Known by God, and weak and worthless principles (4:8–11)

Says In 4:8 they served τοῖς φύσει μὴ οὖσι θεοῖς (tois physei mē ousi theois, “those who by nature are not gods”); Abbott-Smith gives the dative φύσει “adverbially, by nature”.

Says Galatians 4:9 corrects itself: γνόντες θεόν, μᾶλλον δὲ γνωσθέντες ὑπὸ θεοῦ (gnontes theon mallon de gnōsthentes hypo theou, “having known God, or rather having been known by God”). They turn back ἐπὶ τὰ ἀσθενῆ καὶ πτωχὰ στοιχεῖα (epi ta asthenē kai ptōcha stoicheia, “to the weak and poor stoicheia”): ἀσθενής, “without strength, weak, feeble”; πτωχός, which Abbott-Smith glosses at this verse as “beggarly”. The BSB has “weak and worthless principles”. πάλιν ἄνωθεν is “again, anew” (ἄνωθεν, “anew, again”).

Says Galatians 4:10 reads ἡμέρας παρατηρεῖσθε καὶ μῆνας καὶ καιροὺς καὶ ἐνιαυτούς (hēmeras paratēreisthe kai mēnas kai kairous kai eniautous), with the middle of παρατηρέω, “to observe scrupulously”. In 4:11 Paul fears μή πως εἰκῇ κεκοπίακα εἰς ὑμᾶς.

Implies Being known by God puts the initiative with God, which makes a return to slavery the stranger.

Uncertain What the observances of 4:10 were, and how they relate to the στοιχεῖα, the grammar does not settle (see the note on 4:1–3). No lean is taken here.