Galatians 4:8 kjv
Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
Galatians 4:8 nkjv
But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods.
Galatians 4:8 niv
Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.
Galatians 4:8 esv
Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods.
Galatians 4:8 nlt
Before you Gentiles knew God, you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist.
Galatians 4 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Galatians 4:8 | When you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that are not gods. | Original Verse |
| Ephesians 2:12 | that at that time you were separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. | Spiritual state prior to Christ |
| 1 Thessalonians 4:5 | not in fleshly passion like the Gentiles who do not know God. | Gentile ignorance of God |
| 1 Peter 1:18 | knowing that you were ransomed from your futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things like silver or gold, | Freedom from inherited vanities |
| Jeremiah 2:11 | Has any nation changed its gods—which are no gods? But my people have exchanged their glory for that which is of no profit. | Idolatry and lack of true knowledge |
| Isaiah 44:20 | He feeds on ashes; a deceived heart has turned him aside. And he cannot deliver himself, nor say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?” | Futility of idols and deception |
| Psalm 115:4-8 | Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see; they have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell; they have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; they make no sound in their throat. Those who make them become like them, so do the makers and everyone who trusts in them. | Description of idol powerlessness |
| Acts 17:23 | For as I passed by and observed your devotions, I found an altar with the inscription, ‘To an Unknown God.’ So what you worship as unknown, I proclaim to you. | Awareness of a higher power without true knowledge |
| Romans 1:20-23 | For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for representations made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. | Suppressing the truth of God |
| Deuteronomy 29:17 | and you saw their detestable things, their idols of wood and stone, of silver and gold, which were among them.) | Warning against idolatry in Israel's past |
| 2 Kings 17:15-16 | and they rejected his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and his warnings that he gave them. They followed futility and became futile, and went after the nations that were all around them, concerning whom the Lord had warned them not to do as they did. And they abandoned all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made for themselves molten images of two calves, and made an Asherah, and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. | Israel's cycle of disobedience and idolatry |
| 1 Corinthians 12:2 | You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were drawn along. | Gentile past and idolatry |
| Leviticus 17:7 | And they shall no more offer their sacrifices to the goat-demons that they played the harlot with. It shall be a perpetual statute for them throughout their generations. | Forbidden sacrifices to other beings |
| Romans 1:25 | because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. | Worship of created things over Creator |
| John 8:34 | Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.” | The nature of enslavement |
| Titus 3:3 | For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating each other. | Describing former sinful state |
| Galatians 3:22 | But the Scripture locked up everything under sin, in order that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. | All are under sin, needing redemption |
| Colossians 1:21 | And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, because of your evil deeds, | Alienation from God |
| Acts 14:15 | and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and earth and the sea and everything that is in them.” | Preaching to turn from idols to living God |
| Jeremiah 10:14-15 | Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols, for his molten images are false, and there is no breath in them. They are worthless, useless; in the time of their punishment they shall perish. | Idols are worthless |
Galatians 4 verses
Galatians 4 8 Meaning
Previously, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to things that were not gods. This verse directly addresses the Galatians, reminding them of their past state before embracing Christianity. It highlights their former enslavement not to the true God, but to false deities, emphasizing the profound transformation that conversion brings.
Galatians 4 8 Context
Chapter 4 of Galatians continues Paul’s defense of his apostleship and the doctrine of justification by faith, directly addressing those in Galatia who were being persuaded by "Judaizers" – individuals teaching that circumcision and adherence to the Mosaic Law were necessary for salvation. Paul contrasts the conditional relationship under the Law with the freedom found in Christ through faith. He uses the allegory of Hagar and Sarah to illustrate the difference between bondage to the Law (Hagar) and sonship by grace and promise (Sarah). Verse 8, in this flow, serves as a foundational statement reminding the Galatians of their former pagan background, where they were enslaved to powerless idols, underscoring the vital and life-altering nature of their new identity in Christ. This emphasis serves to powerfully counter the Judaizers' message by highlighting the dramatic and salvific shift from spiritual death to spiritual life in Christ.
Galatians 4 8 Word Analysis
- But (Greek: de)
- A conjunctive particle, indicating a contrast or a transition. Here it contrasts their current state of knowledge and freedom in Christ with their previous ignorance and bondage.
- when (Greek: pote)
- An adverb indicating time in the past, often used to refer to a time previously but no longer existing. It signifies "at some time" or "formerly."
- you (Greek: umeis)
- The second-person plural pronoun. It refers to the collective audience of the letter, the believers in Galatia.
- did not know (Greek: ouk eidotes)
- A negated participle. Ouk (not) negates eidotes, the perfect active participle of the verb eido, meaning "to see" or "to know." The perfect tense emphasizes a state of not knowing that persisted over a period of time. It refers to an experiential lack of knowledge concerning the true God. This isn't merely intellectual ignorance, but a spiritual absence of a relationship with the divine. The lack of knowledge of God is linked to being spiritually dead, as seen in Ephesians 2:12.
- God (Greek: theon)
- The accusative singular of theos. Refers to the supreme being, the Creator. Paul contrasts the one true God with the false deities worshipped by the Galatians in their former pagan life.
- you (Greek: umeis)
- Repeated for emphasis.
- were enslaved (Greek: edouleuate)
- The imperfect active indicative of douleuo, meaning "to serve as a slave" or "to be enslaved." The imperfect tense denotes a continuous action in the past. This speaks to a deep-seated condition of servitude, not a brief incident. It highlights the oppressive nature of their former existence, under the dominion of false powers. The concept of slavery is frequently used in Scripture to describe the condition of sin and bondage before Christ (John 8:34).
- to (Greek: tois)
- The dative plural definite article. It indicates the object of their enslavement.
- those (Greek: me ousin)
- Literally, "not being." This is a participial phrase, the negative participle me plus the present active participle of eimi (to be). It translates to "those who are not." This phrase is used substantively, referring to beings that have no true existence as gods. They are nullities, powerless entities, in contrast to the living God.
- by nature or by kind (Greek: phusei)
- An adverb derived from phusis (nature). It means "by nature," "by birth," or "by kind." It clarifies that these "gods" they served were inherently not gods; it was their very essence to be non-deities. This distinguishes them from beings that might have falsely claimed godhood; these were, by definition, nothing. This aligns with the descriptions of idols in the Old Testament as being devoid of life or power (Psalm 115:4-8).
Word Group Analysis:
- "you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that are not gods by nature": This entire clause starkly portrays the profound spiritual condition of the unsaved pagan. The "not knowing God" is the root cause of their enslavement. Their servitude was not to a minor deity, but to things that fundamentally lacked divine being. The term "by nature" underscores the absolute worthlessness and non-divine essence of these objects of worship. This mirrors the pagan understanding of multitudinous spirits or powers that held sway over life, from which Paul sought to deliver them by turning them to the one true God.
Galatians 4 8 Bonus Section
The Greek term translated "by nature" (phusei) carries significant weight. It emphasizes that the objects of their former worship were not gods by any measure, not by adoption, not by granted authority, but inherently so. This directly combats any syncretistic thought that might have viewed these pagan deities as lesser spirits or manifestations that could somehow coexist or be integrated with the worship of the Christian God. The apostolic teaching is clear: a radical separation and exclusion are necessary. This aligns with Jesus' declaration, "No one can serve two masters" (Matthew 6:24). The utter nullity of these former "gods" is the essential backdrop against which the "living God" Paul preached is presented, transforming ignorance into a life-giving knowledge.
Galatians 4 8 Commentary
The Galatians, once steeped in paganism, had served powerless "gods" out of ignorance of the true God. This servitude was not trivial but characterized their entire existence, stemming from a fundamental lack of relationship with the divine. Paul uses this stark contrast to emphasize the transformative grace of the Gospel, which rescued them from this oppressive spiritual bondage and introduced them into the family of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Their former practices, viewed from the perspective of truth, were revealed to be a futile and debilitating form of slavery to utter nothingness, highlighting the critical importance of recognizing the true God and the freedom His truth imparts.