For freedom Christ set us free (5:1)
Says Galatians 5:1 opens τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳ ἡμᾶς Χριστὸς ἠλευθέρωσεν (tē eleutheria hēmas Christos ēleutherōsen, “for freedom Christ set us free”). The noun is dative, not a phrase with a preposition; Abbott-Smith gives ἐλευθερόω as “to make free” and takes the dative here as “dat. commodi”. ἐλευθερία is “liberty”. The Greek order is “us” before “Christ”; the BSB has “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free”.
Says Then στήκετε οὖν (stēkete oun, “stand firm, then”): στήκω, “to stand firm, stand fast”. The warning is μὴ πάλιν ζυγῷ δουλείας ἐνέχεσθε: ζυγός, “a yoke; metaph., of bondage or submission to authority”; δουλεία, “slavery, bondage”; ἐνέχω in the passive, “to be held, entangled”. The BSB has “do not be encumbered once more by a yoke of slavery”.
Implies “Once more” looks back to 4:3 and 4:8–9, where the readers were enslaved before; a return to the law would be a return to a yoke, not a step beyond freedom.
Claims
- SaysGalatians 5:1 says that for freedom Christ set us free, and tells the readers to stand firm and not be held again by a yoke of slavery.
- SaysThe opening noun is dative; the Greek order is ’us’ before ’Christ’, where the BSB has Christ before us.
- ImpliesTaking up the law as a way of standing with God would be a return to slavery, as in 4:3 and 4:8–9.
Citations
- BSB public domain Gal 5:1
- SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Gal 5:1
-
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. ἐλευθερόω (G1659) —
to make free
-
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. ἐλευθερόω (G1659) —
dat. commodi
-
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. ἐλευθερία (G1657) —
liberty
-
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. στήκω (G4739) —
to stand firm, stand fast
-
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. ζυγός (G2218) —
a yoke; metaph., of bondage or submission to authority
-
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. δουλεία (G1397) —
slavery, bondage
-
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. ἐνέχω (G1758) —
to be held, entangled
2026-11-13
Open in Reader All notes on this passage