TRV
“Rejoice, you barren woman who does not bear children!
Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor!
For the deserted wife will have more children
than the one whose husband is with her!”
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Commentary on Galatians 4 verses 21–31
In these verses the apostle illustrates the difference between believers who rested in Christ only and those judaizers who trusted in the law, by a comparison taken from the story of Isaac and Ishmael. This he introduces in such a manner as was proper to strike and impress their minds, and to convince them of their great weakness in departing from the truth, and suffering themselves to be deprived of the liberty of the gospel: Tell me, says he, you that desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? He takes it for granted that they did hear the law, for among the Jews it was wont to be read in their public assemblies every sabbath day; and, since they were so very fond of being under it, he would have them duly to consider what is written therein (referring to what is recorded Gen. 16 and 21), for, if they would do this, they might soon see how little reason they had to trust in it. And here, 1. He sets before them the history itself (Gal 4:22, Gal 4:23): For it is written, Abraham had two sons, etc. Here he represents the different state and condition of these two sons of Abraham - that the one, Ishmael, was by a bond-maid, and the other, Isaac, by a free-woman; and that whereas the former was born after the flesh, or by the ordinary course of nature, the other was by promise, when in the course of nature there was no reason to expect that Sarah should have a son. 2. He acquaints them with the meaning and design of this history, or the use which he intended to make of it (Gal 4:24-27): These things, says he, are an allegory, wherein, besides the literal and historical sense of the words, the Spirit of God might design to signify something further to us, and that was, That these two, Agar and Sarah, are the two covenants, or were intended to typify and prefigure the two different dispensations of the covenant. The former, Agar, represented that which was given from mount Sinai, and which gendereth to bondage, which, though it was a dispensation of grace, yet, in comparison of the gospel state, was a dispensation of bondage, and became more so to the Jews, through their mistake of the design of it, and expecting to be justified by the works of it. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia (mount Sinai was then called Agar by the Arabians), and it answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children; that is, it justly represents the present state of the Jews, who, continuing in their infidelity and adhering to that covenant, are still in bondage with their children. But the other, Sarah, was intended to prefigure Jerusalem which is above, or the state of Christians under the new and better dispensation of the covenant, which is free both from the curse of the moral and the bondage of the ceremonial law, and is the mother of us all - a state into which all, both Jews and Gentiles, are admitted, upon their believing in Christ. And to this greater freedom and enlargement of the church under the gospel dispensation, which was typified by Sarah the mother of the promised seed, the apostle refers that of the prophet, Isa 54:1, where it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not; for the desolate hath many more children than she who hath a husband. 3. He applies the history thus explained to the present case (Gal 4:28); Now we, brethren, says he, as Isaac was, are the children of the promise. We Christians, who have accepted Christ, and rely upon him, and look for justification and salvation by him alone, as hereby we become the spiritual, though we are not the natural, seed of Abraham, so we are entitled to the promised inheritance and interested in the blessings of it. But lest these Christians should be stumbled at the opposition they might meet with from the Jews, who were so tenacious of their law as to be ready to persecute those who would not submit to it, he tells them that this was no more than what was pointed to in the type; for as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, they must expect it would be so now. But, for their comfort in this case, he desires them to consider what the scripture saith (Gen 21:10), Cast out the bond-woman and her son, for the son of the bond-woman shall not be heir with the son of the free-woman. Though the judaizers should persecute and hate them, yet the issue would be that Judaism would sink, and wither, and perish; but true Christianity should flourish and last for ever. And then, as a general inference from the whole of the sum of what he had said, he concludes (Gal 4:31), So then, brethren, we are not children of the bond-woman, but of the free.
The barren is the Church, which never at all in former times presented sons to God. "Cry out and call, thou that didst not travail: for the children of the desolate are more than of her which hath an husband." Now the first Synagogue had as husband the Law.
He is not undone, he says, but revolves as it were, and goes round himself. Moreover, also, cities in which we dwell, because we turn and go round in them, are denominated "Poleis." In this manner, he says, the Phrygians call this one "Aipolis," inasmuch as he everywhere ceaselessly turns all things, and changes them into their own peculiar (functions). And the Phrygians style him, he says, "very fruitful" likewise, "because," says he, "more numerous are the children of the desolate one, than those of her which hath an husband; " that is, things by being born again become immortal and abide for ever in great numbers, even though the things that are produced may be few; whereas things carnal, he says, are all corruptible, even though very many things (of this type) are produced. For this reason, he says, "Rachel wept for her children, and would not," says (the prophet), "be comforted; sorrowing for them, for she knew," says he, "that they are not." But Jeremiah likewise utters lamentation for Jerusalem below, not the city in Phoenicia, but the corruptible generation below. For Jeremiah likewise, he says, was aware of the Perfect Man, of him that is born again-of water and the Spirit not carnal. At least Jeremiah himself remarked: "He is a man, and who shall know him? " In this manner, (the Naassene) says, the knowledge of the Perfect Man is exceedingly profound, and difficult of comprehension. For, he says, the beginning of perfection is a knowledge of man, whereas knowledge of God is absolute perfection.
"Rejoice, you barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, you that travailest not; for she that is desolate has many more children than she that has an husband." In that He said, "Rejoice, you barren that bearest not," He referred to us, for our church was barren before that children were given to her. But when He said, "Cry out, you that travailest not," He means this, that we should sincerely offer up our prayers to God, and should not, like women in travail, show signs of weakness. And in that He said, "For she that is desolate has many more children than she that has an husband," [He means] that our people seemed to be outcast from God, but now, through believing, have become more numerous than those who are reckoned to possess God.
Who is this who before was "barren," and "desolate?" Clearly it is the Church of the Gentiles, that was before deprived of the knowledge of God? Who, "she which hath the husband?" plainly the Synagogue. Yet the barren woman surpassed her in the number of her children, for the other embraces one nation, but the children of the Church have filled the country of the Greeks and of the Barbarians, the earth and sea, the whole habitable world. Observe how Sarah by acts, and the Prophet by words, have described the events about to befal us. Observe too, that he whom Isaiah called barren, Paul hath proved to have many children, which also happened typically in the case of Sarah. For she too, although barren, became the mother of a numerous progeny. This however does not suffice Paul, but he carefully follows out the mode whereby the barren woman became a mother, that in this particular likewise the type might harmonize with the truth. Wherefore he adds
(Verse 27.) For it is written: rejoice, O you barren one, who does not bear; break forth and cry out, you who are not in labor; for the children of the desolate one will be more than those of the one who has a husband. (Isaiah 54:1.) The Synagogue had a husband, the Law; and according to the prophecy of Anna, she who was once barren in children was fertile. (1 Samuel 1.) But the Church, barren without Christ, without any conversation with the bridegroom, lay for a long time in the desert. But after she received the book of divorce into her hands, and turned all the ornaments of the husband into the idol's adornment: then the husband, with the previous belt decaying, wove another belt for his loins from the Gentiles: as soon as she was joined to the husband, she conceived and bore a child. And the Lord cries out through the prophet: 'If a nation is born at once' (Isaiah XLIX, 54): when in one day in the Acts of the Apostles three thousand, and five thousand men believed (Acts III, etc.) I do not think it necessary to speak about the multitude of Christians and the paucity of Jews, when the banners of the cross shine throughout the whole world, and a Jew appears scarce and remarkable in cities.
Sarah signifies the heavenly Jerusalem, having been deserted for a long time by her husband’s embraces because of her perceived sterility. For men such as Abraham did not use women to satisfy lust but for the procreation of offspring. Now to her sterility age had also been added.… The age of Isaac’s parents serves to signify that, new though the people of the New Covenant are, their predestination lies nonetheless with God and is that heavenly Jerusalem of old.
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SUMMARY
Galatians 4:27, a profound quotation from Isaiah 54:1, serves as the climactic declaration in Paul's allegorical argument contrasting the Old Covenant of Law with the New Covenant of Grace. Through the vivid imagery of a barren woman who miraculously bears more children than one with a husband, Paul celebrates the spiritual fecundity of the "Jerusalem above"—the community of believers born of promise through faith in Christ—which, though initially appearing insignificant, is destined to produce an abundant spiritual offspring far surpassing the progeny of the Law. This verse underscores the triumph of God's grace and the expansive, joyous nature of the new covenant.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Paul's use of Galatians 4:27 is a masterful display of several literary devices. The most prominent is Allegory, where the historical narrative of Sarah and Hagar is used to convey a deeper spiritual truth about the two covenants. Hagar and Sarah are not merely historical figures but represent abstract concepts: the Law and Grace, respectively. The verse itself is a direct Allusion (and quotation) to Isaiah 54:1, demonstrating Paul's profound understanding and reapplication of Old Testament prophecy to the New Covenant reality. This reapplication is a form of Typology, where the barrenness and subsequent fruitfulness of Jerusalem in Isaiah serve as a type for the spiritual barrenness (in terms of legalistic progeny) and miraculous fruitfulness (through grace) of the church. Furthermore, the imagery employs Personification, addressing the "barren" and "desolate" as if they were individuals capable of rejoicing and bearing children, making the abstract concept of the covenant community vivid and relatable. The inherent Paradox of the barren having more children than the fertile woman highlights the supernatural nature of God's work in the New Covenant, where human limitations are overcome by divine power.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Galatians 4:27 stands as a powerful theological statement on the nature of God's redemptive plan and the identity of His people. It emphatically declares that true spiritual fruitfulness is not a result of human effort, lineage, or adherence to a legalistic system, but flows solely from God's sovereign promise and grace. The "barren" woman, representing the New Covenant community (the church), embodies the truth that God often chooses the weak, the overlooked, and the seemingly unproductive to display His greatest power and bring forth abundant life. This verse celebrates the triumph of grace over law, highlighting that the spiritual family of God, born through faith in Christ, will far exceed any community formed by natural descent or legalistic observance. It speaks to the expansive, inclusive, and miraculous nature of God's kingdom, built upon the foundation of promise and fulfilled in Christ.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Galatians 4:27 offers profound encouragement and a vital reorientation for believers. It reminds us that our spiritual fruitfulness, whether individually or as a church, does not depend on our inherent capabilities, our past "barrenness," or our adherence to external rules, but entirely on God's miraculous power and His covenant of grace. This verse calls us to move beyond self-reliance and legalistic striving, embracing the joyous freedom found in being children of promise. When we feel unproductive, overlooked, or "desolate" in our spiritual walk or ministry, this passage assures us that God can bring forth abundant life from the most unlikely circumstances. It challenges us to rejoice in God's surprising ways, to trust in His ability to multiply His kingdom through seemingly humble means, and to live with the confident expectation that the Gospel, empowered by grace, will continue to yield an overflowing harvest of spiritual children.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why does Paul quote Isaiah 54:1 in Galatians 4:27?
Answer: Paul quotes Isaiah 54:1 to provide prophetic weight and Old Testament validation for his allegorical argument concerning the two covenants. In its original context, Isaiah 54:1 promises restoration and abundant fruitfulness to Jerusalem, which had been desolate and barren during the Babylonian exile. Paul masterfully reinterprets this prophecy, applying it allegorically to the "Jerusalem above"—the New Covenant community, the church. He uses it to demonstrate that God's true people, the children of promise born through faith in Christ, will experience a miraculous and expansive growth that far surpasses the progeny of the Old Covenant of Law, which was represented by the "she which hath an husband." This quotation serves as a powerful theological climax, affirming the triumph of grace.
Who is the "barren" woman in Galatians 4:27?
Answer: In Paul's allegory, the "barren" woman refers to Sarah, Abraham's wife, who was naturally unable to bear children but miraculously conceived Isaac through God's promise (Genesis 21:1-3). Spiritually, Paul applies this to the "Jerusalem above" (Galatians 4:26), which represents the New Covenant community—the church. This community, initially small and without the established lineage or legalistic framework of Judaism, is paradoxically destined to produce an immense number of spiritual children through faith in Christ, highlighting that its fruitfulness is entirely supernatural and by grace, not by natural means or human effort.
Who is "she which hath an husband" in this verse?
Answer: "She which hath an husband" refers to Hagar, Abraham's bondwoman, who bore Ishmael. In Paul's allegory, Hagar represents the earthly Jerusalem and the covenant of Law given at Mount Sinai (Galatians 4:24-25). This covenant, though seemingly "fruitful" in producing a multitude of physical descendants and adherents, ultimately leads to spiritual bondage. Paul contrasts this with the "barren" woman (Sarah/the church), emphasizing that the spiritual children born of promise through grace will far outnumber those born under the Law, signifying the expansive and liberating nature of the New Covenant.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Galatians 4:27 finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ, who is the very embodiment of God's promise and the source of all spiritual fruitfulness. The "barren" woman, representing the New Covenant community, becomes fruitful precisely because of Christ. He is the "seed" of Abraham through whom all nations are blessed (Galatians 3:16), and it is through His sacrificial death and resurrection that the way is opened for countless spiritual children—both Jew and Gentile—to be born into God's family by faith. The joy commanded in Galatians 4:27 is the joy of salvation found in Christ, who has redeemed us from the curse of the Law (Galatians 3:13) and made us heirs according to promise (Galatians 3:29). The vast multitude of children prophesied for the "desolate" is the church, Christ's body, gathered from every tribe and tongue, purchased by His blood, and unified in Him (Ephesians 2:14-16). Thus, the miraculous fecundity described in this verse is a direct result of Christ's finished work, establishing a new covenant where spiritual life and abundance flow freely by grace, not by human merit or legalistic adherence.