4:17 They court you eagerly, 1 but for no good purpose; 2 they want to exclude you, so that you would seek them eagerly. 3
3:15 Brothers and sisters, 4 I offer an example from everyday life: 5 When a covenant 6 has been ratified, 7 even though it is only a human contract, no one can set it aside or add anything to it.
1 tn Or “They are zealous for you.”
2 tn Or “but not commendably” (BDAG 505 s.v. καλῶς 2).
3 tn Or “so that you would be zealous.”
4 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:11.
5 tn Grk “I speak according to man,” referring to the illustration that follows.
6 tn The same Greek word, διαθήκη (diaqhkh), can mean either “covenant” or “will,” but in this context the former is preferred here because Paul is discussing in vv. 16-18 the Abrahamic covenant.
7 tn Or “has been put into effect.”