Galatians 2:9

9. And This verse gathers up the loose threads of thought, and brings them to a conclusion.

James Some copies name Peter first; doubtless an emendation to save the supremacy of Peter. Lightfoot notes here, First, that James is styled the Lord’s brother, because the transaction there narrated occurred before the martyrdom by Herod of James, son of Zebedee, and so the distinctive epithet was necessary. James, son of Alpheus, though an apostle, was too little prominent to create ambiguity. Second. James is here named first as being chief in Jerusalem; Peter is elsewhere first, as being every-where else superior to James.

Seemed to be To my eye as I surveyed things in Jerusalem.

Pillars An ordinary but graceful metaphor, to designate a statesman as a pillar of State, or an eminent minister as a pillar in the Church. As the last it may be supposed derived from the columns of temples. See note on Acts 19:27. St. Ignatius says, “The pillars of the world the apostles.”

Grace Both the apostolic office and his noble endowments therefor.

Right hands As recognition of his co-equal apostleship. And this fact was a complete refutation of the troublers among the Galatians as of the pseudo-criticisms of Renan and his German masters.