The Greek noun Galatēs (G1052) means a Galatian — a person from the region of Galatia in central Asia Minor. It appears in Galatians 3:1 where Paul addresses his readers directly as "O foolish Galatians!" — an impassioned apostolic rebuke.
Paul's rhetorical question to the Galatians — "Who has bewitched you?" — captures the urgency of Galatians 3. The Galatian believers had been mesmerized by a false gospel that added works to faith. Paul's response is a masterful exposition of Abraham's justification by faith (Genesis 15:6), proving that the gospel of grace was never new — it was always God's way of salvation. The Galatians' struggle is every generation's struggle.