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Gal_5:20. Εἰδωλολατρεία ] is not to be considered as a species of the sins of lust (Olshausen); a view against which may be urged the literal sense of the word, and also the circumstance that unchastity was only practised in the case of some of the heathen rites. It is to be taken in its proper sense as idolatry. Living among Gentiles, Gentile Christians were not unfrequently seduced to idolatry, to which the sacrificial feasts readily gave occasion. Comp. on 1Co_5:11.
φαρμακεία ] may here mean either poison-mingling (Plat. Legg. viii. p. 845 E; Polyb. vi. 13. 4, xl. 3. 7; comp. φαρμακός , Dem. 794. 4) or sorcery (Exo_7:11; Exo_7:22; Exo_8:3; Isa_47:9; Isa_47:12; Rev_9:21; Rev_18:23; Rev_21:8; Wis_12:4; Wis_18:13; comp. φάρμακα , Herod. iii. 85; φαρμακεύειν , Herod. vii. 114). The latter interpretation is to be preferred (with Luther, Grotius, Estius, Koppe, Winer, Usteri, Schott, de Wette, Ewald, Wieseler, Hofmann, and others), partly on account of the combination with εἰδωλολατρεία (comp. Deu_18:10 ff.; Exo_22:18), partly because φόνοι occurs subsequently. Sorcery was very prevalent, especially in Asia (Act_19:19). To understand it, with Olshausen, specially of love-incantations, is arbitrary and groundless, since the series of sins of lust is closed with ἀσέλγεια .
The particulars which follow as far as φόνοι stand related as special manifestations to the more general ἔχθραι . On the plural, comp. Herod. vii. 145; Xen. Mem. i. 2. 10.
ζῆλος , Rom_13:13; jealousy, 1Co_3:3, 2Co_12:20, Jam_3:16.
The distinction between θυμός and ὀργή is, that ὀργή denotes the wrath in itself, and θυμός , the effervescence of it, exasperation. Hence in Rev_16:19; Rev_19:15, we have. θυμὸς τῆς ὀργῆς . See on Rom_2:8.
ἐριθεῖαι ] self-seeking party-cabals. See on Rom_2:8; 2Co_12:20.
διχοστασίαι , αἱρέσεις ] divisions, factions (comp. 1Co_11:18 f.). On αἵρεσις in this signification, which occurs only in later writers (1Co_11:19; Act_24:5; Act_24:14), see Wetstein, II. p. 147 f. Comp. αἱρετιστής , partisan, Polyb. i. 79. 9, ii. 38. 7. Observe how Paul, having the circumstances of the Galatians in view, has multiplied especially the designations of dispeace. Comp. Soph. O. C. 1234 f. According to 1Co_3:3 also, these phenomena are works of the flesh.