SEV Biblia, Chapter 5:15
Y si os mordéis y os coméis los unos a los otros, mirad que también no os consumáis los unos a los otros.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Galatians 5:15
Verse 15. If ye bite and devour one another] These Churches seem to have been in a state of great distraction; there were continual altercations among them. They had fallen from the grace of the Gospel; and, as Christ no longer dwelt in their hearts by faith, pride, anger, ill-will, and all unkind and uncharitable tempers, took possession of their souls, and they were in consequence alternately destroying each other. Nothing is so destructive to the peace of man, and to the peace of the soul, as religious disputes; where they prevail, religion in general has little place.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 15. But if ye bite and devour one another , etc..] Another reason inducing to love is taken from the pernicious consequences of a contrary spirit and conduct. The allusion is to beasts of prey falling upon and devouring one another: for wolves or dogs to worry sheep is not strange; but for sheep to distress one another is unnatural. The apostle does not say, if grievous wolves should enter in among you and not spare the flock; but suggests if they themselves should act the part of wolves to one another; having reference to their controversies about the law and circumcision, and the necessity thereof to justification and salvation; which were managed with great heat and bitterness, occasioned great contentions, and threatened them with divisions, parties, and factions; and were attended with envy and malice, with reproachful words, biting sarcasms, scandalous invectives, and injurious actions, which must be of bad consequence: hence he adds, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another ; that is, either beware lest each other's particular peace and comfort be destroyed, which is oftentimes done this way, though a person's state and condition God-ward may be safe; or lest their church state should be destroyed and come to nothing, since love is the cement of it, which being loosened, threatens a dissolution; for as no civil community, either public or private, divided against itself, can stand long, so no religious one; and for want of love the Lord threatens to remove, and sometimes does remove, the candlestick out of its place.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 13-15 - The gospel is a doctrine according to godliness, 1Ti 6:3, and is so fa from giving the least countenance to sin, that it lays us under the strongest obligation to avoid and subdue it. The apostle urges that all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, Thou shalt love the neighbour as thyself. If Christians, who should help one another, an rejoice one another, quarrel, what can be expected but that the God of love should deny his grace, that the Spirit of love should depart, an the evil spirit, who seeks their destruction, should prevail? Happ would it be, if Christians, instead of biting and devouring one anothe on account of different opinions, would set themselves against sin in themselves, and in the places where they live.
Greek Textus Receptus
ει 1487 δε 1161 αλληλους 240 δακνετε 1143 5719 και 2532 κατεσθιετε 2719 5719 βλεπετε 991 5720 μη 3361 υπο 5259 αλληλων 240 αναλωθητε 355 5686
Vincent's NT Word Studies
15. Bite and devour (daknete kai katesqiete). Strong expressions of partisan hatred exerting itself for mutual injury. Daknein to bite, N.T.o . In LXX metaphorically, Micah iii. 5; Hab. ii. 7. For katesqiein devour, comp. Matt. xxiii. 13; 2 Cor. xi. 20; Apoc. xi. 5.
Be consumed (analwqhte). Rare in N.T. See Luke ix. 54. Partisan strife will be fatal to the Christian community as a whole. The organic life of the body will be destroyed by its own members.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
5:15 {If ye bite and devour one another} (ei allelous daknete kai katesqiete). Condition of first class assumed as true. Two common and old verbs often used together of wild animals, or like cats and dogs. {That ye be not consumed one of another} (me hup' allelwn analwqete). Negative final clause with first aorist passive subjunctive of analiskw, old word to consume or spend. In N.T. only here and #Lu 9:54. There is a famous story of two snakes that grabbed each other by the tail and each swallowed the other.
