4:8 Formerly when you did not know God, you were enslaved to beings that by nature are not gods at all. 1
1 tn Grk “those that by nature…” with the word “beings” implied. BDAG 1070 s.v. φύσις 2 sees this as referring to pagan worship: “Polytheists worship…beings that are by nature no gods at all Gal 4:8.”
2 tn Or “is not mocked,” “will not be ridiculed” (L&N 33.409). BDAG 660 s.v. μυκτηρίζω has “of God οὐ μ. he is not to be mocked, treated w. contempt, perh. outwitted Gal 6:7.”
3 tn Here ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense, referring to both men and women.