language · Gal 5:7; Gal 5:8; Gal 5:9; Gal 5:10 · ✓ Approved

Hindered, and a little leaven (5:7–10)

Says In 5:7 Ἐτρέχετε καλῶς (Etrechete kalōs, “you were running well”), an imperfect. Then τίς ὑμᾶς ἐνέκοψεν: ἐνκόπτω, “to cut into (as in breaking up a road), hence, to hinder”. The BSB has “obstructed”. In 5:8 ἡ πεισμονὴ οὐκ ἐκ τοῦ καλοῦντος ὑμᾶς; πεισμονή is “persuasion”.

Says Galatians 5:9 is a proverb, μικρὰ ζύμη ὅλον τὸ φύραμα ζυμοῖ. Abbott-Smith lists the verse where ζύμη is used “of a moral influence or tendency”; φύραμα is “that which is mixed or kneaded, a lump”, and ζυμόω “to leaven”.

Says Galatians 5:10 reads ἐγὼ πέποιθα εἰς ὑμᾶς ἐν κυρίῳ: the Greek has “you” before “Lord,” where the BSB has “I am confident in the Lord that you”. Then οὐδὲν ἄλλο φρονήσετε (ouden allo phronēsete, “you will think nothing else”): φρονέω, “to think, to be minded in a certain way”. The troubler βαστάσει τὸ κρίμα: βαστάζω, “to bear, to carry, as a burden”; κρίμα, “judgment”.

Implies The persuasion is not from the One who calls, so its source lies elsewhere; Paul’s confidence rests “in the Lord,” not in the readers.

Claims

SaysGalatians 5:7–8 says the readers were running well until someone cut in on them, and this persuasion is not from the one who calls them.
SaysGalatians 5:9–10 cites the proverb of a little leaven and says Paul is confident in the Lord about the readers, while the troubler will bear the judgment.
ImpliesThe persuasion has a source other than God, and Paul’s confidence rests in the Lord.

Citations

BSB public domain Gal 5:7–10
SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Gal 5:7–10
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. ἐνκόπτω — to cut into (as in breaking up a road), hence, to hinder
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. πεισμονή (G3988) — persuasion
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. ζύμη (G2219) — of a moral influence or tendency
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. φύραμα (G5445) — that which is mixed or kneaded, a lump
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. ζυμόω (G2220) — to leaven
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. φρονέω (G5426) — to think, to be minded in a certain way
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. βαστάζω (G941) — to bear, to carry, as a burden
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. κρίμα (G2917) — judgment

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

2026-11-13

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