Galatians 4:14

My temptation which was in my flesh [τ ο ν π ε ι ρ α σ μ ο ν υ μ ω ν ε ν τ η σ α ρ κ ι μ ο υ]. The correct reading is peirasmon uJmwn your temptation. The trial to which they were subjected by his bodily infirmity (verse 13), and which might have tempted them to treat him with indifference.

Ye despised not nor rejected [ο υ κ ε ξ ο υ θ ε ν η σ α τ ε ο υ δ ε ε ξ ε π τ υ σ α τ ε]. Commonly explained by making both verbs govern your temptation. Thus the meaning would be : "You were tempted to treat my preaching contemptuously because of my bodily infirmity; but you did not despise nor reject that which was a temptation to you." This is extremely far fetched, awkward, and quite without parallel in Paul's writings or elsewhere. It does not suit the following but received me, etc. It lays the stress on the Galatians' resistance of a temptation to despise Paul; whereas the idea of a temptation is incidental. On this construction we should rather expect Paul to say : "Ye did despise and repudiate this temptation." Better, make your temptation, etc., dependent on ye know (verse 13); place a colon after flesh, and make both verbs govern me in the following clause. Rend. "Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel to you the first time, and (ye know) your temptation which was in my flesh : ye did not despise nor reject me, but received me." The last clause thus forms one of a series of short and detached clauses beginning with verse 10. Ouk ejxouqenhsate ye did not set at nought, from ouJuden nothing. The form oujqen occurs Luke 22:35; Luke 23:14; Acts 19:27; Acts 26:26; 1 Corinthians 13:2; 2 Corinthians 11:8. For the compound here, comp. Luke 18:9; Luke 23:11; Acts 4:11; 2 Corinthians 10:10. o Class. Exeptusate spurned, N. T. o. Lit. spat out. A strong metaphor, adding the idea of contempt to that of setting at nought. Comp. HoOba 1:0; Obadiah 1:5 322; Aristoph. Wasps, 792. The two verbs express contemptuous indifference. Emesai to vomit, as a figure of contemptuous rejection, is found in Revelation 3:16. The simple ptuein to spit only in the literal sense in N. T. Mark 7:33; Mark 8:23; John 9:6, and no other compound occurs.

As an angel. Bengel says : "The flesh, infirmity, temptation, are known to angels; wherefore to receive as an angel is to receive with great veneration." As Jesus Christ. With even higher honor than an angel. Comp. Matthew 10:40; John 13:20.