Large letters in Paul’s own hand (6:11)
Says “See what large letters I am using to write to you with my own hand!” (Gal 6:11; Ἴδετε πηλίκοις ὑμῖν γράμμασιν ἔγραψα τῇ ἐμῇ χειρί, “see with how large letters to you I wrote with my own hand”). Elsewhere Paul writes, “This greeting is in my own hand—Paul. This is my mark in every letter; it is the way I write” (2 Thess 3:17).
Early readers differ on how much Paul wrote. Some take 6:11 to begin a closing in his own hand after a scribe. Lightfoot: “At this point the Apostle takes the pen from his amanuensis, and the concluding paragraph is written with his own hand”. Burton: “in a larger character than his amanuensis had employed”. Others take it that Paul wrote the whole letter. Chrysostom: “but in this instance he wrote the whole himself”. Luther: “he hath respect to the length of the epistle”. Calvin: “this long Epistle had been written with his own hand”. These are their readings.
Implies Because Paul points to his “own hand” (6:11) and names his own hand as his mark in 2 Thess 3:17, the text presents the handwriting as Paul’s personal sign to the readers.
Uncertain Whether Paul wrote only the closing or the whole letter is open; these readings do not fix the meaning of the text.
Claims
- SaysGal 6:11: see what large letters I am using to write to you with my own hand; 2 Thess 3:17 calls the greeting in his own hand Paul’s mark in every letter.
- ImpliesBecause Paul points to his own hand and calls his own hand his mark in 2 Thess 3:17, the text presents the handwriting as his personal sign to the readers.
- UncertainWhether Paul wrote only the closing or the whole letter is open; the readings do not fix the meaning.
Citations
- BSB public domain Gal 6:11; 2 Thess 3:17
- SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Gal 6:11
- Lightfoot, Galatians public domain Lightfoot, Saint Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians (Macmillan, 1914 printing), on Gal 6:11, p. 220 (leaf n239); 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 6:11, p. 348 (leaf n441); 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 6:11, p. 46 (leaf n67); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased
- Luther, Galatians (Middleton 1833) public domain Luther, A Commentary on St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians (London, 1833), on Gal 6:11, p. 465 (leaf n571); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased
- Calvin, Galatians (Pringle) public domain Calvin, Commentaries on the Epistles of Paul to the Galatians and Ephesians (CTS, trans. Pringle, 1854), on Gal 6:11, p. 181 (leaf n194); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased
2026-11-14
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