4:19

my little children: In this verse, Paul compares himself to a mother and the Christians in Galatia to his children. Regarding them, he says: for whom I am again experiencing birth pains. Paul is apparently referring to his deep interest in the Galatian believers and his fervent desire to see them develop fully as Christians. Although some ancient manuscripts use the Greek word for “child” (teʹknon) here, other authoritative manuscripts use the diminutive form (te·kniʹon) of this word. Therefore, the New World Translation uses the expression “little children.” In the Christian Greek Scriptures, a diminutive is often used to indicate affection and familiarity, so this Greek word could also be rendered “dear children” or “beloved children.”​—See Glossary, “Diminutive.”