GAL 5:15 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=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) But if you’re snapping at and bullying each other, watch out, or else you’ll destroy each other’s faith.

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 But if you are biting and devouring one another, watch out that you might not be consumed by one another.

UST Now if you keep attacking and harming each other like wild animals, beware that you might completely destroy each other.

BLB But if you bite and devour one another, take heed, lest you might be consumed by one another.

AICNT But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

OEB But, if you are continually wounding and preying on one another, take care that you are not destroyed by one another.

WEBBE But if you bite and devour one another, be careful that you don’t consume one another.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET However, if you continually bite and devour one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another.

LSV and if you bite and devour one another, see that you may not be consumed by one another.

FBV But if you attack and tear into one other, watch out that you don't completely destroy yourselves!

TCNT But if you bite and devour one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.

T4T Since you are attacking and injuring [MET] each other by the things that you say [MET], I warn you that if you continue doing that, you will totally ruin each other spiritually.

LEB But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

BBE But if you are given to fighting with one another, take care that you are not the cause of destruction one to another.

Moff (whereas, if you snap at each other and prey upon each other, take care in case you destroy one another).

Wymth But if you are perpetually snarling and snapping at one another, beware lest you are destroyed by one another.

ASV But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

DRA But if you bite and devour one another; take heed you be not consumed one of another.

YLT and if one another ye do bite and devour, see — that ye may not by one another be consumed.

Drby but if ye bite and devour one another, see that ye are not consumed one of another.

RV But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
(But if ye/you_all bite and devour one another, take heed that ye/you_all be not consumed one of another. )

SLT And if ye bite and devour one another, see ye that ye be not laid waste by one another.

Wbstr But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one by another.

KJB-1769 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
(But if ye/you_all bite and devour one another, take heed that ye/you_all be not consumed one of another. )

KJB-1611 But if yee bite and deuoure one another, take heed ye be not consumed one of another.
(But if ye/you_all bite and devour one another, take heed ye/you_all be not consumed one of another.)

Bshps Yf ye byte and deuoure one another, take heede lest ye be consumed one of another.
(If ye/you_all bite and devour one another, take heed lest ye/you_all be consumed one of another.)

Gnva If ye bite and deuoure one another, take heede least ye be consumed one of another.
(If ye/you_all bite and devour one another, take heed least ye/you_all be consumed one of another. )

Cvdl But yf ye byte and deuoure one another, take hede, that ye be not consumed one of another.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

TNT Yf ye byte and devoure one another: take hede lest ye be consumed one of another.
(If ye/you_all bite and devoure one another: take heed lest ye/you_all be consumed one of another. )

Wycl And if ye bite, and ete ech othere, se ye, lest ye be wastid ech fro othere.
(And if ye/you_all bite, and eat each other, see ye/you_all, lest ye/you_all be wasted each from other.)

Luth So ihr euch aber untereinander beißet und fresset, so sehet zu, daß ihr nicht untereinander verzehret werdet.
(So you(pl)/their/her you but each_other bites and eats, so see to/for, that you(pl)/their/her not each_other consumed become.)

ClVg Quod si invicem mordetis, et comeditis: videte ne ab invicem consumamini.[fn]
(That when/but_if each_other mordetis, and he_ateis: see not away each_other I_will_consumeini. )

5.15 Comeditis. Vel criminamini, id est, crimina vobis invicem imponentes. Ne abinvicem consumamini. Per schisma Christianæ religionis, per vanam gloriam vanamque victoriam mutata occasione charitatis hoc eorum vitium tetigit, quia dissensio inimica est dilectionis. Hoc enim maxime vitio contentionis et invidiæ et perniciosa inter eos jurgia nutriebantur, quibus consumitur societas et vita.

5.15 Comeditis. Or criminamini, that it_is, crimina to_you(pl) each_other imposentes. Don't abinvicem I_will_consumeini. Per schisma Christianæ religion, through in_vainm glory vafor_indeed/truly victory changesa on_occasion of_charity this their vice/defect touched, because dissensio hostile it_is of_love. This because especially/most spoil/with_fault contentionis and envy and perniciosa between them quarrel they_were_nourished, to_whom is_consumed society and life.

UGNT εἰ δὲ ἀλλήλους δάκνετε καὶ κατεσθίετε, βλέπετε μὴ ὑπ’ ἀλλήλων ἀναλωθῆτε.
(ei de allaʸlous daknete kai katesthiete, blepete maʸ hup’ allaʸlōn analōthaʸte.)

SBL-GNT εἰ δὲ ἀλλήλους δάκνετε καὶ κατεσθίετε, βλέπετε μὴ ὑπʼ ἀλλήλων ἀναλωθῆτε.
(ei de allaʸlous daknete kai katesthiete, blepete maʸ hupʼ allaʸlōn analōthaʸte.)

RP-GNT Εἰ δὲ ἀλλήλους δάκνετε καὶ κατεσθίετε, βλέπετε μὴ ὑπὸ ἀλλήλων ἀναλωθῆτε.
(Ei de allaʸlous daknete kai katesthiete, blepete maʸ hupo allaʸlōn analōthaʸte.)

TC-GNT Εἰ δὲ ἀλλήλους δάκνετε καὶ κατεσθίετε, βλέπετε μὴ [fn]ὑπὸ ἀλλήλων ἀναλωθῆτε.
(Ei de allaʸlous daknete kai katesthiete, blepete maʸ hupo allaʸlōn analōthaʸte. )

5:15 υπο ¦ υπ ANT CT

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

SOTN 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)

UTN 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