Galatians 5:9

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Galatians 5:1-12

In the former part of this chapter the apostle cautions the Galatians to take heed of the judaizing teachers, who endeavoured to bring them back under the bondage of the law. He had been arguing against them before, and had largely shown how contrary the principles and spirit of those teachers were to the spirit of the gospel; and now this is as it were the general inference or application of all that discourse. Since it appeared by what had been said that we can be justified only by faith in... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Galatians 5:1-12

5:1-12 Look now it is I, Paul, who am speaking to you I tell you that if you get yourself circumcised Christ is no good to you. Again I give my word to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is under obligation to keep the whole law. You who seek to get yourselves right with God by means of legalism have got yourself into a position in which you have rendered ineffective all that Christ did for you. You have fallen from grace. For it is by the Spirit and by faith that we eagerly... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Galatians 5:9

A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. A proverbial expression pretty much in use with the Jews; see 1 Corinthians 5:6 , respecting either persons or things; and is in answer to, or prevents an objection that might be made, or something that might be said, in favour of these churches; that their case was not so bad, or the danger they were in so great, as was represented by the apostle; since they were only a few persons that propagated this notion, and but few that received it, at... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Galatians 5:9

A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump - A proverbial expression, see 1 Corinthians 5:6 , very aptly applied to those who receive the smallest tincture of false doctrine, relative to the things essential to salvation, which soon influences the whole conduct, so that the man becomes totally perverted. They might have argued, "It is a small thing, and should not be made a subject of serious controversy, whether we be circumcised or not." Granted, that in itself it is a small matter; but,... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Galatians 5:9

Verse 9 9.A little leaven. This refers, I think, to doctrine, not to men. It guards them against the mischievous consequences which arise from corruption of doctrine, and warns them not to consider it, as is commonly done, to be a matter attended by little or no danger. Satan’s stratagem is, that he does not attempt an avowed destruction of the whole gospel, but he taints its purity by introducing false and corrupt opinions. Many persons are thus led to overlook the seriousness of the injury... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Galatians 5:2-12

Falling from grace. Paul in the present section exposes the legal and ceremonial spirit as a tall from the moral magnificence of grace. It has been well said that "it is harder to abolish forms than to change opinions. Ceremonies stand long after the thought which they express has fled, as a dead king may sit on his throne stiff and stark in his golden mantle, and no one come near enough to see that the light is gone out of his eyes and the will departed from the hand that still clutches... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Galatians 5:2-12

Circumcision. I. PAUL SOLEMNLY PUTS BEFORE THE GALATIANS THE TRUE STATE OF THE CASE . "Behold, I Paul say unto you, that, if ye receive circumcision, Christ will profit you nothing." Commencing with an arresting word, he introduces his own name with all the solemnity of oath-taking, witness-bearing. "Behold, I Paul say unto you." What the weight of his testimony is directed against, is their submitting to circumcision. This was what the Judaizing teachers were... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Galatians 5:7-9

The sudden swerve of the Galatians from the truth. They had been making a hopeful progress in the truth, when they suddenly started aside through the influence of the Judaists, to the deep sorrow and unfeigned astonishment of the apostle. Mark— I. THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS A GOOD RACE . "Ye did run well." An old divine says, "To run in religion is well, to run well is better, and to accomplish the race is the best of all." It is well in its beginning; so it was emphatically in... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Galatians 5:7-12

In these verses the language is remarkably curt and disjointed. Their style seems to betoken, either the mind of the writer musing in painful embarrassment, uncertain how best to grapple with the case before him through imperfect knowledge of the circumstances ("Who did hinder you?" ); or , possibly, the painful effort which it cost the apostle to "write with his own hand." In Galatians 5:13 he at length takes up a line of thought which he is able to follow on with fulness and fluency. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Galatians 5:9

A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump ( μικρὰ ζύμη ὅλον τὸ φύραμα ζυμοῖ ); a little leaven leaveneth the whole kneading. This proverb is cited again in precisely the same words in 1 Corinthians 5:6 , with the words prefixed, "know ye not that." In both passages the leaven is an element of evil, and so also in Matthew 16:11 ; but our Lord applied it also to an element of good, which was to penetrate (apparently) the whole mass of humanity ( Matthew 13:33 ). What has... read more

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