Galatians 4:27

Galatians 4:27 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)For it is written: “Be glad, barren woman, you who never bore a child; shout for joy and cry aloud, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)For it is written, "Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and cry aloud, 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."
• New King James Version (NKJV)For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren, You who do not bear! Break forth and shout, You who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children Than she who has a husband.”

Context of Galatians 4:27

25Hagar is like a picture of Sinai mountain in Arabia. Also, she is like the city of Jerusalem here on earth now, because that city and its people are slaves under the authority of God's Law. 26But Abraham's wife, Sarah, is a picture of the new Jerusalem that is above. Sarah was a free person, not a slave, and she is like our mother. It says in the Bible: ‘Be happy, you woman who could not have any children! You have never known the pain of a child's birth. But now shout loudly because you are so happy! Yes, be happy, because the lonely woman now has more children than the woman who has a husband.’ 28You, my Christian friends, are like Sarah's son, Isaac. Like him, you became God's children as a result of God's promise. 29Isaac was born because of God's Spirit. The son who was born in the human way gave much trouble to Isaac at that time. You who are believers receive the same kind of trouble now.

Galatians 4:27 word by word

γέγραπται γάρ· εὐφράνθητι στεῖρα ἡ οὐ τίκτουσα, ῥῆξον καὶ βόησον ἡ οὐκ ὠδίνουσα, ὅτι πολλὰ τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἐρήμου μᾶλλον ἢ τῆς ἐχούσης τὸν ἄνδρα.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• it is writtenγράφωgraphō · to writeG1125
• Rejoiceεὐφραίνωeuphrainō · to celebrateG2165
• barrenστεῖραsteiros · barrenG4723
• thatὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• bearestτίκτωtiktō · to give birth toG5088
• notοὐou · noG3756
• break forthῥήγνυμιrhēgnumi rhēssō · to throw violentlyG4486
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• cryβοάωboaō · to cry outG994
• travailestὠδίνωōdinō · be in laborG5605
• forὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
• the desolate hathἔρημοςerēmos · desertedG2048
• manyπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
• moreμᾶλλονmallon · moreG3123
• childrenτέκνονteknon · childG5043
• thanἤē · orG2228
• hathἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• an husbandἀνήρanēr · man: husbandG435

Cross-references for Galatians 4:27

• Isaiah 54:1‘Sing with joy, you woman who could not give birth to any children. You have never known the pain of a child's birth, but now shout loudly with joy. Be happy, because the woman who is alone will have many children. She will have more children than the woman who has a husband.’ That is what the Lord says.
• 1 Samuel 2:5People who had plenty of food to eat have to work for it now. But the people who were hungry have enough food now. Women who could not have any children have now given birth to seven children. But those who had many children are now alone.
• Psalms 113:9He makes the wife who cannot give birth into a happy mother of children. Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
• Ruth 1:11But Naomi said, ‘My daughters, you should return to your own country. You should not choose to come back to Judah with me. I will not give birth to any more sons for you to marry them.
• Ruth 4:14The women of Bethlehem said to Naomi, ‘We praise the Lord! Today, he has given to you a relative to take care of you! We pray that the child will become famous everywhere in Israel!
• 2 Samuel 13:20When her brother Absalom saw her, he said, ‘Has your brother Amnon done this to you? Now be quiet. Remember that he is your brother. So do not be too upset.’ After that, Tamar lived in her brother Absalom's house. She was sad and lonely.
• Isaiah 49:21Then you will think, “Who gave me all these children? Who is their father? I was alone, with no husband. They killed my children or they took them away to a foreign land. I could no longer give birth. So where did all these children come from?” ’
• 1 Timothy 5:5Some widows are really alone and they have nobody to take care of them. A widow like that trusts God that he will help her. As a result, she prays a lot, at night and during the day, and she asks God to help her.

Commentaries on Galatians 4:27

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 27Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not - This quotation is taken from Isaiah 54:1, and is certainly a promise which relates to the conversion of the Gentiles, as the following clause proves; for the desolate - the Gentile world, hath many more children - is a much larger and more numerous Church, than she - Jerusalem, the Jewish state, which hath a husband - has been so long in covenant with God, living under his continual protection, and in possession of…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 27For it is written - This passage is found in Isaiah 54:1. For an exposition of its meaning as it occurs there, see my notes at Isaiah. The object of the apostle in introducing it here seems to be to prove that the Gentiles as well as the Jews would partake of the privileges connected with the heavenly Jerusalem. He had in the previous verse spoken of the Jerusalem from above as the common mother of all, true Christians, whether by birth Jews or Gentiles…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 21-27Verses 21-27 The difference between believers who rested in Christ only, and those who trusted in the law, is explained by the histories of Isaac and Ishmael. These things are an allegory, wherein, beside the literal and historical sense of the words, the Spirit of God points out something further. Hagar and Sarah were apt emblems of the two different dispensations of the covenant. The heavenly Jerusalem, the true church from above, represented by Sarah…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 27The quoted passage, Isaiah 54:1, promised Israel they would thrive after the exile to Babylon. Those who have faith in Jesus Christ are Sarah’s children (Galatians 4:26). This fulfills the promise that Sarah, who was childless, would have more children than Hagar, the slave woman. To the Judaizers (those who insisted on following Jewish law), people not following the law might seem desolate (spiritually barren or unfruitful), but through faith, they…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2727. (Is 54:1). thou barren--Jerusalem above: the spiritual Church of the Gospel, the fruit of "the promise," answering to Sarah, who bore not "after the flesh": as contrasted with the law, answering to Hagar, who was fruitful in the ordinary course of nature. Isaiah speaks primarily of Israel's restoration after her long-continued calamities; but his language is framed by the Holy Spirit so as to reach beyond this to the spiritual Zion: including not only…Read the comment

Topics related to Galatians 4:27

• Abraham
• Justification
• Parables
• Quotations and Allusions

In the dictionaries

• Doubt
• Flesh
• Observe
• Sarah
• Zealously
• Abraham
• Allegory
• Barren; Barrenness
• Break
• Cry, Crying

Commentaries on Galatians 4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings