I desire to be present with you now,.... His meaning is, either that be wished he was personally present among them; that he had but an opportunity of seeing them face to face, and telling them all his mind, and in such a manner as he could not in a single epistle; or that they would consider him, when they read this epistle, as if he was really among them; and as if they saw the concern of his mind, the agonies of his soul, the looks of his countenance, and heard the different tone of his voice:and to change my voice; when present with them, either by a different way of preaching; that whereas before he preached the Gospel of the grace of God unto them, and his voice was charming to them like that of an angel, and even of Jesus Christ himself; but they having turned their backs upon it, and slighted it, he would now thunder out the law to them they seemed to be so fond of; even that voice of words, which when, the Israelites on Mount Sinai heard, entreated they might hear no more; as these Galatians also must when they heard the true voice of it, which is no other than a declaration of wrath, curse, and damnation; or by using a different way of speaking to them, as necessity might require, either softly or roughly, beseeching or chiding them, which might more move and affect them than an epistle could:for I stand in doubt of you, The Vulgate Latin reads it, "I am confounded in you"; and the Syriac, hymtd, "I am stupefied"; and to the same sense the Arabic.
Bible Commentary
Galatians 4:20
Galatians 4:20
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible · John Gill (1697–1771) · Public Domain
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Galatians 4 — OverviewGalatians 4 · Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole BibleThe apostle, in this chapter, is still carrying on the same general
design as in the former--to recover these Christians from the
impressions made upon them by the judaizing teachers, and to represent
their…Galatians 4 — OverviewGalatians 4 · Treasury of Scripture KnowledgeGalatians 4:1, We were under the law till Christ came, as the heir is under the guardian till he be of age; Galatians 4:5, But Christ freed us from the law; Galatians 4:7, therefore we are servants no longer to it;…Galatians 4 — OverviewGalatians 4 · John Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleIn this chapter the apostle discourses concerning the abrogation of the ceremonial law, under which the Old Testament saints were, being as children under tutors; blames the Galatians for returning to it when they were…Galatians 4:19-20Galatians 4:19-20 · Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole BibleThat the apostle might the better dispose these Christians to bear with
him in the reproofs which he was obliged to give them, he here
expresses his great affection to them, and the very tender concern he
had…Galatians 4:20Galatians 4:20 · Treasury of Scripture Knowledgeto be: 1 Corinthians 4:19-21; 1 Thessalonians 2:17-18, 1 Thessalonians 3:9
stand in doubt of you: or, am perplexed for you, Galatians 4:11
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