Galatians 4:8

Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

But then, indeed, not having known God, ye were in servitude to those not by nature gods,

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Ἀλλὰ τότε μὲν, οὐκ εἰδότες Θεὸν, ἐδουλεύσατε τοῖς μὴ φύσει οὖσι θεοῖς.

Transliteration

But tote men, not eidotes Theon, you edouleusate to those not physei ousi theois

Grammar Details

• *tote*: adverb - then/at that time
• *men*: particle - indeed/on the one hand
• *eidotes*: perfect active participle, nominative, masculine, plural - knowing
• *Theon*: accusative, masculine, singular - God
• *edouleusate*: aorist active indicative, 2nd person plural - you served as slaves
• *physei*: dative, feminine, singular - by nature
• *ousi*: present participle, dative, masculine, plural - being/existing
• *theois*: dative, masculine, plural - gods

Word Meanings

• *tote*: then/at that time/formerly
• *eidotes*: knowing/having known
• *edouleusate*: you served as slaves/were enslaved to
• *physei*: by nature/inherently/in reality
• *ousi*: being/existing
• *theois*: gods/deities

Referenced Verses

• 1 Cor 1:21 : 21 for, seeing in the wisdom of God the world through the wisdom knew not God, it did please God through the foolishness of the preaching to save those believing.
• 1 Thess 4:5 : 5 not in the affection of desire, as also the nations that were not knowing God,
• 2 Thess 1:8 : 8 in flaming fire, giving vengeance to those not knowing God, and to those not obeying the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ;
• 1 Cor 8:4 : 4 Concerning the eating then of the things sacrificed to idols, we have known that an idol `is' nothing in the world, and that there is no other God except one;
• 2 Chr 13:9 : 9 `Have ye not cast out the priests of Jehovah, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and make to you priests like the peoples of the lands? every one who hath come to fill his hand with a bullock, a son of the herd, and seven rams, even he hath been a priest to No-gods!
• Isa 37:19 : 19 so as to put their gods into fire -- for they `are' no gods, but work of the hands of man, wood and stone -- and they destroy them.
• Eph 2:11-12 : 11 Wherefore, remember, that ye `were' once the nations in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that called Circumcision in the flesh made by hands, 12 that ye were at that time apart from Christ, having been alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, having no hope, and without God, in the world;
• 1 Thess 1:9 : 9 for they themselves concerning us do declare what entrance we had unto you, and how ye did turn unto God from the idols, to serve a living and true God,
• Eph 4:18 : 18 being darkened in the understanding, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart,
• 1 Pet 4:3 : 3 for sufficient to us `is' the past time of life the will of the nations to have wrought, having walked in lasciviousnesses, desires, excesses of wines, revelings, drinking-bouts, and unlawful idolatries,
• 1 John 3:1 : 1 See ye what love the Father hath given to us, that children of God we may be called; because of this the world doth not know us, because it did not know Him;
• Isa 44:9-9 : 9 Framers of a graven image `are' all of them emptiness, And their desirable things do not profit, And their own witnesses they `are', They see not, nor know, that they may be ashamed. 10 Who hath formed a god, And a molten image poured out -- not profitable? 11 Lo, all his companions are ashamed, As to artizans -- they `are' of men, All of them gather together, they stand up, They fear, they are ashamed together. 12 He hath wrought iron `with' an axe, And hath wrought with coals, And with hammers doth form it, And doth work it by his powerful arm, Yea, he is hungry, and there is no power, He doth not drink water, and he is wearied. 13 He hath wrought `with' wood, He hath stretched out a rule, He doth mark it out with a line, He maketh it with carving tools, And with a compass he marketh it out, And maketh it according to the form of a man, According to the beauty of a man, To remain in the house. 14 Cutting down to himself cedars, He taketh also a cypress, and an oak, And he strengtheneth `it' for himself Among the trees of a forest, He hath planted an ash, and the shower doth nourish `it'. 15 And it hath been for man to burn, And he taketh of them, and becometh warm, Yea, he kindleth `it', and hath baked bread, Yea, he maketh a god, and boweth himself, He hath made it a graven image, And he falleth down to it. 16 Half of it he hath burnt in the fire, By `this' half of it he eateth flesh, He roasteth a roasting, and is satisfied, Yea, he is warm, and saith: `Aha, I have become warm, I have enjoyed the light. 17 And its remnant for a god he hath made -- For his graven image, He falleth down to it, and worshippeth, And prayeth unto it, and he saith, `Deliver me, for my god thou `art'.' 18 They have not known, nor do they understand, For He hath daubed their eyes from seeing, Their heart from acting wisely. 19 And none doth turn `it' back unto his heart, Nor hath knowledge nor understanding to say, `Half of it I have burned in the fire, Yea, also, I have baked bread over its coals, I roast flesh and I eat, And its remnant for an abomination I make, To the stock of a tree I fall down.' 20 Feeding on ashes, the heart is deceived, It hath turned him aside, And he delivereth not his soul, nor saith: `Is there not a lie in my right hand?'
• Jer 2:11 : 11 Hath a nation changed gods? (And they `are' no gods!) And My people hath changed its honour For that which doth not profit.
• Jer 10:3-9 : 3 For the statutes of the peoples are vanity, For a tree from a forest hath one cut, Work of the hands of an artificer, with an axe, 4 With silver and with gold they beautify it, With nails and with hammers they fix it, And it doth not stumble. 5 As a palm they `are' stiff, and they speak not, They are surely borne, for they step not, Be not afraid of them, for they do no evil, Yea, also to do good is not in them. 6 Because there is none like Thee, O Jehovah, Great `art' Thou, and great Thy name in might. 7 Who doth not fear Thee, king of the nations? For to Thee it is becoming, For among all the wise of the nations, And in all their kingdom there is none like Thee. 8 And in one they are brutish and foolish, An instruction of vanities `is' the tree itself. 9 Spread-out silver from Tarshish is brought, And gold from Uphaz, Work of an artizan, and of the hands of a refiner, Blue and purple `is' their clothing, Work of the skilful -- all of them. 10 And Jehovah `is' a God of truth, He `is' a living God, and a king age-during, From His wrath shake doth the earth, And nations endure not His indignation. 11 Thus do ye say to them, The gods Who the heavens and earth have not made, They do perish from the earth, And from under these heavens. 12 The maker of the earth by His power, The establisher of the world by His wisdom, Who, by His understanding, stretched forth the heavens, 13 At the voice He giveth forth, A multitude of waters `is' in the heavens, And He causeth vapours to come up from the end of the earth, Lightnings for rain He hath made, And bringeth out wind from His treasures. 14 Brutish is every man by knowledge, Put to shame is every refiner by a graven image, For false `is' his molten image. And there is no breath in them. 15 Vanity `are' they, work of erring ones, In the time of their inspection they perish. 16 Not like these `is' the Portion of Jacob, For framer of all things `is' He, And Israel `is' the rod of His inheritance, Jehovah of Hosts `is' His name.
• Jer 10:25 : 25 Pour out Thy fury on the nations that have not known Thee, And on the families that have not called in Thy name, For they have eaten up Jacob, Yea, they have eaten him up, yea, they consume him, And his habitation they have made desolate!
• John 1:10 : 10 in the world he was, and the world through him was made, and the world did not know him:
• Acts 14:12 : 12 they were calling also Barnabas Zeus, and Paul Hermes, since he was the leader in speaking.
• Acts 17:23 : 23 for passing through and contemplating your objects of worship, I found also an erection on which had been inscribed: To God -- unknown; whom, therefore -- not knowing -- ye do worship, this One I announce to you.
• Acts 17:29-30 : 29 `Being, therefore, offspring of God, we ought not to think the Godhead to be like to gold, or silver, or stone, graving of art and device of man; 30 the times, indeed, therefore, of the ignorance God having overlooked, doth now command all men everywhere to reform,
• Rom 1:23 : 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of fowls, and of quadrupeds, and of reptiles.
• Rom 1:28 : 28 And, according as they did not approve of having God in knowledge, God gave them up to a disapproved mind, to do the things not seemly;
• Ps 115:4-8 : 4 Their idols `are' silver and gold, work of man's hands, 5 A mouth they have, and they speak not, Eyes they have, and they see not, 6 Ears they have, and they hear not, A nose they have, and they smell not, 7 Their hands, but they handle not, Their feet, and they walk not; 8 Nor do they mutter through their throat, Like them are their makers, Every one who is trusting in them.
• Ps 135:15-18 : 15 The idols of the nations `are' silver and gold, Work of the hands of man. 16 A mouth they have, and they speak not, Eyes they have, and they see not, 17 Ears they have, and they give not ear, Nose -- there is no breath in their mouth! 18 Like them are their makers, Every one who is trusting in them.
• Exod 5:2 : 2 and Pharaoh saith, `Who `is' Jehovah, that I hearken to His voice, to send Israel away? I have not known Jehovah, and Israel also I do not send away.'
• Josh 24:2 : 2 And Joshua saith unto all the people, `Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, Beyond the River have your fathers dwelt of old -- Terah father of Abraham and father of Nachor -- and they serve other gods;
• Josh 24:15 : 15 and if wrong in your eyes to serve Jehovah -- choose for you to-day whom ye do serve; -- whether the gods whom your fathers served, which `are' beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorite in whose land ye are dwelling; and I and my house -- we serve Jehovah.'
• 1 Cor 10:19-20 : 19 what then do I say? that an idol is anything? or that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything? -- 20 `no,' but that the things that the nations sacrifice -- they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not wish you to come into the fellowship of the demons.
• 1 Cor 12:2 : 2 ye have known that ye were nations, unto the dumb idols -- as ye were led -- being carried away;