Text -- Galatians 2:9 (NET)

2:9 and when James, Cephas, and John, who had a reputation as pillars, recognized the grace that had been given to me, they gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we would go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Gal 2:9

¹ sn Cephas. This individual is generally identified with the Apostle Peter (L&N 93.211).

² tn Or “who were influential as,” or “who were reputed to be.” See also the note on the word “influential” in 2:6.

³ sn Pillars is figurative here for those like James, Peter, and John who were leaders in the Jerusalem church.

⁴ tn The participle γνόντες (gnontes) has been taken temporally. It is structurally parallel to the participle translated “when they saw” in v. 7.

⁵ tn Grk “me and Barnabas.”

⁶ tn Grk “so,” with the ἵνα (Jina) indicating the result of the “pillars” extending the “right hand of fellowship,” but the translation “they gave…the right hand of fellowship so that we would go” could be misunderstood as purpose here. The implication of the scene is that an agreement, outlined at the end of v. 10, was reached between Paul and Barnabas on the one hand and the “pillars” of the Jerusalem church on the other.

⁷ tn Grk “to the circumcision,” a collective reference to the Jewish people.