Charles Ellicott Commentary Galatians 4:15

"Where then is that gratulation of yourselves? for I bear you witness, that, if possible, ye would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me." — Galatians 4:15 (ASV)

Where.—The reading of the Received Text is “What,” which, however, must be taken as if it were equivalent to “where,” the reading which has the strongest attestation.

The blessedness you spoke of.—The Greek is a single word: your felicitation of yourselves; your boast of blessedness; or (as we would say) your boasted blessedness. What has become of all those loud assertions in which you were once heard declaring yourselves “blest” in the presence of the Apostle?

For.—You did declare yourselves blest; for, and so on.

You would have plucked out your own eyes.—The word “own” should be removed, and the emphasis placed on “eyes.” The inference which has been drawn from this passage, that St. Paul suffered from an eye condition, does not seem to hold true. The “eyes” may be mentioned only as something particularly dear and precious. Compare the Old Testament phrase, to keep as the apple of an eye (Deuteronomy 32:10; Psalms 17:8; Proverbs 7:2).