5:12

Paul concluded his discussion about circumcision by condemning those who were troubling the Galatians.

As for those who are agitating you, I wish: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as agitating also means “disturbing,” “upsetting,” or “troubling.”

The clause those who are agitating you refers to the false teachers whom Paul has criticized in this letter. He has also called them “false brothers” (2:4), people who had “bewitched” the Galatians (3:1), and those who were “zealous” for them (4:17). These people disturbed the Galatian believers by telling them that they needed to be circumcised in order to be made right with God.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

I wish that those who are troubling you (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
I wish that the people who are upsetting you (Good News Translation)
-or-
I wish the people who are bothering you (New Century Version)

would proceed to emasculate themselves: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as emasculate is literally “cut off.” In this discussion about circumcision, it is an allusion to castration. It refers to cutting off their testicles.

Some other ways to translate this verse are:

would castrate themselves (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
would cut off their own testicles
-or-
would not only get circumcised, but would cut off much more (Contemporary English Version)

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