntil some men James had sent from Jerusalem arrived. (GW)

^bPeter used to eat with the Gentiles, ^abut then some men from James arrived.

2:12a

For: Verse 2:12 explains why Paul rebuked Peter. The Greek introduces this explanation with a conjunction that the BSB translates as For.

Some other ways to introduce this explanation are:

I rebuked him because

I did this because

Here’s what was happening:

Some English versions do not translate this conjunction. For example:

Before certain men came from James (NIV)

In some languages, it may not necessary to use a conjunction here either.

before certain men came from James: There are two ways to interpret the way that these certain men were connected to James:

They were sent from/by James. (James was the leader of the church at Jerusalem.) And they came with a message from James. For example:
Before some men who had been sent by James arrived there (GNT) (GNT, CEV, GW, NCV)
They came from the church in Jerusalem where James was the leader. But they came with their own message, not a message from James. According to this interpretation, these Jewish believers are the same men mentioned in Acts 15:24. This verse in Acts tells us that these men were not sent by the leaders in Jerusalem, although they had come from the church there. For example:
some Jewish friends of James came (NLT96)

Many English versions are ambiguous, and so it is not possible to tell which interpretation they follow. It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), with the majority of English versions that express a specific interpretation.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

until some men James had sent from Jerusalem arrived (GW)

when some Jews arrived whom James had sent

As mentioned above, it may be more natural to put this clause after 2:12b. See an example above and in the Display.

certain men: The phrase certain men refers to some Jewish believers.

2:12b

he used to eat with the Gentiles: This clause indicates that, in the past, Peter had regularly eaten with the Gentiles, but then he stopped.

Jews were not allowed to eat with non-Jews, because they thought that they became unclean by doing so. When Peter, a Jew, ate with the Gentiles, it showed that he accepted them and had close fellowship with them. This was how Peter behaved when he first arrived in Antioch.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

Peter had been eating with the Gentile believers (GNT)

at first, he always/regularly ate with Gentile Christians

the Gentiles: Here, the phrase the Gentiles refers to the Christians in Antioch who were not Jews and did not follow the Jewish laws.

Another way to translate this clause is:

Gentile believers

2:12c

But when they arrived,

But after these men came,
After these men arrived in Antioch,

But when they arrived: There is a contrast between Peter eating with the Gentile believers and Peter separating himself from them. Many English versions introduce this contrast with the word But.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

But after these men arrived (GNT)

After they came to Antioch

2:12d

he began to draw back and separate himself,

he gradually withdrew and began to keep himself away from the Gentile believers,
he began to avoid eating with the Gentile believers and began to not associate with them.
Peter started retreating little by little from the non-Jewish believers.

he began to draw back and separate himself: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as draw back also means “withdraw” or “retreat.” This verb and the verb that the BSB translates as separate himself are very similar in meaning. These verbs imply that Peter stopped eating with the Gentiles.

The forms of both Greek verbs also imply that Peter gradually began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentile believers at meals. He did not do it all at once.

Some ways to translate this clause are:

Find synonyms to translate these two verbs. For example:
he gradually withdrew and began to keep himself away from the Gentile believers
Translate one verb as “stopped eating.” For example:
he gradually avoided/stopped eating with the Gentile believers and began to not associate with them
little by little Peter started retreating from the non-Jewish believers and no longer ate with them
Translate both verbs as one. For example:
he gradually distanced himself from believers who were not Jews
soon stopped eating with Gentiles (CEV)

2:12e

for fear of those in the circumcision group.

because he feared those people who believed that all Christians should be circumcised.
He/Peter did this because he was afraid of those Jews who said that all men must be circumcised in order to be right with God.

for fear of those in the circumcision group: There are at least two ways to interpret the Greek phrase that the BSB translates as the circumcision group:

It is a specific term referring to the group of Jews who insisted that a man must be circumcised in order for God to accept him. For example:
He was afraid of those who insisted that circumcision was necessary. (GW) (BSB, GNT, NET, GW, NLT)
It is a general term for all Jews. (All Jewish men were circumcised.) For some unspecified reason, Peter was afraid of, or concerned about, these people. For example:
Peter was afraid of the Jews (CEV) (CEV, NCV, JBP, REB)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). In Galatians, Paul showed that is it not necessary for a man to be circumcised in order to be saved, and interpretation (1) is consistent with that.

Furthermore, this circumcision party could have been:

a group of Jewish Christians in Jerusalem whom the men from James told Peter about.
Jewish militants who were not Christians and were persecuting Jewish Christians. It is possible that the men from James told Peter about these men.
the men from James themselves

In your translation, you should not specify which group it was.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

He was afraid of those who insisted that circumcision was necessary. (GW)

he was afraid of those who were in favor of circumcising them (GNT)

He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. (NLT)

Peter was perhaps afraid that this group would not approve of him eating with Gentile believers. He was perhaps afraid of what they would think or say about him. He was not afraid that they would physically harm him. If this party was (b) above, he may have even feared that his actions could cause Jewish militants to persecute Jewish believers.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

γὰρ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: πρό τοῦ Γάρ ἐλθεῖν τινάς ἀπό Ἰακώβου μετά τῶν ἐθνῶν συνήσθιεν ὅτε δέ ἦλθον ὑπέστελλεν καί ἀφώριζεν ἑαυτόν φοβούμενος τούς ἐκ περιτομῆς)

Here, the word For introduces Paul’s reason for why he opposed Cephas to his face (See: [2:11](../02/11.md)) and for why Paul claimed in [2:11](../02/11.md) that Cephas stood condemned. Use a natural way in your language for introducing a reason. If it would be more natural in your language to state the reason for an action before giving the result, see the note for [2:11](../02/11.md) on creating a verse bridge. Alternate translation: [The reason is that] or [The reason that Peter stood condemned is that]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / go

ἐλθεῖν & ἦλθον

˓to˒_come & ˱they˲_came

Your language may say “went” rather than came in contexts such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Alternate translation: [went … they went]

Note 3 topic: grammar-connect-logic-contrast

δὲ

Paul uses the word But here to introduce a contrast between how Peter acted before certain ones came from James and how he acted after they came. Use a natural way in your language for introducing a contrast.

ἀφώριζεν ἑαυτόν

˓was˒_setting_apart himself

Alternate translation: [was staying away from the Gentile believers]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

φοβούμενος τοὺς ἐκ περιτομῆς

fearing (Some words not found in SR-GNT: πρό τοῦ Γάρ ἐλθεῖν τινάς ἀπό Ἰακώβου μετά τῶν ἐθνῶν συνήσθιεν ὅτε δέ ἦλθον ὑπέστελλεν καί ἀφώριζεν ἑαυτόν φοβούμενος τούς ἐκ περιτομῆς)

If it would help your readers the reason Peter was afraid can be stated explicitly. See [6:12](../06/12.md) where Paul says that those trying to compel the Galatian believers were doing so because they did not want to be persecuted. Alternate translation: [being afraid that the unbelieving Jews might persecute him]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

τοὺς ἐκ περιτομῆς

See how you translated the phrase the circumcision in [2:7](../02/07.md). Here, the term the circumcision probably refers specifically to Jews who were not believers in Jesus, since it is unlikely that Peter would have feared Jewish Christians or the men whom James sent.

Parallel GAL 2:12

Section 2:11–21: Paul corrected Peter in Antioch

Paragraph 2:11–13

2:12a–b

2:12a

2:12b

2:12c

2:12d

2:12e