SEV Biblia, Chapter 4:9
mas ahora, habiendo conocido a Dios, o ms bien, siendo conocidos de Dios, ¿cmo os volvis de nuevo a los dbiles y pobres elementos, en los cuales queris volver a servir?
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Galatians 4:9
Verse 9. Now, after that ye have known God] After having been brought to the knowledge of God as your saviour. Or rather are known of God] Are approved of him, having received the adoption of sons.
To the weak and beggarly elements] After receiving all this, will ye turn again to the ineffectual rites and ceremonies of the Mosaic law-rites too weak to counteract your sinful habits, and too poor to purchase pardon and eternal life for you? If the Galatians were turning again to them, it is evident that they had been once addicted to them. And this they might have been, allowing that they had become converts from heathenism to Judaism, and from Judaism to Christianity. This makes the sense consistent between the 8th and 9th verses.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 9. But now, after that ye have known God , etc.,] God in Christ, as their covenant God and Father, through the preaching of the Gospel, and in the light of divine grace; God having caused light to shine in their dark hearts; and having given them the light of the knowledge of himself in the face of Christ, and having sent down into their hearts the Spirit of his Son, crying Abba, Father. Or rather are known of God ; for it is but little that the best of these, that have the greatest share of knowledge, know of him; and what knowledge they have, they have it first, originally, and wholly from him: that knowledge which he has of them is particular, distinct, and complete; and is to be understood, not of his omniscience in general, so all men are known by him; but of his special knowledge, joined with affection, approbation, and care: and the meaning is, that they were loved by him with an everlasting love, which had been manifested in their conversion, in the drawing of them to himself, and to his Son; that he approved of them, delighted in them, had an exact knowledge, and took special care of them: but, oh, folly and ingratitude! how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto you desire again to be in bondage ? meaning the ordinances of the ceremonial law, he before calls the elements of the world, and here weak, because they could not give life, righteousness, peace, joy, comfort, and salvation; and, since the coming of Christ, were become impotent to all the uses they before served; and beggarly, because they lay in the observation of mean things, as meats, drinks, etc.. and which were only shadows of those good things, the riches of grace and glory, which come by Christ. The Galatians are said to turn again to these; not that they were before in the observation of them, except the Jews, but because there was some likeness between these, and the ceremonies with which they carried on the service of their idols; and by showing an inclination to them, they discovered a good will to come into a like state of bondage they were in before; than which nothing could be more stupid and ungrateful in a people that had been blessed with so much grace, and with such clear Gospel light and knowledge.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 8-11 - The happy change whereby the Galatians were turned from idols to the living God, and through Christ had received the adoption of sons, wa the effect of his free and rich grace; they were laid under the greate obligation to keep to the liberty wherewith he had made them free. All our knowledge of God begins on his part; we know him because we ar known of him. Though our religion forbids idolatry, yet many practis spiritual idolatry in their hearts. For what a man loves most, an cares most for, that is his god: some have their riches for their god some their pleasures, and some their lusts. And many ignorantly worshi a god of their own making; a god made all of mercy and no justice. For they persuade themselves that there is mercy for them with God, thoug they repent not, but go on in their sins. It is possible for those wh have made great professions of religion, to be afterwards drawn asid from purity and simplicity. And the more mercy God has shown, in bringing any to know the gospel, and the liberties and privileges of it, the greater their sin and folly in suffering themselves to be deprived of them. Hence all who are members of the outward churc should learn to fear and to suspect themselves. We must not be conten because we have some good things in ourselves. Paul fears lest his labour is in vain, yet he still labours; and thus to do, whateve follows, is true wisdom and the fear of God. This every man mus remember in his place and calling.
Greek Textus Receptus
νυν 3568 δε 1161 γνοντες 1097 5631 θεον 2316 μαλλον 3123 δε 1161 γνωσθεντες 1097 5685 υπο 5259 θεου 2316 πως 4459 επιστρεφετε 1994 5719 παλιν 3825 επι 1909 τα 3588 ασθενη 772 και 2532 πτωχα 4434 στοιχεια 4747 οις 3739 παλιν 3825 ανωθεν 509 δουλευειν 1398 5721 θελετε 2309 5719
Vincent's NT Word Studies
9. Rather are known of God. Rather corrects the first statement, have known God, which might seem to attach too much to human agency in attaining the knowledge of God. The divine side of the process is thrown into the foreground by are known, etc. Known does not mean approved or acknowledged, but simply recognized. Saving knowledge is doubtless implied, but is not expressed in the word. The relation of knowledge between God and his sons proceeds from God. The Galatians had not arrived at the knowledge of God by intuition nor by any process of reasoning. "God knew them ere they knew him, and his knowing them was the cause of their knowing him" (Eadie). Comp. 1 Cor. xiii. 12; 2 Timothy ii. 19; Matt. vii. 23. Dean Stanley remarks that "our knowledge of God is more his act than ours." If God knows a man, that fact implies an activity of God which passes over to the man, so that he, as the subject of God's knowledge, comes into the knowledge of God. In N.T. ginwskein often implies a personal relation between the knower and the known, so that knowledge implies influence. See 1 Cor. ii. 8; John i. 10; ii. 24; xvii. 3. For a parallel to this interchange between the active and the passive, see Philip. iii. 12.
How (pwv). "A question full of wonder" (Bengel). Comp. I marvel, chapter i. 6.
Turn ye again (epistrefete palin). Better, the continuous present, are ye turning, as of a change still in progress. Comp. chapter i. 6. Palin again, according to N.T. usage, and corresponding with palin anwqen in the following clause. Not back, which is the earlier sense and the usual classical meaning.
Weak and beggarly elements (asqenh kai ptwca stoiceia). For elements see on verse 3. For ptwca beggarly, see on Matt. v. 3. The two adjectives express the utter impotence of these "elements" to do and to bestow what was done and given by God in sending his Son into the world. Comp. Rom. viii. 3; Hebrew vii. 18.
Again (palin anwqen). Anwqen (anw above) adds to palin the idea of going back to the beginning. Its primary meaning is from above; thence, from the first, reckoning in a descending series. So Luke i. 3; Acts xxvi. 5. 71 Such combinations as this are not uncommon in N.T. and Class. See, for instance, Acts xviii. 21; Matt. xxvi. 42; Acts x. 15; John xxi. 16. But these additions to palin are not pleonastic. They often define and explain it. Thus, John xxi. 16, palin marks the repetition of Jesus' question, deuteron the number of the repetition. He asked again, and this was the second time of asking.
Ye desire (qelete). It was more than a mere desire. They were bent on putting themselves again into bondage. See on Matt. i. 19.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
4:9 {Now that ye have come to know God} (nun de gnontes). Fine example of the ingressive second aorist active participle of ginwskw, come to know by experience through faith in Christ. {Rather to be known of God} (mallon de gnwsqentes hupo qeou). First aorist passive participle of the same verb. He quickly turns it round to the standpoint of God's elective grace reaching them (verse #6). {How} (pws). "A question full of wonder" (Bengel). See #1:6. {Turn ye back again?} (epistrefete palin?). Present active indicative, "Are ye turning again?" See metatiqesqe in #1:6. {The weak and beggarly rudiments} (ta asqene kai ptwca stoiceia). The same stoiceia in verse #3 from which they had been delivered, "weak and beggarly," still in their utter impotence from the Pharisaic legalism and the philosophical and religious legalism and the philosophical and religious quests of the heathen as shown by Angus's _The Religious Quests of the Graeco-Roman World_. These were eagerly pursued by many, but they were shadows when caught. It is pitiful today to see some men and women leave Christ for will o' the wisps of false philosophy. {Over again} (palin anwqen). Old word, from above (anw) as in #Mt 27:51, from the first (#Lu 1:3), qen "over again" as here, back to where they were before (in slavery to rites and rules).
