Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Galatians 6:9

τὸ δὲ καλὸν ποιοῦντες. δέ in contrast to the doubtfulness of the double issue. καλόν, the good in fact and appearance.

μὴ ἐνκακῶμεν, “let us not be faint-hearted,” 2 Thessalonians 3:13. “Weary” (A.V., R.V.) suggests fatigue, but ἐνκακεῖν refers to mental disinclination, cf. Polyb. IV. 19.10. So Symmachus, Isaiah 7:16 and elsewhere, uses it to translate qutz, “loathe.” The ἐκκακῶμεν of the Received Text seems to be due to a faulty pronunciation rather than to be a distinct compound. See Lightfoot on 2 Thessalonians 3:13.

καιρῷ γὰρ ἰδίῳ, “at its own time,” i.e. of harvest. For the omission of the article in designations of time see Luke 20:10; 1 Timothy 2:6; contrast Mark 12:2 (see Win.-Schm. § 19. 6).

θερίσομεν μὴ ἐκλυόμενοι, “we shall reap if we faint not.” Here comes the thought of fatigue, and that too great for strength. Matthew 15:32 (||Mark 8:3); Hebrews 12:3; Hebrews 12:5[165]; cf. 1Ma 3:17 τί δυνησόμεθα ὀλιγοστοὶ ὄντες πολεμῆσαι πρὸς πλῆθος τοσοῦτο; καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐκλελύμεθα�, and Judas’ noble answer. The Greek Fathers interpreted the words “without fainting,” i.e. of the heavenly reaping in contrast to the toil of earthly reapers, and so Tyndale (“For when the tyme is come, we shall repe with out werines”), but we should expect οὐ rather than μή, and the thought is not so appropriate to the context.

[165] 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 6:9

Old Testament

New Testament