Galatians 3:1

ἐβάσκανεν אABD*G syrpesh. τῇ� added in Text. Rec. from Galatians 5:7.

προεγράφη אABC syrpesh. vulg. (best MSS.). ἐν ὑμῖν added in Text. Rec.

1. ὦ�, Galatians 3:3. The term is suggested by the logical argument of Galatians 2:14-21. The mixture of Judaism with faith in Christ was there shown to be irrational. The Galatians ought to have had enough mental ability to see this of themselves.

Γαλάται. The personal appeal by name occurs in St Paul’s writings elsewhere only in 2 Corinthians 6:11; Philippians 4:15; 1 Timothy 1:18; 1 Timothy 6:20, in all of which it is not due to indignation, but (certainly in 1 Tim. and probably in the other two passages) to deep emotion. Yet in none does a reproachful adjective precede, so that they are not quite like our passage, where the context suggests a holy indignation rather than extreme tenderness of affection.

On the word “Galatians” see Introd. passim.

τίς ὑμᾶς ἐβάσκανεν; “who hath bewitched you?” For the form of argument see Galatians 5:7. The aorist is timeless, idiomatically translated by our perfect. βασκαίνω and its derivatives here only in the N.T. In the O.T. generally of “envy” or “grudging,” e.g. Deuteronomy 28:54; Proverbs 23:6, and even Sir 14:6-8. But in Wis 4:12 “bewitching” in a metaphorical sense. Here also “bewitch” or “overlook” is intended, the allusion being to the “evil eye” (“fascinavit,” Vulg.) of folk-lore in perhaps all parts of the world, especially Babylon and Syria. See further in Jewish Encyc. 3:280 and Lightfoot. Compare ἀβάσκαντος in the formula of greeting in the papyri = may all mischief be kept far from thee. This adjective occurs as a proper name, or rather by-name, in an inscription found some twenty miles south of Lystra in 1909, and an additional argument for the South Galatian theory has been drawn from this fact, which, in view of the widespread character of the superstition, can hardly be maintained. If there is any notion of “envy” or “grudging” in our verse it is quite subordinate, for the following clause refers to the popular superstition. S. Seligmann’s Der böse Blick has just appeared (Dec. 1909).

οἷς κατʼ ὀφθαλμοὺς Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς προεγράφη. (i) In Romans 15:4; Ephesians 3:3 προγράφειν means “to write beforehand,” and so even in Jude 1:4[88] (of ungodly men written down beforehand in the Divine tablets or perhaps in the Book of Enoch quoted by Jude, Galatians 3:14-15). So perhaps here, written beforehand either by the Prophets, or (though very improbably) by an earlier letter received by the Galatians from St Paul or others.

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

(ii) But the meaning of publicity is better.
(a) προγράφειν “is the common word to describe all public notices or proclamations, e.g. Arist. Av. 450 ὅ τι ἃν προγράφωμεν ἐν τοῖς πινακίοις,” sometimes of a trial or condemnation; cf. Demosth. p. 1151 τοὺς πρυτάνεις προγράφειν αὐτῷ τὴν κρίσιν ἐπὶ δύο ἡμέρας, Plut. Camill. 9 τῆς δίκης προγεγραμμένης (see Lightfoot). In this case the metaphor is that the name of Jesus Christ has been officially posted up as of one crucified.

(b) Even this, however, hardly satisfies the thought suggested by the preceding words. Although there seems to be no example of προγράφειν actually meaning “paint,” or “depict,” yet this connotation, as often with our “placard,” would suit admirably. So Pesh. quasi pingendo depictus erat; Philox. prius depictus est, and so Chrys., “who enlarges eloquently upon the several details of the picture: ὃν εἷδον ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν γυμνωθέντα, ἀνεσκολοπισμένον, προσηλωμένον, ἐμπτυόμενον, κωμῳδούμενον, ποτιζόμενον ὄξος, κατηγορούμενον ὑπὸ λῃστῶν, λόγχῃ νυττόμενον ταῦτα γὰρ πάντα ἐδήλωσε διὰ τοῦ εἰπεῖν, προεγράφη ἐν ὑμῖν ἐσταυρω μένος” (Field, Notes on N.T.). As the open red hand (still often seen on Syrian houses) wards off the evil eye, so ought this placard of Christ to have warded off for you the “fascination” of these false teachers.

ἐσταυρωμένος. See notes on textual criticism. Predicate 1 Corinthians 1:23; 1 Corinthians 2:2. Contrast Matthew 28:5. Why did He die if you were to go back to the Law (Galatians 2:21)?