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Galatians 4

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The Transition from Servitude to Sonship 1–7

1
But I say that so long as the heir is a child, he differeth nothing from a bondservant though he is lord of all; ​
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but is under guardians and stewards until the day appointed of the father.
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So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the rudiments of the world: ​
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but when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, ​
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that he might redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. ​
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And because ye are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. ​
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So that thou art no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

Paul's Concern Over Returning to Bondage 8–11

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Howbeit at that time, not knowing God, ye were in bondage to them that by nature are no gods: ​
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but now that ye have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how turn ye back again to the weak and beggarly rudiments, whereunto ye desire to be in bondage over again? ​
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Ye observe days, and months, and seasons, and years. ​
11
I am afraid of you, lest by any means I have bestowed labor upon you in vain.

Paul's Personal Appeal and Affection 12–20

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I beseech you, brethren, become as I am, for I also am become as ye are. Ye did me no wrong: ​
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but ye know that because of an infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you the first time: ​
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and that which was a temptation to you in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but ye received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. ​
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Where then is that gratulation of yourselves? for I bear you witness, that, if possible, ye would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me.
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So then am I become your enemy, by telling you the truth?
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They zealously seek you in no good way; nay, they desire to shut you out, that ye may seek them. ​
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But it is good to be zealously sought in a good matter at all times, and not only when I am present with you.
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My little children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you— ​
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but I could wish to be present with you now, and to change my tone; for I am perplexed about you.

The Allegory of Hagar and Sarah 21–31

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Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? ​
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For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, one by the handmaid, and one by the freewoman.
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Howbeit the son by the handmaid is born after the flesh; but the son by the freewoman is born through promise.
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Which things contain an allegory: for these women are two covenants; one from mount Sinai, bearing children unto bondage, which is Hagar. ​
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Now this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia and answereth to the Jerusalem that now is: for she is in bondage with her children. ​
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But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is our mother. ​
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For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; Break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: For more are the children of the desolate than of her that hath the husband.
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Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. ​
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But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted himthat was bornafter the Spirit, so also it is now. ​
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Howbeit what saith the scripture? Cast out the handmaid and her son: for the son of the handmaid shall not inherit with the son of the freewoman. ​
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Wherefore, brethren, we are not children of a handmaid, but of the freewoman. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Galatians 4

Verse 1

the heir, as long as he is a child — Nepios, 'child', is a minor not yet of age: v.2 puts him 'under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father'. The heir of 3:29, though 'lord of all' by right, 'differeth nothing from a servant' in those years, which is how Paul pictures the time under the law (3:23–25).

Verse 3

elements of the world — Stoicheion is a first principle or rudiment, as of learning (Heb 5:12, 'the first principles of the oracles of God'); here the 'we' were 'children' under them. The same word returns in v.9 as 'the weak and beggarly elements', and in Col 2:8, 20, 'the rudiments of the world'.

Verse 4

the fulness of the time — The time fixed by the Father in v.2 has arrived; 'The time is fulfilled' (Mark 1:15). 'Made of a woman, made under the law' uses one verb twice, and the first phrase answers the promise of 'her seed' (Gen 3:15). Exapostello, 'sent forth', opens v.6 as well: first the Son, then the Spirit of his Son.

Verse 5

the adoption of sons — Huiothesia, 'placing as a son', is found five times, all in Paul (Rom 8:15, 23; 9:4; Eph 1:5; here). The Son was 'made under the law' (v.4) 'to redeem' (exagorazo, as in 3:13) those under it; the purpose is that they receive sonship, which v.7 states as 'no more a servant, but a son'.

Verse 6

Abba, Father — Abba is Aramaic for 'father', the word Christ prayed in Gethsemane (Mark 14:36); it occurs only three times in the New Testament, each time with 'Father' (also Rom 8:15). Here the Spirit is the one 'crying' in the heart, where in Rom 8:15 it is 'we cry'. He is 'sent forth' as the Son was (v.4).

Verse 8

by nature are no gods — Physis, 'nature': what they served were not gods in their own nature. 'Did service' is douleuo, to serve as a slave, the verb of 'in bondage' in v.9. Paul describes the same turning in 1 Thess 1:9: 'ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God'.

Verse 9

known of God — Paul corrects himself, 'or rather are known of God': the initiative was God's, as in 1 Cor 8:3, 'if any man love God, the same is known of him'. The 'weak and beggarly elements' repeat v.3's stoicheion; 'weak' (asthenes) shares its root with the verb of Rom 8:3, 'what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh'.

Verse 10

days, and months, and times, and years — Parateroumai, 'to observe closely', is the verb of those who 'watched' Jesus (Mark 3:2). The list matches the law's calendar of sabbaths, feasts and the seventh year (Lev 23; 25:4), which Col 2:16–17 calls 'a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ'.

Verse 12

be as I am — Paul had counted his own standing under the law as loss for Christ (Phil 3:7). He asks them to stand where he stands, free of it, for he is 'as ye are': among those 'without law' he lived 'as without law' (1 Cor 9:21). 'Ye have not injured me' (adikeo, to wrong) leads into their welcome of him in vv.13–15.

Verse 13

infirmity of the flesh — Astheneia, 'weakness' or 'sickness', is the word of 1 Cor 2:3, 'I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling', and of 2 Cor 12:9, 'my strength is made perfect in weakness'. The ailment is not named here; v.14 calls it 'my temptation which was in my flesh'.

Verse 14

my temptation which was in my flesh — Peirasmos is a trial or testing, here lying 'in my flesh'. 'Rejected' is ekptyo, literally 'to spit out', found only here. They received him 'as an angel of God' (angelos, messenger) and 'even as Christ Jesus', as Christ said, 'he that receiveth you receiveth me' (Matt 10:40).

Verse 17

zealously affect you — Zeloo, to be zealous for or to court, is repeated in 'that ye might affect them': the false teachers seek the Galatians' devotion for themselves, 'but not well'. 'Exclude' is ekkleio, to shut out, found only here and Rom 3:27, 'Where is boasting then? It is excluded.'

Verse 19

until Christ be formed in you — Morphoo, 'to form', occurs only here; it shares its root with morphe, 'form', and Rom 8:29 gives the same aim, 'conformed to the image of his Son'. 'Travail in birth' (odino) returns in v.27 of the one 'that travailest not'. 'Little children' (teknion) is used by Paul only here.

Verse 21

do ye not hear the law? — Those who 'desire to be under the law' are sent to its own pages: the history of Abraham's two sons (Gen 16; 21), which Paul takes up in vv.22–30, quoting Genesis in v.30 and Isa 54:1 in v.27. The law is to be heard as Scripture before anyone chooses to be 'under' it.

Verse 24

an allegory — Allegoreo, 'to say one thing and mean another', occurs only here. The history is what 'is written' (v.22), and Hagar and Sarah are made figures of 'the two covenants', one 'from the mount Sinai'. 'Agar' is Hagar, who 'bare Abram a son' (Gen 16:15); she is named only here and in v.25 in the New Testament.

Verse 25

Agar is mount Sinai — Systoicheo, 'answereth to', is 'to stand in the same line with', found only here. 'Jerusalem which now is' stands in line with Hagar, 'in bondage with her children'. 'In bondage' is douleuo, the verb of vv.8–9, and 'children' (teknon) is the word of v.28, 'children of promise'.

Verse 26

Jerusalem which is above — It is set against 'Jerusalem which now is' (v.25). Heb 12:22 names it: 'the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem'. Its freedom answers the bondage of v.25, and v.27 supplies its children from Isa 54:1, 'break forth into singing… for more are the children of the desolate'.

Verse 28

children of promise — Isaac was born 'by promise' (v.23), on the word 'Sarah thy wife shall have a son' (Gen 18:10). Rom 9:7–9 argues the same: 'In Isaac shall thy seed be called… the children of the promise are counted for the seed'. 'Brethren' joins the Galatians to Isaac's line by promise, not by birth after the flesh.

Verse 29

persecuted him that was born after the Spirit — Genesis names only Ishmael's 'mocking' (Gen 21:9); Paul calls it dioko, 'persecuted', the word he uses for his own former work (1:13, 23). 'Even so it is now' points to those who press circumcision to avoid 'persecution for the cross of Christ' (6:12; cf. 5:11).

Verse 30

Cast out the bondwoman and her son — Quoted from Gen 21:10, Sarah's words, which God endorsed: 'in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice' (Gen 21:12). That is why Paul says 'the scripture' speaks. 'Heir' is kleronomeo, to inherit, tied to the 'heir' of 3:29 and 4:1, 7.

Verse 31

not children of the bondwoman, but of the free — The conclusion turns on 'free' (eleutheros), used of Sarah in v.30 and of the Jerusalem above in v.26. It leads into 5:1, 'Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free', and John 8:36, 'If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.'