◄ Galatians 1:20 ►
Verse  (Click for Chapter)
New International Version
I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie.

New Living Translation
I declare before God that what I am writing to you is not a lie.

English Standard Version
(In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!)

Berean Standard Bible
I assure you before God that what I am writing to you is no lie.

Berean Literal Bible
Now in what I write to you, behold, before God, I do not lie.

King James Bible
Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.

New King James Version
(Now concerning the things which I write to you, indeed, before God, I do not lie.)

New American Standard Bible
(Now in what I am writing to you, I assure you before God that I am not lying.)

NASB 1995
(Now in what I am writing to you, I assure you before God that I am not lying.)

NASB 1977
(Now in what I am writing to you, I assure you before God that I am not lying.)

Legacy Standard Bible
(Now in what I am writing to you, I assure you before God that I am not lying!)

Amplified Bible
(Now in what I am writing to you, I assure you as if I were standing before God that I am not lying.)

Christian Standard Bible
I declare in the sight of God: I am not lying in what I write to you.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Now I am not lying in what I write to you. God is my witness.

American Standard Version
Now touching the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.

Contemporary English Version
And in the presence of God I swear I am telling the truth.

English Revised Version
Now touching the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
(God is my witness that what I'm writing is not a lie.)

Good News Translation
What I write is true. God knows that I am not lying!

International Standard Version
(Before God, what I'm writing to you is the truth.)

Majority Standard Bible
I assure you before God that what I am writing to you is no lie.

NET Bible
I assure you that, before God, I am not lying about what I am writing to you!

New Heart English Bible
Now about the things which I write to you, look, before God, I'm not lying.

Webster's Bible Translation
Now the things which I write to you, behold, before God, I lie not.

Weymouth New Testament
In making these assertions I am speaking the truth, as in the sight of God.

World English Bible
Now about the things which I write to you, behold, before God, I’m not lying.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the things that I write to you, behold, before God—I do not lie;

Berean Literal Bible
Now in what I write to you, behold, before God, I do not lie.

Young's Literal Translation
And the things that I write to you, lo, before God -- I lie not;

Smith's Literal Translation
And what I write to you, behold, before God, that I lie not.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Now the things which I write to you, behold, before God, I lie not.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Now what I am writing to you: behold, before God, I am not lying.

New American Bible
(As to what I am writing to you, behold, before God, I am not lying.)

New Revised Standard Version
In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Now the things which I write to you, behold, I confess before God, I do not lie.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But these things that I write to you, behold, before God, I do not lie.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
With respect to the things which I now write to you, behold, before God I lie not.

Godbey New Testament
Which things moreover I write unto you, behold, before God, that I lie not.

Haweis New Testament
Now respecting the things which I write unto you, behold, in the presence of God, I lie not.

Mace New Testament
what I write to you, I call God to witness is all true:

Weymouth New Testament
In making these assertions I am speaking the truth, as in the sight of God.

Worrell New Testament
Now as to the things I am writing to you, behold, before God, I am not lying.

Worsley New Testament
(Now in what I write to you, behold, before God, I do not lie.)

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Paul Preaches the Gospel
…19But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. 20I assure you before God that what I am writing to you is no lie. 21Later I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia.…
Berean Standard Bible · Download


Cross References
2 Corinthians 11:31
The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is forever worthy of praise, knows that I am not lying.

Romans 9:1
I speak the truth in Christ; I am not lying, as confirmed by my conscience in the Holy Spirit.

1 Timothy 2:7
For this reason I was appointed as a preacher, an apostle, and a faithful and true teacher of the Gentiles. I am telling the truth; I am not lying about anything.

2 Corinthians 1:23
I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth.

1 Thessalonians 2:5
As you know, we never used words of flattery or any pretext for greed. God is our witness!

2 Corinthians 12:19
Have you been thinking all along that we were making a defense to you? We speak before God in Christ, and all of this, beloved, is to build you up.

1 John 2:21
I have not written to you because you lack knowledge of the truth, but because you have it, and because no lie comes from the truth.

1 John 5:6
This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ—not by water alone, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies to this, because the Spirit is the truth.

John 21:24
This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who has written them down. And we know that his testimony is true.

1 John 1:1-3
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have gazed upon and touched with our own hands—this is the Word of life. / And this is the life that was revealed; we have seen it and testified to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us. / We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And this fellowship of ours is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:31
I face death every day, brothers, as surely as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Philippians 1:8
God is my witness how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

1 Samuel 12:3-5
Here I am. Bear witness against me before the LORD and before His anointed: Whose ox or donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated or oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe and closed my eyes? Tell me, and I will restore it to you.” / “You have not cheated us or oppressed us,” they replied, “nor have you taken anything from the hand of man.” / Samuel said to them, “The LORD is a witness against you, and His anointed is a witness today, that you have not found anything in my hand.” “He is a witness,” they replied.

Job 31:35
(Oh, that I had one to hear me! Here is my signature. Let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser compose an indictment.

Psalm 7:3-5
O LORD my God, if I have done this, if injustice is on my hands, / if I have rewarded my ally with evil, if I have plundered my foe without cause, / then may my enemy pursue me and overtake me; may he trample me to the ground and leave my honor in the dust. Selah


Treasury of Scripture

Now the things which I write to you, behold, before God, I lie not.

behold.

Romans 9:1
I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,

2 Corinthians 11:10,11,31
As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia…

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Assertions Assure I'm Lying Making Sight Speaking Touching True. Truth Witness Write Writing
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Assertions Assure I'm Lying Making Sight Speaking Touching True. Truth Witness Write Writing
Galatians 1
1. Paul's greeting to the Galatians;
6. He wonders why they have so soon left him and the gospel;
8. and accurses those who preach any other gospel than he did.
11. He learned the gospel not from men, but from God;
14. and shows what he was before his calling;
17. and what he did immediately after it.














Berean Study Bible
I assure you
The phrase "I assure you" is a translation of the Greek word "ὅσαρκος" (hosarkos), which conveys a strong affirmation or oath. In the context of ancient letters, such a declaration was not made lightly. Paul is emphasizing the seriousness and truthfulness of his message. This assurance reflects his deep commitment to the truth of the Gospel and his role as an apostle. It is a reminder of the weight of his words and the divine authority under which he operates.

before God
The phrase "before God" underscores the solemnity of Paul's statement. In the Jewish and early Christian context, invoking God as a witness was the highest form of oath. It indicates that Paul is not merely speaking to human audiences but is conscious of God's omnipresence and omniscience. This phrase serves to remind readers of the divine accountability that Paul acknowledges, reinforcing the sincerity and gravity of his message.

that what I am writing to you
This part of the verse highlights the act of writing, which in the ancient world was a significant means of communication, especially for someone like Paul who was often separated from the communities he addressed. The written word carried authority and permanence. Paul’s letters were not casual correspondences but were intended to instruct, correct, and encourage the early churches. The phrase also emphasizes the personal nature of the communication, as Paul directly addresses the Galatians.

is no lie
The phrase "is no lie" is a direct assertion of truthfulness. In Greek, the word "ψεύδομαι" (pseudomai) means to lie or deceive. By stating that his writing "is no lie," Paul is countering any accusations or doubts about his integrity or the authenticity of his message. This declaration is crucial in the context of Galatians, where Paul defends his apostleship and the Gospel he preaches against false teachings. It serves as a powerful affirmation of the truth of the Gospel and Paul's dedication to it.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(20) A solemn asseveration of the truth of these statements as to the extent of the Apostle's relation with the elder disciples.

Pulpit Commentary
Verse 20. - Now the things which I write unto you (α} δὲ γράφω ὑμῖν); now as to the things which I am writing to you. The looseness in the Greek of the connection of this clause with the words which follow is similar to what we find in the case of the clause, ταῦτα α} θεωρεῖτε, in Luke 21:6. The particular things meant are those which are affirmed in vers. 15-19 and to the end of the chapter; points which the Galatians would hardly have become apprised of except upon the apostle's own testimony. What preceded in vers. 13, 14 they had become acquainted with before, on the testimony of others ("Ye have heard," ver. 13). Behold, before God, I lie not (ἰδού ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτι οὐ ψεύδομαι); behold, before God, verily I lie not. The use here of ὅτι, which in "verily" is paraphrased rather than translated, in this as well as in several other passages of solemn asseveration (2 Corinthians 1:18; 2 Corinthians 11:10; possibly Romans 9:2), savours strongly of Hebraism, being very probably identical with its use for כִּי, the Hebrew "that," in the Septuagint, e.g. in Isaiah 49:18, Ζῶ ἐγώ λέγει Κύριος ὅτι πάντες αὐτοὺς ὡς κόσμον ἐνδύσῃ. So in St. Paul's inexact citation in Romans 14:11. On this use of the Hebrew conjunction, see Gesenius, 'Thes.,' p. 678, B, 1, n, who observes that in such cases there is an evident ellipsis of some such verb as "I protest," "I swear." The apostle was frequently led by the gainsaying of adversaries vitally affecting his official or personal character, to have recourse to forms of the most solemn asseveration. In addition to the passages cited above, see 2 Corinthians 1:23; 2 Corinthians 11:31; Romans 1:9; Philippians 1:8; 1 Thessalonians 2:5; 1 Timothy 2:7. If, as Alford in effect observes, a report had been spread among the Galatians that, after his conversion, he had spent years at Jerusalem, receiving instruction in the faith at the hands of the apostles, the facts which he has now stated would have seemed to his readers so astoundingly in contradiction to the impression which they had received, as to require a strong confirmatory asseveration." In the present case," as Professor Jowett remarks, "it is a matter of life and death to the apostle to prove his independence of the twelve." And his independence of them is strongly evinced by the fact that, for several years of his Christian life, during all which he was preaching the same gospel as he now preached, he had not even seen any of them except Peter and James the Lord's brother (if James could be reckoned as an apostle), and these only during a short visit of a fortnight at Jerusalem some three years after his conversion.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
I assure you
ἰδοὺ (idou)
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 2400: See! Lo! Behold! Look! Second person singular imperative middle voice of eido; used as imperative lo!

before
ἐνώπιον (enōpion)
Preposition
Strong's 1799: Neuter of a compound of en and a derivative of optanomai; in the face of.

God
Θεοῦ (Theou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

that
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

what
ἃ (ha)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

I am writing
γράφω (graphō)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1125: A primary verb; to 'grave', especially to write; figuratively, to describe.

to you
ὑμῖν (hymin)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

is no lie.
ψεύδομαι (pseudomai)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 5574: To deceive, lie, speak falsely. Middle voice of an apparently primary verb; to utter an untruth or attempt to deceive by falsehood.


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NT Letters: Galatians 1:20 Now about the things which I write (Gal. Ga)
Galatians 1:19
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