Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Galatians 2:14

τῷ Κηφᾷ. אABC vulg. (syrpesh as everywhere). τῷ Πέτρῳ Text. Rec. with DG syrHarcl.

καὶ οὐκ Ἰουδαϊκῶς. “οὐχ MSS.” W.H. margin. Perhaps here because of the aspirate near the beginning of the Semitic form of “Jew.” But the interchange of οὐκ and οὐχ is common in the LXX. (Helbing, Grammatik der Septuaginta, p. 25; Thackeray, Grammar of the O.T. in Greek, 1909, pp. 125–7).

14. ἀλλʼ ὅτε εἶδον. In his zeal for his Master, as he saw men carried off, his feelings must have faintly resembled those which prompted the question in John 6:67.

ὅτι οὐκ ὀρθοποδοῦσιν[79]. Present for vividness. The verb means to be straightfooted, i.e. “the ὀρθοποδῶν is not lame (χωλεύει), but makes τροχιὰς ὀρθὰς τους ποσίν Hebrews 12:13” (Meyer). It therefore suggests not only the crooked walk, but the crooked track thereby made, likely to lead others astray.

[79] Is affixed it means that all the passages are mentioned where the word occurs in the Greek Bible.

πρὸς, “in accordance with.” Ephesians 4:14; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Luke 12:47.

τ. ἀλήθειαν τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, Galatians 2:5 note. The clause is epexegetic of ὀρθῶς.

εἶπον τῷ Κηφᾷ ἔμπροσθεν πάντων. Probably at a meeting of the whole Church at Antioch, the majority of which seems to have been in favour of St Paul (Acts 15:3). Publicum scandalum non poterat privatim curari (Pelagius in Zahn); cf. 1 Timothy 5:20.

εἰ σὺ Ἰουδαῖος ὑπάρχων, Galatians 1:14 note. Ἰουδ. Galatians 2:13; Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:11 note. It refers first to nationality and race, but here has also the connotation of observance of religious customs.

ἐθνικῶς[80]. The adjective occurs in one Hexaplaric translation, Leviticus 21:7.

[80] Is affixed it means that all the passages are mentioned where the word occurs in the Greek Bible.

καὶ οὐκ. See notes on Textual Criticism.

Ἰουδαϊκῶς[81]: cf. Titus 1:14.

[81] Is affixed to a word it means that all the passages are mentioned where that word occurs in the New Testament.

ζῇς, i.e. ordinarily, and when not under the influence of this ὑπόκρισις.

πῶς τὰ ἔθνη�; observe that St Paul does not merely argue that St Peter is inconsistent, but that his inconsistency affects the Gentiles. “The force of his example, concealing his true principles, became a species of compulsion” (Lightfoot). Ἰουδαΐζειν[82] suggests more studied observance than Ἰουδαϊκῶς ζῆν.

[82] Is affixed to a word it means that all the passages are mentioned where that word occurs in the New Testament.

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Galatians 2:14

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