language · Gal 2:11; Gal 2:12; Gal 2:13 · ✓ Approved

He drew back, and the hypocrisy (2:11–13)

Says At Antioch Paul κατὰ πρόσωπον αὐτῷ ἀντέστην (kata prosōpon autō antestēn): κατὰ πρόσωπον, “face to face”; ἀνθίστημι, “to withstand, resist, oppose”. The ground is ὅτι κατεγνωσμένος ἦν (hoti kategnōsmenos ēn), a perfect participle of καταγινώσκω, “to blame, condemn”.

Says In 2:12 the imperfect συνήσθιεν (synēsthien) (συνεσθίω, “to eat with one”) describes his practice before τινας ἀπὸ Ἰακώβου came. Then ὑπέστελλεν καὶ ἀφώριζεν ἑαυτόν (hypestellen kai aphōrizen heauton), two imperfects: ὑποστέλλω, “to draw back, withdraw”; ἀφορίζω, “to mark off by boundaries from, separate from”. The BSB “began to draw back” reads them as beginning. He did it φοβούμενος τοὺς ἐκ περιτομῆς.

Says In 2:13 the rest συνυπεκρίθησαν αὐτῷ (synypekrithēsan autō) (συνυποκρίνομαι, “to play a part with, dissemble with”). The Greek order is ὥστε καὶ Βαρναβᾶς συναπήχθη αὐτῶν τῇ ὑποκρίσει: Barnabas first, then “their,” with the hypocrisy last (συναπάγω, “to be carried away with”; ὑπόκρισις, “hypocrisy”). The BSB reorders this as “by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray”.

Uncertain The nature of the dispute, and how the men “from James” stood to James, are not stated. No lean is taken here.

Claims

SaysGalatians 2:11 says Paul opposed Cephas to his face because he stood condemned; 2:12 says he used to eat with the Gentiles and, when men came from James, drew back and separated himself, fearing those of the circumcision.
SaysIn 2:13 the Greek names Barnabas before their hypocrisy; the BSB puts by their hypocrisy before even Barnabas.
UncertainThe nature of the dispute and how the men from James stood to James are not stated; no lean is taken.

Citations

SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Gal 2:11–13
BSB public domain Gal 2:11–13
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. πρόσωπον (G4383) — face to face
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. ἀνθίστημι (G436) — to withstand, resist, oppose
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. καταγινώσκω (G2607) — to blame, condemn
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. συνεσθίω (G4906) — to eat with one
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. ὑποστέλλω (G5288) — to draw back, withdraw
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. ἀφορίζω (G873) — to mark off by boundaries from, separate from
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. συνυποκρίνομαι (G4942) — to play a part with, dissemble with
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. συναπάγω (G4879) — to be carried away with
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. ὑπόκρισις (G5272) — hypocrisy

Sources Abbott-Smith public domain BSB public domain SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Bible Scholarship & Tool CC BY 4.0

2026-11-13

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