Galatians 1:5

1:5 All glory must go to God for salvation, because it is his work alone.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Gal 1:5. Ἡ δόξα, the glory) for this will, which brings salvation. A delightful introduction.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Gal_1:5. To the mention of this counsel of deliverance the piety of the apostle annexes a doxology. Comp. 1Ti_1:17; Rom_11:36; Rom_9:5; Rom_16:27; Eph_3:21.

ἡ δόξα] that is, the honour due to Him for this θέλημα. We have to supply εἴη, and not ἐστί (Vulgate, Hofmann, Matthias), which is inserted (Rom_1:25; 1Pe_4:11) where there is no doxology. So in the frequent doxologies in the apostolic Fathers, e.g. Clement, Cor. I. 20, 38, 43, 45, 50, 58. Comp. the customary εὐλογητός, sc. εἴη, at Rom_9:5; Eph_1:3. See, further, on Eph_3:21.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Gal 1:5 . ᾧ ἡ δόξα , sc. ἐστιν . Our versions supply ἔστω and turn the clause accordingly into an invocation of praise. But the insertion of the article points rather to an affirmation, whose is the glory . The verb is usually omitted in the doxology, but ἐστιν is added in 1Pe 4:11 . The glory consists in the manifestation of the Father’s character throughout all the ages in the continual redemption of mankind according to His will. Hereby is revealed His union of perfect wisdom, holiness, and love. εἰς τ . αἰῶνας τ . αἰώνων . αἰών denotes in Scripture a divinely appointed period (see note on Gal 1:4 ). The larger of these divine dispensations comprehend within them other shorter periods, and are therefore designated αἰῶνες αἰώνων . The phrase in the text ascribes the glory to God for the whole term of these dispensations, i.e. , for all the ages of human life, since these together make up the sum of man’s existence. The full form is used by the Apostle in Phi 4:20 , 2Ti 4:18 , but he uses elsewhere the shorter form εἰς τ . αἰῶνας . ἀμήν . This Amen crowns the previous declaration of the glory of God by an invitation to the Churches to join in the ascription of praise.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

be glory--rather, as Greek, "be the glory"; the glory which is peculiarly and exclusively His. Compare Note, see on Eph 3:21.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 5. To whom be glory for ever] Let him have the glory to whom alone it is due, for having delivered us from the present evil world, and from all bondage to Mosaic rites and ceremonies.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

5. To whom be glory. By this sudden exclamation of thanksgiving, he intends to awaken powerfully in his readers the contemplation of that invaluable gift which they had received from God, and in this manner to prepare their minds more fully for receiving instruction. It must at the same time be viewed as a general exhortation. Every instance in which the mercy of God occurs to our remembrance, ought to be embraced by us as an occasion of ascribing glory to God.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(5) Glory.—Perhaps, properly, the glory—i.e., the divine glory: that pre-eminent glory with which no other can compare.

If this is the case, then it would be better to supply “is” than “be.” His own peculiar glory does belong to God, and therefore the Christian ascribes it to Him as that which is already His; he does not pray for it as something unfulfilled, as, e.g., he prays for the coming of God’s kingdom.

In the insertion of this brief doxology the mind of the Apostle obeys an involuntary impulse of reverential awe. For a similar ascription in the same parenthetic form, comp. Rom_9:5.

For ever and ever.—Literally, for ages of ages, a Hebraising expression for infinite time. Commonly, time was divided only into two great world-periods; but the second is, as it were, multiplied indefinitely—“for all possible ages.”

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

5. to whom be glory … Amen] perh. ‘the glory’. All the glory of the great work of Redemption, in its design, in its process, in its results, is His alone and shall be throughout eternity.

Amen] A Hebrew word, signifying ‘truth,’ used to express concurrence in the prayer or praise uttered by another, especially in public worship. Deu_27:15; 1Ch_16:36. From the synagogue it passed into the acts of worship of the Christian Church (1Co_14:16). Here it is employed as an emphatic affirmation of the ascription to which it is appended. Comp. Psa_72:19; Rev_1:18; Rev_22:20.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. That is, either to Christ, who gave himself to expiate the sins of his people, on the account of which all honour and glory are due to him from them; or to God the Father, according to whose will of purpose and command Christ gave himself, for which glory ought to be ascribed unto him; and it may well be thought, that both are taken into this doxology: the Father is to be glorified, who of his everlasting love, and free favour, did in his eternal purposes and decrees in his counsel and covenant, so wisely frame and order things, that his own Son should be given to be an offering for sin; and Christ is to be glorified, that he, of his free rich grace and love, agreed to give himself, and did give himself to be a ransom for his people, which has been testified in due time. This ascription of glory to both shows the greatness of the blessing, and the grateful sense which all interested in it ought to bear upon their minds continually, "for ever and ever"; or "to the ages of ages", a Jewish phrase, the same with (c). To which the apostle adds his "Amen", as joining with all the saints, above or below, in ascribing salvation, and the glory of it, to him that sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb for ever and ever.

(c) Zohar in Gen. fol. 72. 3.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

5 To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Ver. 5. To whom be glory] The benefit of our redemption should make us lift up many a humble, joyful, and thankful heart to God.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

To whom be glory ... - Let Him have all the praise and honor of the plan and its execution. It is not uncommon for Paul to introduce an ascription of praise in the midst of an argument: see the note at Rom 1:25. It results from the strong desire which he had, that all the glory should be given to God, and showed that he believed that all blessings had their origin in God, and that God should be always acknowledged.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

To which Father, (yet not excluding the Son), for do great benefits bestowed upon us, be honour, and praise, from age to age, and to all eternity. The term Amen, being always used in Scripture either as a term of assertion, to aver the truth of a thing, or as a term of wishing, may here be understood in either or both senses; the apostle using it either to assert the glorifying of God to be our duty, and a homage we owe to God; or to signify his hearty desire that this homage may from all hands be paid unto him.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

5. This complete cycle of gospel thought St. Paul rounds out with a doxology, as in Rom_11:36; Rom_9:5; Rom_16:27; Eph_3:21; 1Ti_1:17.

Be glory—Rather, the glory, with the article; that is, (not, as Alford and Lightfoot, the glory belonging to him, but) the glory of so glorious a redemption. “God’s all the glory—man’s the endless bliss.”

For ever and ever—Literal Greek, into aeons of aeons—into ages of ages. The phrase does not, with absolute exactness, express eternity, but only indefinite immensity. It does not absolutely deny all end, but ignores all end. It was, no doubt, the most powerful phrase to express eternity, and to explode from thought all idea of end that the language of the New Testament age knew. Hence it is here used to designate the duration of the existence of the divine glory. It may be added that the word aeon, in this phrase, is the same as that in the previous verse, which we have rendered time-world. This phrase, then, suggests that the endless future is not to be a quiet characterless stream, but a perpetual roll of stupendous revolutions.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen (w hJ doxa eijv tounwn jAmhn). This doxology is not introduced as merely a reverential closing up of the greeting, before the writer hastens on to the subsequent words of rebuke. It is rather an indignant tender of homage to the Most High, flashing forth from a loyal, filial heart; confronting and seeking, so far as it thus may, to redress the wrong done to "our God and Father" by the Judaizing spirit uprearing itself among the Galatians. It is similar in tone to the indignant doxology in Rom_1:25. This view of its origin explains the fact that, as connected with agreeting, such doxology is found only in this of all St. Paul"s Epistles. The indignation which pervades the tone of the whole passage favours the suppletion of estw rather than of ejstin. Perhaps, indeed estw is in general the more natural suppletion. in 1Pe_4:11, where ejstin is added by the writer, we have not so much a direct ascription of praise as an affirmation that to God belongs or is due the glory of our performing our several duties with reference to this end. In like manner in the (most probably interpolated) doxology at the close of the Lord"s prayer inxa Mat_6:13, "For thine is the kingdom," etc., the ascription of praise is not so much expressed as implied. Viewed in themselves, the words simply state the truth which constitutes the ground for our addressing to "our Father" our praises and our petitions. The article is most commonly prefixed to do in such ascriptions of praise, whether doxa stands alone, Rom_11:36 Rom_16:27; Eph_3:21; Php_4:20; 2Ti_4:18; Heb_13:21; 2Pe_3:18; or in conjunction with other nouns, as 1Pe_4:11; Rev_1:6 Rev_7:12. It is wanting Luk_2:14 Luk_19:38; 1Ti_1:17 Jud_1:25. When the article is added it marks the noun as expressing its notion viewed absolutely, in its entirety or universality: q.d. "Whatever glory is to be ascribed anywhere, be it ascribed to him." Thus hJ do) is equivalent to "all glory." For ever and ever; literally, into the aions of the aions; apparently a form of expression adopted to denote intensification,or superlativeness, like "holy of holies" (cf. Winer, "Gram. N. T.," 2). It is used where especial intensity is wished to be added to the notion of long undetermined duration; as Rev_14:11 Rev_15:7 Rev_22:5, etc. The same notion is expressed, only with not the same passionate earnestness, by the phrase, "into the aions," in Luk_1:33; Rom_1:25 Rom_9:5 Rom_11:36, etc.; and by "into the aion," in Mat_21:19; Joh_6:51, Joh_6:58, etc. Possiblythere is a reference of contrast to" this present aidn" of ver. 4. This, however, is doubtful; for in ver. 4 aion points to a particular condition of affairs subsisting in this aion rather than to a mere mode of duration, which latter is alone in view here. The like observation applies to Eph_2:2 compared with ver. 7.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

To whom be glory - For this his gracious will.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

VERSE 5. To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Hebrew writing is interspersed with expressions of praise and gratitude. This peculiarity can be traced in the apostolic writings, particularly in those of Paul. The name of the Lord is to be mentioned with great reverence and thanksgiving.

Martin Luther — Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians (1535), English translation by Theodore Graebner (Zondervan, 1939) — public domain (U.S. copyright not renewed). Text from a community e-Sword module.

That is, "To God the Father, and Christ Jesus our Redeemer, be given the highest degrees of honour and glory, throughout the present and eternal ages."

Note here, 1. The work and duty incumbent upon Christ’s redeemed ones, and that is, to ascribe all honour and homage, all glory and praise to God the Father, as the contriver, and to Christ the Son, as the accomplisher of the work of redemption; To whom, both whom, be glory.

Note, 2. The duration and continuance of this duty; not for a day, or year, but for eternal ages. This duty of ascribing honour and homage, glory and praise to the Father and Mediator, for the glorious work of man’s redemption, is such, that it can never be sufficiently discharged, but requires a succession of ages to perform it in: yea, eternity itself is too short for the performance of it: To whom be glory for ever and ever. The glory of the Redeemer, and of him that sent him to redeem, will be the long-lasting, and never-ending song of redeemed ones, through millions of ages, yea, to all eternity; a work begun on earth, never finished in heaven.

William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen. [The mention of the Lord Jesus Christ in the benediction, coupled with the thought which was uppermost in his mind, namely, that the Galatians were forsaking salvation through Jesus in the hope that they might obtain it through the law of Moses, leads Paul in these very opening sentences to fully set forth the atoning sacrifice of Christ, the deliverance through him, and the will of God, who ordered that atonement and deliverance should come in this way. Gratitude to Christ, who, owning his life, might have retained it, but freely gave it for us, and desire for deliverance from this present evil world, and respect for the sovereign will of God our Father, are three strong motives prompting us to be steadfast in the profession of our Christian faith. To each of these motives Paul appeals. It is the apostle's habit, whenever he has occasion to make mention of the mercy of God, to break forth in expressions of thanksgiving ( 2Co_9:15 ; Eph_3:20 ), and he follows his custom here.]

J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

5. To whom be glory. This doxology is an indirect rebuke to those who were exalting Moses to share the glory of Christ.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

5. ᾧ ἡ δόξα κ.τ.λ. The doxology in the salutation (here only) takes the place of thanks to God for his readers. The article suggests “which properly belongs to Him.”

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

5. ᾧ ἡ δόξα] So (reff.) on other occasions, when speaking of the wonderful things of God, St. Paul adds a doxology. “In politeia, quando regum aut principum nomina appellamus, id honesto quodam gestu, reverentia, et genuflexione facere solemus. Multo magis cum de Deo loquimur, genu cordis flectere debemus.” Luther. In ἡ δόξα,—the glory κατʼ ἐξοχήν, or ‘the glory which is His,’—the article is probably inserted for solemnity. “In this and similar forms of doxology,—excepting the angelic doxology, Luk 2:14, and that of the multitude, Luk 19:38,—δόξα regularly takes the article when used alone: see Rom 11:36; Rom 16:27; Eph 3:21; Php 4:20; 2Ti 4:18; Heb 13:21; 2Pe 3:18. When joined with one or more substantives, it appears sometimes with the article (1Pe 4:11; Rev 1:6; Rev 7:12): sometimes without it (Rom 2:10; 1Ti 1:17; Jud 1:25).” Ellicott.

τοὺς αἰῶν. τ. αἰών.] See note on Eph 3:21.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

5. ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων· ἀμήν. “to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.” An ascription of praise to God for the gift of Christ and the deliverance accomplished through it. δόξα (here only in Gal.) is frequent in Paul, with considerable variation of meaning. See Th. s. v. and Kennedy, St. Paul’s Conception of the Last Things, pp. 229 ff. Its sense here, “praise,” comes down from the classic times, and is frequent in N. T. The article, when occurring, seems almost invariably to convey a reference to something which has just been mentioned; in this case, no doubt, the redeeming work of Christ. Cf. Rom 11:36, Rom 16:27, Eph 3:21, Php 4:20, 2Ti 4:18, Heb 13:21, 1Pe 4:11. Contrast Luk 2:14 (where, however, the poetic form may rather be the cause of the omission of the article); Rom 15:7, Php 2:11. The generic (or intensive) force of the article, such as apparently occurs in Rev 7:12 and perhaps in 2Pe 3:18, is possible but less probable than the demonstrative force suggested above. On εἰς τ. αἰ. τ. αἰώνων, see detached note on Αἰών, p. 426.

Ἀμήν (Heb. אָמֵן, an adverb derived from אָמֵן “to be firm,” Hiphil, “to believe,” “to trust”) is carried over into the N. T. vocabulary from the Hebrew. It is used in O. T. as confirming an oath (Num 5:22 et al.), as the solemn conclusion and confirmation of a doxology (Neh 8:6, Ps. 41:14, etc.), and otherwise. The Lxx usually translate it by γένοιτο, but occasionally transliterate (1Ch 16:36, Neh 5:13, Neh 5:8:6, Neh 5:1 Esd. 9:47, Tob. 8:8, 14:15), but none of these instances are at the end of a doxology or benediction. This usage, of which 3 Mac. 7:23 (see also 4 Mac. 18:24) apparently furnishes the earliest example, may have arisen from the custom of the congregation responding “Amen” to the prayer offered by the leader. Cf. Neh 8:6, 1Co 14:16, and Frame on 1Th 3:13, also M. and M. Voc. s. v.

On the relation between the salutations of the Pauline and other N. T. letters, and the methods of beginning letters current among Greek, Roman, Jewish, and early Christian writers, see extended and instructive note in Hilgenfeld, Der Galaterbrief, 1852, pp. 99 ff.; also respecting the classical Greek and Latin forms, Fritzsche on Rom 1:1; Wendland, Handbuch zum Neuen Testament, III 3, Beilage 15, pp. 411 ff.; Ziemann, De Epistularum graecarum formulis, in Diss. phil. Hal. XVIII 4, 1910. Respecting the evidence of the papyri, see Lietzmann, Griechische Papyri, 1905; Witkowski, Epistulae graecae privatae, 1906, and Milligan, Selections from the Greek Papyri, 1910. Cf. Frame on 1Th 1:1. See also Mayor, The Epistle of St. James, pp. 30, 31. The following are typical examples: Πλάτων Ἀρχύτᾳ Ταραντίνῳ εὐ πράττειν (Epistle IX, Ed. Hermann, p. 58). M. Cicero salutem dicit P. Lentulo Procos. (Ed. Mueller, IV 1, pp. 1 ff.); לְדָֽרְיָ֥וֶשׁ מַֽלְכָּ֖א שְׁלָמָ֥א כֹלָּא (Ezr 5:7); τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς τοῖς κατʼ Αἴγυπτον Ἰουδαίοις χαίρειν οἱ ἀδελφοὶ οἱ ἐν Ἰεροσολύμοις Ἰουδαῖοι καὶ οἱ ἐν τῆ χώρᾳ τῆς Ἰουδαίας, εἰρήνην ἀγαθήν (2 Mal 1:1). καὶ οἱ ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ καὶ ἡ γερουσία καὶ Ἰοῦδας Ἀριστοβούλῳ … χαίρειν καὶ ὑγιαίνειν (2 Mal 1:10). Κλαύδιος Λυσίας τῷ κρατίστῳ ἡγεμόνι Φιλίκι χαίρειν (Act 23:26; cf. Act 15:23). Ἰωάνης ταῖς ἑπτὰ ἔκκλησίαις ταῖς ἐν τῆ Ἀσίᾳ. χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη (Rev 1:4). Πολύκαρπος … τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ τῆ παροικούση Φιλίπποις· ἔλεος ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη παρὰ θεοῦ (Polyc. Phil.). The following, from Milligan’s Selections, show the usage of the papyri: Πολυκράτης τῶι πατρὶ χαίρειν. Ἀπολλώνιος Πτολεμαίωι τῶ πατρὶ χαίρειν. Ἰλαρίων [α] Ἄλιτι τῆι ἀδελφῇι πλεῖστα χαίρειν. Θέων Τυράννωι τῶι τιμιωτάτωι πλεῖστα χαίρειν.

These and other examples cited by the writers above referred to show (1) that both Greeks and Romans, if not also the Hebrews, frequently began a letter with the writer’s name; (2) that the naming of the person or persons addressed, usually in the dative, but sometimes in the vocative, was the general custom among Greeks, Romans, and Hebrews; (3) that to these two it was customary among the Hebrews to add the word שָׁלוֹם, or if writing in Greek, εἰρήνη, among the Greeks χαίρειν, with or without the addition of λέγει, and among the Romans salutem with or without dicit; (4) that the early Christian writers followed in general the usages then current in the Roman world, but in the exercise of that liberty which these usages themselves sanctioned, combined elements derived on the one side from the Greek custom and on the other from the Hebrew, and introduced also distinctly Christian elements. As a result there seems to have been created almost a standard Christian form (note the resemblance between the salutation of the Pauline letters, those ascribed to Peter, 2 and 3 Jn., the salutation of Rev 1:4, and those used by Clem. Rom. and Polycarp), yet one which was freely modified by each writer in adaptation to the particular occasion and persons addressed. Note the variations from the usual form in Jas. and the Ignatian letters, and the lack of salutation in 1 Jn. and Heb., though these latter are perhaps rather literary epistles than letters in the stricter sense. See Deissmann, Bible Studies, chap. 1. In the creation of this general Christian form for beginning letters, the dates of the literature would suggest that Paul exerted a special influence, though there can hardly have been any slavish, perhaps not even a conscious, copying of his form by others.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

To whom be glory, etc. For similar doxologies see Rom 9:5; Rom 11:36; Rom 16:27; Eph 3:21; 1Ti 1:17.

Forever and ever [εις τους αιωνας των αιωνων] . Lit. unto the ages of the ages. See additional note on 2Th 1:9, and comp. Rom 16:27; Phi 4:20; 1Ti 1:17; 2Ti 4:18. Often in Revelation. In LXX habitually in the singular : see Psa 88:29; Psa 110:3, 30. In the doxology the whole period of duration is conceived as a succession of cycles.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.