Galatians 5:20 (YLT)

Passage

idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, strifes, emulations, wraths, rivalries, dissensions, sects,

Nearby Context

Galatians 5:18 and if by the Spirit ye are led, ye are not under law.

Galatians 5:19 And manifest also are the works of the flesh, which are: Adultery, whoredom, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

Galatians 5:20 idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, strifes, emulations, wraths, rivalries, dissensions, sects,

Galatians 5:21 envyings, murders, drunkennesses, revellings, and such like, of which I tell you before, as I also said before, that those doing such things the reign of God shall not inherit.

Galatians 5:22 And the fruit of the Spirit is: Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "idolatry", "witchcraft", "hatred", "strifes", "emulations", "wraths", "rivalries", and "dissensions". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "idolatry" and "witchcraft", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "And manifest also are the works of..." into verse 21's "envyings murders drunkennesses revellings and such like...", so "idolatry" and "witchcraft" belong inside that flow. In Galatians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "idolatry" and "witchcraft" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.