The Meaning of Galatians 6:9 Explained

Galatians 6:9

KJV: And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

YLT: and in the doing good we may not be faint-hearted, for at the proper time we shall reap -- not desponding;

Darby: but let us not lose heart in doing good; for in due time, if we do not faint, we shall reap.

ASV: And let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  let us  not  be weary  in well  doing:  for  in due  season  we shall reap,  if we faint  not. 

What does Galatians 6:9 Mean?

Context Summary

Galatians 6:1-10 - Our Own And Others' Burdens
The spirit of the world gloats over sin; the Spirit of Christ leads us to restore the sinner. Our first thought should never be of revenge or contempt, or of the adjustment of our own claims, but rather of how to help our fallen brother to regain his old place in the love of God. The memory of our own temptations and failures should make us very pitiful and tender. The Apostle does not speak, in this place, of premeditated sin, but of that by which we are entrapped and taken unawares.
The most spiritual men in the Church are needed for this holy work of restoration, and they must do it with great meekness and humility. It is thus that we bear one another's burdens; but there are some burdens that each must bear for himself alone, such as his own existence and personal accountability to God.
Life is a seedtime. It is the opportunity of preparing for heavenly harvests. The open furrows invite the seed, and every moment, in some form, we scatter seeds that we shall inevitably meet again in their fruition. Let us remember especially our obligations to God's own children. [source]

Chapter Summary: Galatians 6

1  He moves them to deal mildly with a brother who has slipped,
2  and to bear one another's burden;
6  to be generous to their teachers,
9  and not weary of well-doing
12  He shows what they intend that preach circumcision
14  He glories in nothing, save in the cross of Christ

Greek Commentary for Galatians 6:9

Let us not be weary in well-doing [το καλον ποιουντες μη ενκακωμεν]
Volitive present active subjunctive of ενκακεω — enkakeō on which see note on Luke 18:1; note on 2 Thessalonians 3:13; note on 2 Corinthians 4:1, 2 Corinthians 4:16. Literally, “Let us not keep on giving in to evil while doing the good.” It is curious how prone we are to give in and to give out in doing the good which somehow becomes prosy or insipid to us. [source]
In due season [μη εκλυομενοι]
Locative case, “at its proper season” (harvest time). Cf. 1 Timothy 2:6; 1 Timothy 6:15 (plural). If we faint not (μη — mē ekluomenoi). Present passive participle (conditional) with εκλυω — mē Cf. ενκακωμεν — ekluō old verb to loosen out. Literally, “not loosened out,” relaxed, exhausted as a result of giving in to evil (enkakōmen). [source]
If we faint not [μη]
Present passive participle (conditional) with εκλυω — mē Cf. ενκακωμεν — ekluō old verb to loosen out. Literally, “not loosened out,” relaxed, exhausted as a result of giving in to evil (enkakōmen). [source]
Be weary [ἐνκακῶμεν]
Lit. faint or lose heart. Comp. 2 Thessalonians 3:13. [source]
In due season [καιρῷ ἰδίῳ]
In the season which is peculiarly the harvest-time of each form of well-doing. See on Galatians 6:5. [source]
Faint [ἐκλυόμενοι]
Only here in Paul. See Matthew 15:32; Mark 8:3; Hebrews 12:3, Hebrews 12:5. Lit. to be loosened or relaxed, like the limbs of the weary. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Galatians 6:9

Ephesians 3:13 That ye faint not [μη ενκακειν]
Object infinitive with μη — mē after αιτουμαι — aitoumai The infinitive (present active) ενκακειν — enkakein is a late and rare word (see already Luke 18:1; 2 Thessalonians 3:13; 2 Corinthians 4:1, 2 Corinthians 4:16; Galatians 6:9) and means to behave badly in, to give in to evil Paul urges all his apostolic authority to keep the readers from giving in to evil because of his tribulations for them. [source]
2 Thessalonians 3:13 But ye, brethren, be not weary in well-doing [υμεις δε αδελποι μη ενκακησητε καλοποιουντες]
Emphatic position of εν κακος — humeis in contrast to these piddlers. καλοποιεω — Mē and the aorist subjunctive is a prohibition against beginning an act (Robertson, Grammar, pp. 851-4). It is a late verb and means to behave badly in, to be cowardly, to lose courage, to flag, to faint, It occurs in Polybius. The late verb αγατοποιεω — kalopoieō to do the fair (kalos) or honourable thing occurs nowhere else in the N.T., but is in the lxx and a late papyrus. Paul uses to kalon poiein in 2 Corinthians 13:7; Galatians 6:9; Romans 7:21 with the same idea. He has agathopoieō to do good, in 1 Timothy 6:18. [source]
1 Timothy 2:6 To be testified in due time [τὸ μαρτύριον καιροῖς ἰδίοις]
Lit. (gave himself a ransom) the testimony in its own times. That is, the gift of Christ as a ransom was to be the substance or import of the testimony which was to be set forth in its proper seasons. Thus μαρτύριον testimonyis in apposition with the whole preceding sentence, and not with ransom only. Μαρτύριον is used sometimes simply as witness or testimony (Matthew 8:4; Mark 6:11): sometimes specially of the proclamation of the gospel, as Matthew 24:14; Acts 4:33; 1 Thessalonians 1:10. The apostles are said, μαρτυρεῖν tobear witness, as eye or ear witnesses of the sayings, deeds, and sufferings of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:15). In 1 Corinthians 1:6, μαρτύριον τοῦ Χριστοῦ is practically = the gospel. In 2 Thessalonians 1:10, τὸ μαρτύριον ἡμῶν ἐφ ' ὑμᾶς ourtestimony among you is our public attestation of the truth of the gospel. The idea of witness is a favorite one with John. See John 1:7. The exact phrase καιροῖς ἰδίοις inits own times, only in the Pastorals, here, 1 Timothy 6:15; Titus 1:3. In Galatians 6:9 καιρῷ ἰδίῳ indue time. Comp. Galatians 4:4. [source]
1 Timothy 2:6 The testimony [το μαρτυριον]
Either the nominative absolute or the accusative absolute in apposition to the preceding clause like το αδυνατον — to adunaton in Romans 8:3. In its own times (καιροις ιδιοις — kairois idiois). Locative case as in 1 Timothy 6:15; Titus 1:3. See note on Galatians 6:9 for “due season.” There is no predicate or participle here, “the testimony in its due seasons” (plural). [source]
1 Timothy 2:6 In its own times [καιροις ιδιοις]
Locative case as in 1 Timothy 6:15; Titus 1:3. See note on Galatians 6:9 for “due season.” There is no predicate or participle here, “the testimony in its due seasons” (plural). [source]
Hebrews 12:3 Lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds [ἵνα μὴ κάμητε ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν ἐκλυόμενοι]
Rend. “that ye be not weary, fainting in your minds.” Ἐκλύειν is to loosen, hence, to relax, exhaust. So often in lxx. See Deuteronomy 20:3; Judges 8:15; 1 Samuel 14:28. Comp. Matthew 15:32; Mark 8:3; Galatians 6:9. [source]

What do the individual words in Galatians 6:9 mean?

- And [in] well doing not we should grow weary in time for due we will reap a harvest giving up
Τὸ δὲ καλὸν ποιοῦντες μὴ ἐνκακῶμεν καιρῷ γὰρ ἰδίῳ θερίσομεν ἐκλυόμενοι

Τὸ  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
καλὸν  [in]  well 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: καλός  
Sense: beautiful, handsome, excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious, useful, suitable, commendable, admirable.
ποιοῦντες  doing 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ποιέω  
Sense: to make.
ἐνκακῶμεν  we  should  grow  weary 
Parse: Verb, Present Subjunctive Active, 1st Person Plural
Root: ἐγκακέω 
Sense: to be utterly spiritless, to be wearied out, exhausted.
καιρῷ  in  time 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: καιρός  
Sense: due measure.
ἰδίῳ  due 
Parse: Adjective, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: ἴδιος  
Sense: pertaining to one’s self, one’s own, belonging to one’s self.
θερίσομεν  we  will  reap  a  harvest 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Active, 1st Person Plural
Root: θερίζω  
Sense: to reap, harvest.
ἐκλυόμενοι  giving  up 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ἐκλύω  
Sense: to loose, unloose, to set free.