Who Is Leading Whom (pt.2)?
Introduction
v.20
φαρμακ(ε)ία 5331
in its general sense “practice of drugging,” may be illustrated from P Cairo Zen I. 590185 (B.C. 258) (= Preisigke 67105), where a man states that having taken a dose of medicine he is unable to leave the house—ἄρρωστ]ος ἐτύγχανον ἐκ φαρμακείας ὤν. In P Oxy III. 48621 (A.D. 131) it has the sinister sense of “poisoning”—τῇ μητρί μου Ἑρμιόνῃ φαρμακείας ἐνκαλῶν, “charging my mother Hermione with poisoning”: cf. Vett. Val. p. 111, et saepe. From this it is an easy transition to “sorcery,” “witchcraft,” as in Gal 5:20; see Lightfoot’s note ad l., also Burton ICC Gal. p. 306.
φάρμακον ‡5331
in its only NT occurrence (Rev 9:21) has the evil meaning “drug,” “enchantment,” “sorcery”: cf. P Tebt I. 4319 (B.C. 118) ἐπανείρηται αὐτὸν (l. ἐπανῄρηται αὐτὸς) φαρμάκωι, “he has been poisoned,” and PSI I. 6420 (i/B.C.?), where a wife solemnly promises that she will not mix noxious drugs with her husband’s drink or food—μηδὲ ποι[ή]σειν εἴς σε φάρμακα φίλτρα μηδὲ κακοποιὰ μήτε ἐν ποτοῖς μήτε ἐν βρωτοῖς, with which may be compared Syll 815(= 31180)2 cited s.v. θανάσιμος, the sepulchral Kaibel 5953 where a physician is praised as πολλούς τε σώσας φαρμάκοις ἀνωδύνοις, and the magic P Lond 12233 (iv/A.D.) (= I. p. 117) διασῶσόν μου πάνδοτε εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἀπὸ φαρμάκων καὶ δολίων. See also the prayer for vengeance Preisigke 1323 (ii/A.D.), and compare Musonius p. 1244 φαρμάκοις γὰρ οὐκ ἔοικεν, ἀλλὰ σιτίοις ὑγιεινοῖς ἡ δύναμις αὐτοῦ. A dim. φαρμάκιον is found in P Petr III. 42 H (8)25 (mid. iii/B.C.) (= Witkowski2, p. 16).
For φάρμακον in a healing sense, “physic,” “medicine” we may cite P Lond 3566 (i/A.D.) (= II. p. 252, Selections p. 59) καλῶς ποιήσεις ἰδίωι κινδύνῳ τὸ καλὸν πωλήσας ἐξ ὧν ἐάν σοι εἴπῃ φαρμάκων ἔχειν χρείαν Σῶτας ὁ φίλος μου, “be so good as to sell at your own risk good quality of whatever drugs my friend Sotas says that he has need,” P Flor II. 22211 (A.D. 256) τὸ φάρμακον … εἰς τὸν παρʼ ἐμοὶ ταῦρον, “medicine for my bull,” P Grenf II. 7717 (funeral expenses—iii/iv A.D.) (= Selections, p. 121) ἔστι δὲ τὰ ἀναλώματα τιμ(ὴ) φαρμάκου παλ(αιαὶ) (δραχμαὶ) ξ̄ κτλ., “the expenses are—the price of medicine 60 old drachmae,” etc. See also Sir 6:16; Test. xii. patr. Jos. ii. 7 μέγα φάρμακόν ἐστιν ἡ μακροθυμία, and Ign. Eph. xx. φάρμακον ἀθανασίας, of the Eucharist.
φαρμακός 5333
“a sorcerer” (Rev 21:8). For the corr. verb φαρμακεύω, cf. P Oxy III. 4721 (c. A.D. 130) καὶ γὰρ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκείνου οἰκίας ἐξεληλύθει πεφαρμακεῦσθαι λέ[γω]ν, “for it was from his house that he came out saying that he had been poisoned” (Edd.), and similarly l5. A striking ex. is also afforded by the Jewish prayers invoking vengeance on the murderers or poisoners of two innocent girls, e.g. Syll 816 (= 3 1181)8 (ii/B.C.–i/B.C.) (= Deissmann LAE, p. 414)—
Ἐπικαλοῦμαι καὶ ἀξιῶ τὸν θεὸν τὸν ὕψιστον, τὸν κύριον τῶν πνευμάτων καὶ πάσης σαρκός, ἐπὶ τοὺς δόλωι φονεύσαντας ἢ φαρμακεύσαντας τὴν ταλαίπωρον ἄωρον Ἡράκλεαν ἐγχέαντας αὐτῆς τὸ ἀναίτιον αἷμα ἀδίκως κτλ.
“I call upon and pray the Most High God, the Lord of the spirits and of all flesh, against those who with guile murdered or poisoned the wretched, untimely lost Heraclea, shedding her innocent blood wickedly,” etc. (Deissmann).
The verb φαρμακόω occurs in P Oxy XII. 147720 (iii/iv A.D.) where a petitioner addresses to an oracle the question—εἶ πεφαρμάκω̣μαι; “have I been poisoned?”
Φαρμακία [or -εία], a classical word occurring from Plato down, is derived from φάρμακον, which from Homer down denotes a drug, whether harmful or wholesome. φαρμακία signifies in general the use of drugs, whether helpfully by a physician, or harmfully, hence poisoning. In Demosthenes, Aristotle, Polybius, and the Lxx it is used of witchcraft (because witches employed drugs). In Isa. 47:9 it is a synonym of ἐπαοιδή, enchantment (cf. also Philo, Migr. Abr. 83, 85 (15); 1 Enoch, chap. VIII, Syn.). In the Lxx the word is uniformly employed in a bad sense, of witchcrafts or enchantments: of the Egyptians (Exod. 7:11, 22), of the Canaanites (Wisd. 12:4), of Babylon (Isa. 47:9, 12). So also in N. T. passages, Rev. 9:21 (WH. text φαρμακῶν, mg. φαρμακιῶν, as also Tdf.); 18:23 (the latter referring, like Isa. 47:9, 12, to Babylon), and in the present passage, the reference is to witchcraft, sorcery, magic art of any kind, without special reference to the use of drugs. The meaning “poisoning” (Demosthenes, Polybius) is excluded here by the combined evidence of contemporary usage and the association with εἰδωλολατρία. On the prevalence of witchcraft and its various forms, see Acts 8:9ff.; 13:8ff.; 19:13ff.; 2 Tim. 3:13; Ltft. ad loc.; Bible Dictionaries, under “Magic,” and literature cited there and in Ltft.
Hatred (echthrai). This is the first of eight nouns Paul would mention, all of which refer to the breakdown of interpersonal relationships. Hatred or enmity (cf. “quarrels,” NEB) is the opposite of love. In Rom 8:7 Paul used this same word to describe the hostility of the sinful mind to God. Here, however, its destructive force is played out on the plane of human relationships. The specific forms this hatred can take in tearing down community life Paul would enumerate in the following words:
In secular Gk. Hom. has only the pass. “hated.” The act. first occurs in Hes. and Pind.:1 “the hater,” “the enemy,” “the opponent.”
While the Heb. אוֹיֵב denotes both personal and national enemies, ἐχθρός has more of the sense of personal hostility
In the NT ἐχθρός is used for personal enemies in the various relationships of everyday life (R. 12:20, a quotation; Gl. 4:16).
Ἔρις, a classical word, of frequent occurrence from Homer down; in Homer of “contention,” “rivalry,” “strife for prizes,” also “fighting,” “strife”; after Homer “strife,” “discord,” “quarrel,” “wrangling,” “contention.” It occurs in Ps. 139:20 (B); Sir. 28:11; 40:5, 9, in the latter two passages in an enumeration of the common ills of life. The nine N. T. instances are all found in the epistles ascribed to Paul.
3) “jealousy,” the unfriendly feeling excited by another’s possession of good, or “envy,” the eager desire for possession created by the spectacle of another’s possession (Cant. 8:6; Eccl. 4:4; 9:6; Rom. 13:13; 1 Cor. 3:3; Jas. 3:14, 16).
ἐριθεία, ας, ἡ from ἐριθεύω (serve for hire), which is from ἔριθος (day-laborer); as denoting an attitude of self-seeking selfish ambition, self-interest, rivalry (PH 2:3)
διχοστασία, ας, ἡ (s. two next entries; Solon 3, 37 Diehl2; Bacchylides 11, 67 BSnell [’34]; Hdt. 5, 75; Dionys. Hal. 8, 72, 1; Plut., Mor. 479a; Michel 448, 19; 1 Macc 3:29; TestSol 18:16; Ps.-Phocyl. 151; SibOr 4, 68) the state of being in factious opposition, dissension (w. ἐριθεῖαι, αἱρέσεις) Gal 5:20; cp. 1 Cl 46:5; 51:1. διχοστασίας ποιεῖν cause dissensions Ro 16:17; cp. Hs 8, 7, 5; 8, 10, 2; 1 Cor 3:3 v.l.; Hv 3, 9, 9; m 2:3.—DELG s.v. δί and ἵστημι. M-M.
αἵρεσις, έσεως, ἡ {{αἱρέω, -σις}} primarily choice or option; (1) of a separatist group characterized by loyalty to a certain school of thought and practice sect, party (AC 5:17); of such separatist groups claiming status within the Christian community heretical sect, party, faction (1C 11:19); (2) as the tendency to form separatist groups party spirit, cliquishness (GA 5:20); (3) in a religious sense, of belief contrary to established doctrine peculiar teaching, strange teaching (2P 2:1)
v.21
φθόνος, ου, ὁ (1) in a negative sense envy, jealousy over the good success of another (MT 27:18); (2) in a positive sense of God’s protective jealousy (perhaps JA 4:5 πρὸς φθόνον to the point of envy, even with envy)
Φθόνος, a classical word from Pindar and Herodotus down, means “ill-will,” “malice,” “envy” (cf. under ζῆλος above); not in Lxx; in Apocr., Wisd. 2:24; 6:23; 1 Mac. 8:16; 3 Mac. 6:7; always in a bad sense, “envy.” So also in N. T. (Mt. 27:18; Mk. 15:10; Rom. 1:29, etc.) except in Jas. 4:5, where it is used tropically, meaning “eager desire for (exclusive) possession of,” and is ascribed to the Spirit of God. In the present passage it can not be sharply distinguished from ζῆλος. If the words are to be discriminated, ζῆλος would signify “jealousy,” φθόνοι “envyings.” The plural denotes different acts, or specific forms of envious desire.
μέθη, ης, ἡ drunkenness, intoxication
Before they became Christians the Gentile believers of Galatia may have been addicted to their own bacchanalia. If some of them had now been convinced by the libertines in their midst to turn their Christian liberty into moral license, it is possible that they may have returned to their former habits of tippling without realizing how damaging this kind of behavior was to their new life in the Spirit. In any event, Paul portrayed excessive drinking as incompatible with real Christian commitment.
κῶμος, ου, ὁ originally festive procession in honor of the wine god, merrymaking; in the NT always in a bad sense carousing, revelry, excessive feasting