Many linguists and non-linguists sometimes insist that one should not use the parts of a compound word in determining meaning. That is a good starting point and often explains a lot about the word. Those linguists and non-linguists must not like or not have had (a good) experience with people who make puns and word play on meanings. Paul often does this and that literal meaning of the constituent parts as a double meaning is often important.

The Greek word translated as "answereth" is the following.

• The ancient Greek word "σύστοιχος" ≈ "in the same column or series".
• The ancient Greek word "συστοιχία" ≈ "listing, series".

This word is made of the following parts.

• The ancient Greek prefix "συσ" ≈ "together, with" and appears in many words and can appear as "συν" ≈ "together".
• The ancient Greek word "στοιχεῖον" ≈ "one of a row or series or sequence".

Let us look at the latter word before looking at the combined word.

The ancient Greek prefix "συσ" ≈ "together, with" and appears in many words and can appear as "συν" ≈ "together". The introduction to Galatians, in verse 1:2, uses this word. The Galatians need to be "together" and be together in the right way.

Paul will show many places where they are not "with" him or "together" with him.

The ancient Greek word "στοιχεῖον" ≈ "one of a row or series or sequence". If the context is clear, it could be a part of a whole rather than one of a row, series, sequence, etc.

The modern Greek word "στοιχείο" (stee-KHEE-o) ≈ "unit, element, cell" and is used in chemistry, sciences, and other fields.

The ancient Greek word "στοιχεῖον" ≈ "one of a row or series or sequence" as in a row of soldiers. In many cases in ancient Greek and in the GNT (Greek New Testament), that row or series or sequence is simplified to the two extremes. In some cases, the parts in the middle could exist in various ways or stages, but only the extremes are mentioned. In such cases, the difference between the set and the sequence tend to merge.

How well does the ancient Greek word fit in the following verses that use the word for "one of a row or series or sequence" in the GNT? Here is the form of the question.

Which meaning fits better?

• a sequence of (at least two) (ordered) items
• a set of (unordered) items (without repetition)
• two extremes (with perhaps unstated middle items)

The ancient Greek word "στοιχεῖον" ≈ "one of a row or series or sequence". When used as a verb in the GNT, it is often translated as "walk".
The idea might be expressed in modern English idioms as the following.

• "toe the line" or "tow the line"
• "keep in line" or "stay in line"

Consider the following verses. How well does the original meaning of the Greek word fit rather than "walk"? Note that a "walk" is a "step by step" sequence of events along a path.

The meaning of the Greek word, however, tends to emphasize the end points as extremes.

This can sometimes result in the inference of an English meaning not implied by the Greek.

Which meaning fits better for the translated word "walkest"?

• a sequence of (at least two) (ordered) items
• a set of (unordered) items (without repetition)
• two extremes (with perhaps unstated middle items)

The Greek for "steps" is that of a "trail" of "footprints".
Which meaning fits better for the translated word "walk"?

• a sequence of (at least two) (ordered) items
• a set of (unordered) items (without repetition)
• two extremes (with perhaps unstated middle items)

The "first principles of the oracles of God" appears to be "(ordered) elements (in sequence) of the fundamentals of the word/logic/reasoning of God".

The point is that there appears to be a "sequence" in which things are to be "learned". Here two levels in the sequence are explicitly mentioned.

• milk - the Greek word is the source of "galactic" and "galaxy" is in the "Milky Way galaxy".
• solid food

The Middle English word "meat" ≈ "food". Something that was "solid" was "strong".

• The Latin word "elementum" ≈ "element, principle, rudiment".
• The Latin word "exordium" ≈ "beginning, introduction".
• The Latin word "sermo" ≈ "discussion, speech"and is the source of the English word "sermon".
• The Latin word "solido" ≈ "solid" and is the source of the English word "solid".
• The Latin word "cibo" ≈ "fodder, food".

Many of the English translations (or mistranslations of the Greek) come from the Latin.

Which meaning fits better for the translated word "walk"?

• a sequence of (at least two) (ordered) items
• a set of (unordered) items (without repetition)
• two extremes (with perhaps unstated middle items)

The ancient Greek word "στοιχεῖον" ≈ "one of a row or series or sequence". When used as a noun in the GNT, it is translated in various ways.

Paul uses the word in Galatians as both a verb (above) and noun (below).

Consider the following verses of Paul. How well does the original meaning of the Greek word fit rather than "walk" or the words used?

Paul sets up the next verse using the Greek word for "sequence" or "series" with Galatians 4:1-2. The ancient Greek word "νήπιος" ≈ "childish, infantile".

The ancient Greek word "διαφέρω" ≈ "carry across, differ" is the same in the modern Greek word "διαφέρω" (thee-a-FEH-ro) ≈ "differ, vary" and is the same word used by Jesus to say we are "different" than the birds, not "better" than the birds as translated in the KJV.

More: Matthew 6: The missing part worked out for the birds

The Greek for "child" is the same as used two verses earlier. Does the "world" have a sequence of events in becoming part of the "world"?

Which meaning fits better for the translated word "elements"?

• a sequence of (at least two) (ordered) items
• a set of (unordered) items (without repetition)
• two extremes (with perhaps unstated middle items)

The Latin word "parvulus" ≈ "little, tiny, young" .

The Greek translated as "weak" is that of "not healthy". Jesus uses this word for those who need the "Good News" to be "healed".

The Greek translated as "beggarly" is that of "poor" or "fallen". Jesus uses this word for those who need the "Good News" to not be "fallen".

Which meaning fits better for the translated word "elements"?

• a sequence of (at least two) (ordered) items
• a set of (unordered) items (without repetition)
• two extremes (with perhaps unstated middle items)

Which meaning fits better?

• a sequence of (at least two) (ordered) items
• a set of (unordered) items (without repetition)
• two extremes (with perhaps unstated middle items)

The Latin word "abmulo" ≈ "traverse, walk" and is the source of the English word "ambulate" and "ambulance" which was originally a "walking" or "shifting" hospital. Today it refers to the vehicle that takes someone to the hospital rather than being the hospital that goes to the patient.

Which meaning fits better for the translated word "walk"?

• a sequence of (at least two) (ordered) items
• a set of (unordered) items (without repetition)
• two extremes (with perhaps unstated middle items)

The Greek word used here for "rule" is related to the English word "canon", "cannon" and "canyon".

More: Canons, cannons and canyons

The Greek word translated as "answereth" is the following.

• The ancient Greek word "σύστοιχος" ≈ "in the same column or series".
• The ancient Greek word "συστοιχία" ≈ "listing, series".

This word is made of the following parts.

• The ancient Greek suffix "συσ" ≈ "together, with" and appears in many words.
• The ancient Greek word "στοιχεῖον" ≈ "one of a row or series or sequence".

Let us look at the context in Galatians 4 for this verse. We need to go back four verses.

The Greek word for "under law" (the "the" is not in the Greek) has a secondary meaning of "sewer pipes" or "underground pipes" differing only in the space - which is not in the original Greek texts.
The Greek word translated as "hear" assumes that the sound made is both heard and understood. Paul will now give an "allegory" so that to help with the "understanding".

More: Romans: Under the law as in sewer pipes

More: Think after what you heard and repent

Paul now starts a side-by-side comparison, soon called an "allegory".

The modern usage of "allegory" is from English in 1382. The modern Greek word "αλληγορία" (al-lee-go-REE-a) ≈ "allegory". It is not clear how often this word was used in ancient Greek.

The Cambridge Greek Lexicon (2021) has the ancient Greek word "αλληγορέω" ≈ "be expressed allegorically" but list it as NT (New Testament) meaning that it is specific to the GNT. A literal and more realistic definition is that it refers to something "other than what is explicitly said". Paul does this a lot. The question then becomes the following. Given what Paul says, what does he not say that is important?

Thus, this word appears to be a made-up word or a play on words with the idea of "other" in Greek which appears a number of times in Galatians.

Details are left as a future topic.

If Paul is making a play on words to create the word for "allegory", the second part of the word appears twice in the Acts of the GNT (in the tense, etc., used in Galatians) and not in the LXX (Septuagint). The word, in parts, is "under" or "against" and "say" or "speak".

In the same manner, the word used as "allegory" by Paul is "other" and then "say" or "speak". This is what he says about the Galatians early in the letter.

In the same manner, the word used as "allegory" by Paul is "other" and then "say" or "speak". This is what he says about the Galatians early in the letter.

The ancient Greek word "αλλο" ≈ "other another" and is another of a similar kind and not a different kind (in some respect). In verse 48, the "other" is inferred from the Greek for "against" or "beyond".

More: Going beyond the prefix para

There was a known problem in the church with angel worship.

Details are left as a future topic.

The Greek word translated as "answereth" is the following.

• The ancient Greek word "σύστοιχος" ≈ "in the same column or series".
• The ancient Greek word "συστοιχία" ≈ "listing, series".

This word is used often by, say, Aristotle.

The Greek "elements" form the "rows" where the extreme pairs are shown. The combined "table" does have two "columns" but it really one "column" of combined "rows" or Greek "elements". To avoid confusion with the Greek "element" that is a row structure, the word "cell" or "item" can be used for what is sometimes called an "element" in English.

The ancient Greek word "στοιχεῖον" ≈ "one of a row or series or sequence" and each forms one row in the table called an "element".

The ancient Greek word "συστοιχία" ≈ "listing, series" and is, literally, "together elements" and is formed by all the rows of which each row is an "elements".

Many of the translations were made before the advent of computer science and programming languages (theory and practice). Here is a table of correspondences between various naming conventions.

As is often the case, Strongs starts on the right track with a definition, then moves the desired definition even though the ancient Greek definition fits what has been said.

More: Idioms and meaning

The use of "figurative" in moving to the desired definition can be called the "idiom excuse" which is similar to what might be called the "idiot excuse". That is, since the ancient Greek meaning fits the text, why not use that meaning rather than making up a completely different meaning.

More: Idioms and meaning

A secondary meaning, from the literal meanings of each part of the word, is that of "together in sequence".

From the context in Galatians where the word for "in sequence" is used many times, it appears that the Galatians should get "together" and be "in sequence" of the (two step) transition (or walk) from "bondage" to "freedom".

The table clarifies the two parts of the sequence in which they should be together.

Note that when play on words or puns are used, it is often necessary to "play" with the grammar and/or words on each side of the (double) meaning. This can confuse those who are looking for the one and only one meaning of what is said.

This word is used once in the GNT and not in the LXX.

Such a rare usage, especially by Paul, indicates that there may be some deeper meaning and that deeper meaning may involve a pun or play on words. Such puns often use the constituent parts of a compound word in some other sense.

The Latin word "coniunctus" ≈ "united, connected" and, in a figurative sense, could mean connected as if "by marriage", "friendship", etc. The Latin does not help much here.

However, the "sequence" and completion of the "table" by "connecting" the parts is a plausible connection between the original Greek and the Latin.

Paul creates such verbs as necessary to say what he wants to say. This is done all the time in real spoken languages.