For 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 which hath an husband.
For {G1063} it is written {G1125}, Rejoice {G2165}, thou barren {G4723} that bearest {G5088} not {G3756}; break forth {G4486} and {G2532} cry {G994}, thou that travailest {G5605} not {G3756}: for {G3754} the desolate {G2048} hath many more {G4183} children {G5043} than {G3123}{G2228} she which hath {G2192} an husband {G435}.
for the Tanakh says,
“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!”
For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth and cry aloud, you who have never travailed; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.”
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.
-
Isaiah 54:1
¶ Sing, O barren, thou [that] didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou [that] didst not travail with child: for more [are] the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD. -
Isaiah 54:5
For thy Maker [is] thine husband; the LORD of hosts [is] his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. -
Psalms 113:9
He maketh the barren woman to keep house, [and to be] a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD. -
Ruth 4:14
And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed [be] the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. -
Ruth 4:16
And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it. -
1 Samuel 2:5
[They that were] full have hired out themselves for bread; and [they that were] hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble. -
Ruth 1:11
And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? [are] there yet [any more] sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?
Galatians 4:27 is a powerful verse where the Apostle Paul quotes from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah to underscore a profound spiritual truth about God's covenant with humanity. This verse is central to Paul's allegorical argument contrasting the Old Covenant of Law with the New Covenant of Grace.
Context
In Galatians 4:21-31, Paul uses the historical figures of Sarah and Hagar, Abraham's wives, as an allegory to explain the difference between the covenant given at Mount Sinai (the Law) and the covenant of promise (Grace). Hagar, the bondwoman, represents the earthly Jerusalem and those who live under the Law, leading to spiritual bondage. Sarah, the free woman, represents the "Jerusalem above" and the children of promise born through faith in Christ, leading to freedom.
Verse 27, a direct quotation from Isaiah 54:1, is applied by Paul to Sarah, who was barren for a long time before miraculously bearing Isaac. Spiritually, it refers to the New Covenant community—the church—which, initially seemed "barren" or insignificant compared to the established Jewish system and its multitude of adherents under the Law. Yet, through God's grace and the spread of the Gospel, this "barren" spiritual mother (the "Jerusalem above," the church) would ultimately produce far more spiritual children through faith in Christ than the Old Covenant ever could through adherence to the Law. The "she which hath an husband" refers to Hagar, representing the established, seemingly fruitful system of the Law.
Key Themes
Linguistic Insights
The phrase "For it is written" indicates a direct citation from Scripture, specifically Isaiah 54:1. In its original context, Isaiah 54:1 speaks to Jerusalem (or Israel) as a desolate, barren woman who will be restored and experience immense growth and fruitfulness after a period of exile and apparent abandonment. Paul masterfully reinterprets this prophetic image, applying it allegorically to the spiritual reality of the New Covenant and the church, which, though not tied to the physical descendants of Abraham through the Law, would produce countless spiritual children through faith in Christ.
Related Scriptures
Practical Application
Galatians 4:27 offers immense encouragement to believers. It reminds us that God's power is not limited by our perceived barrenness or weaknesses. Just as Sarah, and later the early church, experienced supernatural fruitfulness, so too can individuals and ministries that feel "desolate" or unfruitful. This verse calls us to:
Ultimately, this verse is a testament to the surprising, expansive, and joyous nature of God's grace, which transforms the barren into the bountiful and fills the desolate with an overflowing spiritual family.