This verse is closely connected with the previous one, as indicated by the absence of any connectives. One may understand this verse as expressing negatively in three points what Paul means by being controlled by the Spirit, but it is also possible to understand the Greek as one initial point, that is, being proud, manifested by being “irritated” and “jealous.”

It is very possible that Paul has in mind the Galatian situation, and is applying this concept of the Christian life to the actual state of affairs in the Galatian churches. A general application of this concept, however, without necessarily excluding the Galatian situation, is perhaps the best way to understand this verse.

The word translated proud is used only here in the whole New Testament; it can be literally rendered “vain-gloried.” In its use in secular literature, it is often associated with boastfulness and has the sense of “glorying in vain things” or “seeing value in things not really valuable.” Here it probably means either “conceited” (New English Bible, Revised Standard Version, Jerusalem Bible) or “boastful” (New American Bible). The rendering “ambitious” (Phillips, Knox) is taken from a cognate word usually translated “vanity” or “excessive ambition.” Proud may often be rendered as “always saying how great we are,” or, as expressed idiomatically, “always saying, Look at me.”

The phrase translated irritate one another is also used only once in the New Testament. In accordance with its secular usage, it means either “to provoke” (Jerusalem Bible, Revised Standard Version) or “to challenge” (New English Bible, New American Bible). The meaning of the underlying Greek term may be expressed idiomatically in some instances as “always putting one’s self ahead of others.”

The phrase translated jealous of one another is also used only once in the New Testament, although its nominal form is used in many other places. It means “to be jealous” (New American Bible, New English Bible, Phillips) or “to be envious of one another” (Revised Standard Version, Jerusalem Bible, Knox).

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .