Galatians 4:17
What does Galatians 4:17 mean?
A plain-English look at Galatians 4:17 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Galatians 4:17 means
Paul exposes the false teachers’ strategy: they “zealously seek you” but not for good. Their aim is to shut the Galatians out—likely from Paul’s influence and from gospel freedom—so that the Galatians will depend on them. It is a controlling zeal, not a shepherding one. The pattern is classic sectarianism: isolate, then demand loyalty. Paul contrasts this with genuine ministry that builds people up in Christ, not in a faction. The verse warns that fervor alone proves nothing; the question is its goal. Good zeal draws believers nearer to Christ and to one another, not into narrow dependence on human leaders.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000They zealously seek you in no good way; nay, they desire to shut you out, that ye may seek them.
KJV
King James Version · 1611They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901They zealously seek you in no good way; nay, they desire to shut you out, that ye may seek them.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949Their interest in you is not good; but their desire is that you may be shut out, so that you may go after them.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862they are zealous for you--<FI> yet<Fi> not well, but they wish to shut us out, that for them ye may be zealous;
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752They are zealous in your regard not well: but they would exclude you, that you might be zealous for them.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890They are not rightly zealous after you, but desire to shut you out [from us], that ye may be zealous after them.
Context
Following the question about becoming an enemy for telling the truth (v. 16), Paul unmasks the motives of the legalists. Verse 17 explains the relational rift: manipulative zeal. This paves the way for verse 18’s affirmation that zeal can be good if rightly directed and consistent, and for Paul’s tender expression of pastoral labor in verses 19–20. The movement is from exposing false motives to modeling true pastoral desire.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- 1 Corinthians 11:2
Now I praise you that ye remember me in all things, and hold fast the traditions, even as I delivered them to you.
- 2 Corinthians 11:3
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity that is toward Christ.
- Romans 16:18
For they that are such serve not our Lord Christ, but their own belly; and by their smooth and fair speech they beguile the hearts of the innocent.
- Romans 10:2
For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.
- Philippians 2:21
For they all seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ.
- 2 Peter 2:3
And in covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose sentence now from of old lingereth not, and their destruction slumbereth not.
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