Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

GALATIANS 6:7KJV
Know the Bible

Galatians 6:7 (KJV)

What does Galatians 6:7 mean?

Galatians 6:7 warns that people should not fool themselves: God cannot be tricked or treated lightly, and whatever a person does—good or bad—will have consequences, just like planting seeds leads to a harvest of the same kind. The verse teaches that actions have results that match their nature.

Paul, the writer, is addressing the Christians in Galatia, reminding them that their choices matter and that God sees everything. This comes as part of his larger message about living by the Spirit and not giving in to selfish desires. The farming picture—sowing and reaping—would have been familiar and clear to his audience, making the point that no one can escape the outcomes of their behavior.

The Greek behind Galatians 6:7

  • πλανᾶσθε (planasthe, "be deceived"): This word means to wander or go astray, often used for being led off the right path. Here, it warns readers not to let themselves be misled about how God works.
  • μυκτηρίζεται (muktērizetai, "mocked"): This word carries the sense of turning up one’s nose or sneering at someone. Paul is saying God cannot be treated with contempt or ignored without consequence.
  • σπείρει (speirei, "soweth") and θερίσει (therisei, "reap"): These farming terms make the principle vivid—what you plant is what you harvest, emphasizing that actions naturally lead to fitting results.

Why Galatians 6:7 matters

  • Galatians 6:7 corrects any idea that people can act however they want and avoid consequences, making clear that God’s justice is certain and cannot be outsmarted.
  • The verse ties personal responsibility to a larger spiritual reality, connecting everyday choices to God’s oversight and the natural order He set.
  • This warning fits into Paul’s broader teaching in Galatians about living by the Spirit, showing that faith is not just belief but is seen in the way a person lives and the results that follow.

Where else these words appear

“he” Greek G2325 · used in 17 verses

  • Matthew 6:26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
  • Luke 19:22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:
  • 2 Corinthians 9:6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

“Be” Greek G4105 · used in 37 verses

  • Matthew 18:12 How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?
  • John 7:12 And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people.
  • 2 Peter 2:15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

“soweth” Greek G4687 · used in 42 verses

  • Matthew 6:26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
  • Matthew 13:39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
  • Luke 19:21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.