GAL 2:3 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.)

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, cyan:dative/indirect object.
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 But not even Titus, the one with me, being a Greek, was forced to be circumcised.

UST But those leaders did not even require Titus, who was with me and was an uncircumcised Gentile, to be circumcised.

BLB But not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised,

AICNT But not even Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised;

OEB Yet even my companion, Titus, though a Greek, was not compelled to be circumcised.

WEBBE But not even Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, although he was a Greek.

LSV but not even Titus, who [is] with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised—

FBV But as it turned out, nobody even insisted that Titus who was with me should be circumcised, though he was Greek.

TCNT But not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he is a Greek.

T4T But even though the leaders of the believers usually insisted that when non-Jews trusted in Christ someone must circumcise them, they did not even insist that Titus be circumcised, even though he was a Greek man who was with me.

LEB But not even Titus who was with me, although[fn] he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.

2:3 *Here “although” is supplied as a component of the participle (“was”) which is understood as concessive

BBE But not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was made to undergo circumcision:

Moff But even my companion Titus, Greek though he was, was not obliged to be circumcised.

Wymth But although my companion Titus was a Greek they did not insist upon even his being circumcised.

ASV But not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised:

DRA But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Gentile, was compelled to be circumcised.

YLT but not even Titus, who [is] with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised —

Drby (but neither was Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, compelled to be circumcised;)

RV But not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised:

SLT But neither Titus, with me, being a Greek, was forced to be circumcised:

Wbstr But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised:

KJB-1769 But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised:

KJB-1611 But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greeke, was compelled to be circumcised:
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Bshps But neither Titus which was with me, beyng a Greke, was compelled to be circumcised,
(But neither Titus which was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised,)

Gnva But neither yet Titus which was with me, though he were a Grecian, was compelled to be circumcised,

Cvdl But Titus which was also with me, was not compelled to be circucysed, though he was a Greke:
(But Titus which was also with me, was not compelled to be circucysed, though he was a Greek:)

TNT Also Titus which was with me though he were a Greke yet was not compelled to be circumcised
(Also Titus which was with me though he were a Greek yet was not compelled to be circumcised )

Wycl And nother Tite, that hadde be with me, while he was hethene, was compellid to be circumsidid;
(And nother Tite, that had be with me, while he was heathen, was compellid to be circumsidid;)

Luth Aber es ward auch Titus nicht gezwungen, sich zu beschneiden, der mit mir war, ob er wohl ein Grieche war.
(But it what/which also Titus not forced, itself/yourself/themselves to/for prune/trim, the/of_the with to_me was, if/whether he probably/well a Grieche was.)

ClVg Sed neque Titus, qui mecum erat, cum esset gentilis, compulsus est circumcidi:
(But nor Titus, who/which with_me was, when/with was Gentile, compulsus it_is circumcidi: )

UGNT ἀλλ’ οὐδὲ Τίτος ὁ σὺν ἐμοί, Ἕλλην ὤν, ἠναγκάσθη περιτμηθῆναι.
(all’ oude Titos ho sun emoi, Hellaʸn ōn, aʸnagkasthaʸ peritmaʸthaʸnai.)

SBL-GNT ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ Τίτος ὁ σὺν ἐμοί, Ἕλλην ὤν, ἠναγκάσθη περιτμηθῆναι·
(allʼ oude Titos ho sun emoi, Hellaʸn ōn, aʸnagkasthaʸ peritmaʸthaʸnai;)

RP-GNT Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ Τίτος ὁ σὺν ἐμοί, Ἕλλην ὤν, ἠναγκάσθη περιτμηθῆναι·
(All' oude Titos ho sun emoi, Hellaʸn ōn, aʸnagkasthaʸ peritmaʸthaʸnai;)

TC-GNT Ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ Τίτος ὁ σὺν ἐμοί, Ἕλλην ὤν, ἠναγκάσθη περιτμηθῆναι·
(All oude Titos ho sun emoi, Hellaʸn ōn, aʸnagkasthaʸ peritmaʸthaʸnai; )

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 2:1–10: The church leaders accepted Paul’s apostleship and his message

In this section, Paul explained to the Galatians one reason why they should hold firm to the gospel that he had taught them. He did this by telling them about the meeting that he had in Jerusalem with the apostles there. At this meeting, the apostles recognized Paul’s authority as an apostle. They also agreed that he preached the true gospel.

This meeting became necessary because of the message of some false teachers. These false teachers insisted that a person was not truly saved unless he also became circumcised and kept the laws of Moses. (See Acts 15:1–2 and Galatians 2:4.) At the meeting, the apostles agreed with Paul. They agreed that no one should force non-Jewish believers to be circumcised and obey the Law that God gave to Moses. This showed the Galatians that these teachers were wrong.

Some other possible headings for this section are:

Paul Was Accepted as an Apostle by the Leaders in Jerusalem (GW)

The apostles accept Paul

Paul’s apostleship and message

The Jerusalem leaders recognized Paul’s apostleship and message

Paragraph 2:1–5

In this paragraph, Paul told about the meeting that he and Barnabas had with church leaders in Jerusalem. In this meeting, Paul wanted to see whether the leaders would accept the message that he was teaching to Gentiles. The fact that the leaders did not require Titus, a Greek, to be circumcised showed that they accepted Paul’s message. They accepted his message in spite of some opposition from false brothers.

2:3

In 2:3, Paul gave some evidence that he had not run in vain. He gave some evidence that the leaders in Jerusalem approved the gospel that he preached. Paul did not state this explicitly, but he showed that they agreed by telling the Galatians that the leaders did not force Titus to be circumcised.

2:3a

Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised,

But I was not running in vain. Titus, who was there with me, was not even forced/required to be circumcised,
And they agreed with me. This was clear because no one even insisted/demanded that my companion Titus should be circumcised.

Yet: There is a contrast between 2:2 and 2:3. The contrast is between what Paul feared might happen and what actually happened. He was concerned that the leaders would not agree with him. He was concerned that he had “run in vain” (2:2). But the leaders did agree with him and his message. Paul did not directly state that they agreed. He showed that they agreed with him by telling about Titus.

Some English versions, such the BSB and NIV, indicate this contrast with the conjunction Yet. Other English versions, such the ESV and NASB, indicate this contrast with the conjunction “but.”

In some languages, it might be necessary to make some of this information explicit. For example:

But I was not running in vain.

And they did agree (NLT96)

not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised: The words not even focus attention on the proof that the church leaders agreed with Paul’s message. The proof was that they did not even require a Gentile to be circumcised. If the church leaders had not agreed with Paul, they would have required that Titus be circumcised. He was right there when they made the decision. But they did not require him to be circumcised. This proved that they agreed with Paul that God accepted Gentile Christians even if they were not circumcised.

Another way to translate this clause is:

They did not even demand that my companion Titus be circumcised (NLT96)

Titus, who was with me: The clause who was with me is a relative clause. It describes Titus. In some languages, using this type of relative clause here would imply that there was another Titus, a Titus who was not with Paul. Even though there were certainly other men with that name, that is not the point here. In those languages, it would be better to translate these words without using a relative clause. For example:

Titus was with me (GW)

my companion Titus (NLT)

was compelled: The phrase was compelled is passive.

Some ways to translate this phrase are:

Use a passive clause. For example:
he was not forced (NCV)
Use an active clause. For example:
no one forced (GW)
they did not require/demand
they did not insist

circumcised: The word circumcised means “cut off the loose skin at the end of a boy’s penis.” Jews circumcised their sons as an act of obedience to the law.

In some cultures, it may be acceptable to use an explicit expression that means “cut off the loose skin at the end of a boy’s penis.” In other cultures, it may be necessary to use a euphemism to describe this event. Some examples are:

cut off some of the skin

receive the mark

ritual cutting

a mark of cutting

This is the first time that Paul mentioned circumcision in Galatians.

2:3b

even though he was a Greek.

even though he was a Greek.
Titus was a Greek and had never been circumcised.

even though he was a Greek: The fact that Titus was a Greek implies that he was not a Jew. So he had never been circumcised. (Most of the first Christians were Jews and had already been circumcised.) Nevertheless, the church leaders did not require Titus to be circumcised in order to be accepted as a believer.

In some languages, it may be clearer to put this clause earlier in the verse. For example:

^3aTitus went to Jerusalem with me. ^3bHe was a Greek, ^3abut still he wasn’t forced to be circumcised. (CEV)

^3aTitus was with me, ^3band although he is Greek, ^3ano one forced him to be circumcised. (GW)

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-contrast

ἀλλ’

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἀλλʼ οὐδέ Τίτος ὁ σύν ἐμοί Ἕλλην ὤν ἠναγκάσθη περιτμηθῆναι)

Here, the word But is introducing an idea that is in contrast to an idea that was presented in [2:2](../02/02.md). Paul is probably presenting the fact that not even Titus … was forced to be circumcised as being in contrast to the idea in [2:2](../02/02.md) that he might have “run in vain” (labored in vain). Use a natural way in your language for introducing a contrast. Alternate translation: [On the contrary,] (

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / distinguish

οὐδὲ Τίτος ὁ σὺν ἐμοί, Ἕλλην ὤν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἀλλʼ οὐδέ Τίτος ὁ σύν ἐμοί Ἕλλην ὤν ἠναγκάσθη περιτμηθῆναι)

The phrase the one with me and the phrase being a Greek both give further information about Titus. Neither of these phrases is making a distinction between Titus and some other person. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make the relationship between these phrases clearer. Alternate translation: [not even Titus, my non-Jewish ministry partner]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

οὐδὲ Τίτος ὁ σὺν ἐμοί, Ἕλλην ὤν, ἠναγκάσθη περιτμηθῆναι

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἀλλʼ οὐδέ Τίτος ὁ σύν ἐμοί Ἕλλην ὤν ἠναγκάσθη περιτμηθῆναι)

The phrase was forced to be circumcised is passive. 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: [the leaders of the church in Jerusalem did not even require my Greek ministry partner, Titus, to be circumcised]

Parallel GAL 2:3

Section 2:1–10: The church leaders accepted Paul’s apostleship and his message

Paragraph 2:1–5

2:3

2:3a

2:3b