What Does Galatians 5:19 Mean in the King James?
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
What the flesh is doing becomes visible in its works; it does not remain an abstraction.
THE MEANING
This verse speaks now of the flesh taking visible form in adultery, fornication, uncleanness, and lasciviousness. These are named as works, actions that disclose what is active in a person’s life.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that these patterns are only vague impulses: the verse calls them works and names them concretely.
THE ROOT
φανερά
phanerá
GROWS FROM
φαν-
phan-
Appear, become visible
“manifest” in this verse is phanerá. The Greek word belongs to a family of appearing and making visible. The listed behaviors disclose what is active beneath them; they are not a detached catalogue.
ALSO GROWS
phainō: Appear, show
φαίνω
The works are appearances of the activity the verse names.
phaneroō: Make visible, reveal
φανερόω
This related verb makes explicit the revealing sense carried by “manifest.”
epiphaneia: Appearing, manifestation
ἐπιφάνεια
The same word family describes something becoming evident.
ἀκαθαρσία
akatharsía
GROWS FROM
καθαρ-
kathar-
Clean, pure
The word places uncleanness in the same family as cleanness and cleansing. It names a condition in relation to what is clean, so the word-family also carries the possibility of clearing what is unclean.
ALSO GROWS
katharós: Clean, pure
καθαρός
It names the cleanness against which uncleanness is understood.
katharízō: Cleanse, make clean
καθαρίζω
This branch shows the same root describing the removal of uncleanness.
ἔργα
érga
GROWS FROM
ἐργ-
erg-
Work, deed, action
“works” in this verse is érga. The word comes from a family of work and activity. It makes the verse concrete: the flesh becomes legible in what it does.
ALSO GROWS
ergázomai: Work, do
ἐργάζομαι
The verb names the activity behind the works listed here.
enérgeia: Activity, working
ἐνέργεια
This related word keeps the focus on activity taking effect.
THE PATTERN
What is active within a life becomes legible in the deeds and outcomes it brings forth.
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.THE THREAD
For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.James uses the same Greek work-word family, ergon, and links it with envy and strife. The shared root makes the “works” in Galatians concrete: what is active becomes visible in what it does.
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