King James Bible
"O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?"
Paul's sharp rebuke opens with astonishment at their spiritual regression, using 'foolish' to indicate senseless abandonment of wisdom. The bewitchment metaphor suggests they've fallen under a spell-like deception, likely from Judaizers insisting on law-keeping for salvation. Their foolishness manifests in rejecting the gospel truth they once embraced—salvation by faith alone. Paul frames their turn toward legalism as disobedience, not merely theological confusion. Paul's preaching had vividly portrayed Christ's crucifixion as if painted before their eyes, making their defection inexcusable. The phrase emphasizes how clearly they understood that Christ's death, not law-keeping, secured their salvation.