Albert Barnes Commentary Galatians 4:17

"They zealously seek you in no good way; nay, they desire to shut you out, that ye may seek them." — Galatians 4:17 (ASV)

They zealously affect you. See 1 Corinthians 12:31 (Greek) and 1 Corinthians 14:39. The word used here, zhlow, means to be zealous towards someone or something, that is, for or against them. Usually, in a good sense, it means to be eager for something. Here it means that the false teachers made a show of zeal towards the Galatians, or professed affection for them, to gain them as their followers.

They were full of ardor and professed an extraordinary concern for their welfare—as demagogues or those who seek to gain proselytes always do. The apostle's object in this is probably to say that it was not entirely their own fault that they had become alienated from the doctrines he had taught. Great efforts had been made to achieve this, and there had been a display of zeal that would likely endanger anyone.

But not well. This means not with good motives or good designs.

Yea, they would exclude you. The margin reads us. A few printed editions of the New Testament have hmav (us) instead of umav (you).—Mill. The word exclude here probably means that they endeavored to exclude the Galatians from Paul's love and affection. They would shut them out from that so that they might secure them for their own purposes.

If the reading in the margin is retained, however, the sense would be clearer: "They wish to exclude us (that is, me, the apostle) so that they may have you entirely to themselves. If they can once get rid of your attachment to me, then they will have no difficulty in securing you for themselves." Rosenmuller says this reading is found "in many of the best codices, versions, and fathers." It is adopted by Doddridge, Locke, and others.

The main idea is clear: Paul stood in the way of their designs. The Galatians were truly attached to him, and it was necessary, to accomplish their ends, to withdraw their affections from him. When false teachers have designs on a people, they begin by alienating their confidence and affections from their pastors and teachers.

They can hope for no success until this is done. Therefore, the efforts of errorists, unbelievers, and scoffers are to undermine a people's confidence in the ministry. When this is done, there is little difficulty in drawing them over to their own purposes.

That ye might affect them. This uses the same word as in the former part of the verse—"that ye might zealously affect them"—meaning that you might show ardent attachment to them. Their first work is to manifest special interest for your welfare; their second, to alienate you from him who had first preached the gospel to you; their object is not your salvation or your real good, but to secure your zealous love for themselves.