But if it be a question of words and names, and of your law, look ye to it; for I will be no judge of such matters.

but if they are questions about words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves; I am not minded to be a judge of these matters.

But if they be questions of word and names, and of your law, look you to it: I will not be judge of such things.

but if it be questions about words, and names, and the law that ye have, see to it yourselves; for I do not intend to be judge of these things.

but if it is a question concerning words and names, and of your law, look ye yourselves to it, for a judge of these things I do not wish to be,'

But since these are questions about words and names and your Law, you yourselves must see to them. I refuse to be a judge in such matters."

But if it is a question of words or names or of your law, see to it yourselves; I will not be a judge of such things.

Yet if truly these are questions about a word and names and your law, you should see to it yourselves. I will not be the judge of such things."

but, since it is a dispute about words, and names, and your own Law, you must see to it yourselves. I do not choose to be a judge in such matters."

Of words and names. These words are not well packed together. Yet Gallio speaketh thus of the law of God by way of contempt, as if the Jewish religion did consist only in words and superfluous questions. And surely (as the nation was much given to contention) it is not to be doubted but that many did trouble themselves and others with superfluous trifles. Yea, we hear with what Paul hitteth them in the teeth [1] in many places, especially in the Epistle to Titus, (Titus 1:14, and Titus 3:9.) Yet Gallio is not worthy to be excused who doth mock the holy law of God together with their curiosity. For as it behooved him to cut off all occasion of vain contentions in words, so we must, on the other side, know that when the worship of God is in hand, the strife is not about words, but a matter of all other most serious is handled.

Footnotes

1 - "Quid illis exprobet Paulis," how Paul upbraideth them.

Of words - A dispute about words, for such he would regard all their controversies about religion to be.
And names - Probably he had heard something of the nature of the controversy, and understood it to be a dispute about names; that is, whether Jesus was to be called the Messiah or not. To him this would appear as a matter pertaining to the Jews alone, and to be ranked with their other disputes arising from the difference of sect and name.
Of your law - A question respecting the proper interpretation of the Law, or the rites and ceremonies which it commanded. The Jews had many such disputes, and Gallio did not regard them as coming under his cognizance as a magistrate.
Look ye to it - Judge this among yourselves; settle the difficulty as you can. Compare John 18:31.
For I will be no judge - I do not regard such questions as pertaining to my office, or deem myself called on to settle them.

But if it be a question of words - Περι λογου, Concerning doctrine and names - whether the person called Jesus be the person you call the Messiah. And of your law - any particular nicety, concerning that law which is peculiar to yourselves: Look ye to it - settle the business among yourselves; the Roman government does not meddle with such matters, and I will not take upon me to - decide in a case that does not concern my office. As if he had said: "The Roman laws give religious liberty to Jews and Greeks; but, if controversies arise among you on these subjects, decide them among yourselves, or dispute about them as much as you please." A better answer could not be given by man; and it was highly becoming the acknowledged meekness, gentleness, and benevolence of this amiable man. He concluded that the state had no right to control any man's religious opinion; that was between the object of his worship and his own conscience; and therefore he was not authorized to intermeddle with subjects of this nature, which the law left to every man's private judgment. Had all the rulers of the people in every country acted as this sensible and benevolent Roman, laws against liberty of conscience, concerning religious persecution, would not be found to be, as they not are, blots and disgraces on the statute books of almost all the civilized nations of Europe.

But if it be a question of (h) words and (i) names, and [of] your law, look ye [to it]; for I will be no judge of such [matters].
(h) As if a man has not spoken well, as judged by your religion.
(i) For this profane man thinks that the controversy of religion is merely a fight about words, and over nothing important.

But if it be a question of words,.... "Or of the word", what the Jews called the word of God, which Gallio did not pretend to understand: "and names"; as the names of God, of Jesus, and of Christ, whether he is God, and the Messiah:
and of your law; concerning circumcision, whether these Christians, and the proselytes they make, are obliged unto it:
look ye to it; suggesting that this was a matter that lay before them, and they were the proper judges of, and might determine for themselves, since they had the free exercise of their religion, and a right of judging of everything that respected that within themselves, and for which they were best furnished, as having a more competent knowledge of them; as the Arabic version renders it, "and ye are more learned in these things"; and most conversant with them:
for I will be no judge of such matters; and it would be well if every civil magistrate would act the same part, and not meddle with religious affairs, any further than to preserve the public peace.

if it be a question of words and names, and of your law . . . I will be no judge, &c.--in this only laying down the proper limits of his office.

But if it be - He speaks with the utmost coolness and contempt, a question of names - The names of the heathen gods were fables and shadows. But the question concerning the name of Jesus is of more importance than all things else under heaven. Yet there is this singularity (among a thousand others) in the Christian religion, that human reason, curious as it is in all other things, abhors to inquire into it.