language · Gal 2:3; Gal 2:4; Gal 2:5 · ✓ Approved

Titus and the false brothers (2:3–5)

Says In 2:3 Titus, Ἕλλην ὤν (Hellēn ōn, “being a Greek”), ἠναγκάσθη περιτμηθῆναι (ēnankasthē peritmēthēnai): ἀναγκάζω, “to necessitate, compel by force or persuasion, constrain”, with the passive infinitive of περιτέμνω, “to be circumcised, receive circumcision”.

Says Galatians 2:4 begins διὰ δὲ τοὺς παρεισάκτους ψευδαδέλφους: παρείσακτος, “brought in secretly (as spies or traitors)”; ψευδάδελφος, “a false brother”. They came in κατασκοπῆσαι τὴν ἐλευθερίαν ἡμῶν (kataskopēsai tēn eleutherian hēmōn) (κατασκοπέω, “to view closely, inspect, spy out”) ἵνα ἡμᾶς καταδουλώσουσιν (καταδουλόω, “to enslave”), with the future indicative after ἵνα. The sentence breaks off there, without a main verb; the BSB supplies “This issue arose because”.

Says Galatians 2:5 reads οἷς οὐδὲ πρὸς ὥραν εἴξαμεν τῇ ὑποταγῇ (hois oude pros hōran eixamen tē hypotagē): εἴκω, “to yield”; ὑποταγή, “subjection”. The BSB “We did not give in to them for a moment” leaves τῇ ὑποταγῇ unrendered. The purpose is that the truth of the gospel διαμείνῃ πρὸς ὑμᾶς (diameinē pros hymas) (διαμένω, “to remain, continue”). Some witnesses lack οἷς οὐδέ (see the textual note on 2:5).

Uncertain Whether Titus was pressed and stood firm, or yielded in some way, is not settled by the broken syntax or the 2:5 reading. No lean is taken here.

Claims

SaysGalatians 2:3 says Titus, a Greek, was not compelled to be circumcised; 2:4 names false brothers brought in secretly to spy on our freedom and enslave us, and the sentence breaks off; 2:5 says we did not yield in subjection even for an hour.
SaysThe BSB supplies This issue arose because in 2:4 and leaves the word for subjection unrendered in 2:5.
UncertainWhether Titus was pressed and stood firm or yielded in some way is not settled by the syntax or the 2:5 reading; no lean is taken.

Citations

SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Gal 2:3–5
BSB public domain Gal 2:3–5
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. ἀναγκάζω (G315) — to necessitate, compel by force or persuasion, constrain
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. περιτέμνω (G4059) — to be circumcised, receive circumcision
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. παρείσακτος (G3920) — brought in secretly (as spies or traitors)
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. ψευδάδελφος (G5569) — a false brother
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. κατασκοπέω (G2684) — to view closely, inspect, spy out
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. καταδουλόω (G2615) — to enslave
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. εἴκω (G1502) — to yield
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. ὑποταγή (G5292) — subjection
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. διαμένω (G1265) — to remain, continue

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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