historical · Gal 4:8–10 · ✓ Approved

Not gods, and the calendar (4:8–10)

Says “Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods” (Gal 4:8; τοῖς φύσει μὴ οὖσι θεοῖς). Now they are “turning back to those weak and worthless principles” (4:9). “You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!” (4:10; ἡμέρας παρατηρεῖσθε καὶ μῆνας καὶ καιροὺς καὶ ἐνιαυτούς). Elsewhere Paul writes, “One person regards a certain day above the others, while someone else considers every day alike” (Rom 14:5).

Several writers take 4:10 as the calendar of the law. Calvin: “The Jewish Sabbath, new moons, and other festivals, were earnestly pressed by the false apostles, because they had been appointed by the law.” Burton: “That the days, etc., referred to are those which the Jewish law required to be observed is made certain”. Lightfoot glosses the months as “the monthly celebrations, the new moons”. Chrysostom has the teachers “preaching to them not only circumcision, but also the feast-days and new-moons.” Wesley: “Ye observe days — Jewish sabbaths — and months — New Moons — and times — as that of the Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles — and years — Annual Solemnities.” These are their readings.

Implies Because the readers once served “those who by nature are not gods” (4:8), they were Gentiles before they knew God.

Uncertain Which observances 4:10 has in view, and how keeping them is a turning “back” (4:9), are open; this background does not fix the meaning of the text.

Claims

SaysGal 4:8–10: formerly, not knowing God, the Galatians were slaves to those who by nature are not gods; now they are turning back to weak and worthless principles, observing days, months, seasons and years. Rom 14:5 speaks of regarding one day above another.
ImpliesBecause the readers once served those who by nature are not gods (4:8), they were Gentiles before they knew God.
UncertainWhich observances Gal 4:10 has in view, and how keeping them is a turning back (4:9), are open; the background does not fix the meaning.

Citations

BSB public domain Gal 4:8–10; Rom 14:5
SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Gal 4:8, 4:10
Calvin, Galatians (Pringle) public domain Calvin, Commentaries on Galatians and Ephesians (Pringle, CTS 1854), on Gal 4:10, p. 124 (leaf n137); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased
Burton, Galatians (ICC) public domain Burton, Galatians (ICC, Scribner 1928 printing of the 1920 edition), on Gal 4:10, p. 232 (leaf n325); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased
Lightfoot, Galatians public domain Lightfoot, Saint Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians (Macmillan, 1914 printing), on Gal 4:10, p. 171 (leaf n190); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased
Chrysostom, Galatians (NPNF1 13) public domain Chrysostom, Commentary on Galatians (NPNF¹ 13, Oxford translation rev. Gross Alexander, 1889), on Gal 4:10, p. 31 (leaf n52); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased
Wesley, Notes NT (1755) public domain Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755), on Gal 4:10, p. 501 (leaf n514); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased

Sources BSB public domain SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Calvin, Galatians (Pringle) public domain Burton, Galatians (ICC) public domain Lightfoot, Galatians public domain Chrysostom, Galatians (NPNF1 13) public domain Wesley, Notes NT (1755) public domain Bible Scholarship & Tool CC BY 4.0

2026-11-13

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