Note 22 at Gal. 5:12: There is quite a bit of debate among scholars as to what Paul meant here. The J.B. Phillips translation states, "I wish those who are so eager to cut your bodies would cut themselves off from you altogether!" Other scholars believe that Paul is referring here to the act of castration. They think Paul is saying, "I would that those who want you circumcised were castrated themselves."

Regardless of which of these meanings is correct, it is clear that Paul is wishing that these Judaizers were removed from the Galatians so that they would no longer be a problem to them.