Galatians 5:12
Galatians 5:12 "were cut off" or "emasculate themselves"
Did Paul really say that he wished people who caused problematic issues would go and emasculate themselves?
Even if they emasculated themselves, they could still come to the church and cause problems.
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. — 2 Timothy 2:15
Frequently Asked Questions
Isn't the context circumcision? The context is the entire Bible and ‘cut off’ is used all throughout meaning ‘separate’.
Does it really matter? Yes. Yes it does.
Additional Documentation
Galatians 5:12 "were cut off" or "emasculate themselves"
Did Paul really say that he wished people who caused problematic issues would go and emasculate themselves?
Even if they emasculated themselves, they could still come to the church and cause problems.
The situation is kind of like people who don’t believe the Bible arguing on this stream. I mean, why waste the time? It would be better if they went somewhere else and blocked my channel, severed ties, etc. If I wished that they would emasculate themselves, what good would that do for anyone?
Wycliffe 1395 - “I would THEY WERE CUT AWAY which disturb you” (modern spelling)
Tyndale 1525 “I wolde to God THEY WERE SEPARATED FROM YOU which trouble you.”,
Coverdale 1535 - “Would God THEY WERE ROOTED OUT FROM AMONG YOU, which trouble you.” (modern spelling)
Geneva Bible 1587 - “Would to God THEY WERE EVEN CUT OFF, which do disquiet you.”
The Beza New Testament 1599 The Bill Bible 1671 Douay Rheims of 1582 Then the 1950 Douay, the 1970 St. Joseph NAB and the New Jerusalem 1985 all unite to say “I wish THEY WOULD CASTRATE (MUTILATE) THEMSELVES!”
But now the 2009 Catholic Public Domain Version has come out and they have toned it back to read: “And I wish that those who disturb you WOULD BE TORN AWAY.”
Many solid Bible commentators agree with the sense found in the King James Bible that the apostle wished these false teachers would be cut off from the fellowship of the believers and excluded from their assemblies. This ties in perfectly with many passages in the Old Testament where those who violated God's laws were "to be cut off from Israel." or "cut off from the congregation" See Exodus 12:15, 19.
Martin Luther John Calvin John Gill Matthew Henry Matthew Poole Jamieson, Fausset and Brown directly commented on the idea proposed by some that the apostle wished that they would castrate themselves, (as many modern versions teach) and they reacted with horror in their rejection of this view.
Adam Clarke Albert Barnes John Wesley
Special Thanks to Will Kinney for his research!