Galatians 4:23

Galatians 4:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
• New International Version (NIV)His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise,

Context of Galatians 4:23

21Those who want to be controlled by Moses’ laws should tell me something. Are you really listening to what Moses’ Teachings say? 22Scripture says that Abraham had two sons, one by a woman who was a slave and the other by a free woman. Now, the son of the slave woman was conceived in a natural way, but the son of the free woman was conceived through a promise ⌞made to Abraham⌟. 24I’m going to use these historical events as an illustration. The women illustrate two arrangements. The one woman, Hagar, is the arrangement made on Mount Sinai. Her children are born into slavery. 25Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia. She is like Jerusalem today because she and her children are slaves.

Galatians 4:23 word by word

ἀλλ᾽ ὁ μὲν ἐκ τῆς παιδίσκης κατὰ σάρκα γεγέννηται, ὁ δὲ ἐκ τῆς ἐλευθέρας δι᾽ ἐπαγγελίας.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butἀλλάalla · butG235
• heὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• ·μένmen · on the other handG3303
• ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• the bondwomanπαιδίσκηpaidiskē · maidservantG3814
• was bornγεννάωgennaō · to begetG1080
• afterκατάkata · according toG2596
• the fleshσάρξsarx · fleshG4561
• butδέde · thenG1161
• the freewomanἐλεύθεροςeleutheros · free/freedomG1658
• byδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
• promiseἐπαγγελίαepaggelia · promiseG1860

Cross-references for Galatians 4:23

• Romans 9:7or a descendant of Abraham. However, ⌞as Scripture says,⌟ “Through Isaac your descendants will carry on your name.”
• Genesis 17:15God said to Abraham, “Don’t call your wife by the name Sarai anymore. Instead, her name is Sarah [Princess].
• Genesis 18:10The Lord said, “I promise I’ll come back to you next year at this time, and your wife Sarah will have a son.” Sarah happened to be listening at the entrance of the tent, which was behind him.
• Genesis 21:1The Lord came to help Sarah and did for her what he had promised.
• Romans 4:18When there was nothing left to hope for, Abraham still hoped and believed. As a result, he became a father of many nations, as he had been told: “That is how many descendants you will have.”
• Romans 10:8However, what else does it say? “This message is near you. It’s in your mouth and in your heart.” This is the message of faith that we spread.
• Hebrews 11:11Faith enabled Abraham to become a father, even though he was old and Sarah had never been able to have children. Abraham trusted that God would keep his promise.

Commentaries on Galatians 4:23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23Was born after the flesh - Ishmael was born according to the course of nature, his parents being both of a proper age, so that there was nothing uncommon or supernatural in his birth: this is the proper meaning of the apostle's , after or according to the flesh, and answers to the Hebrew phrase, בשר דרך על al derec basar, according to the manner of the flesh, i.e. naturally, according to the common process of nature. By promise - Both Abraham and Sarah…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh - In the ordinary course of nature, without any special promise, or any unusual divine interposition, as in the case of Isaac. But he of the free woman … - The birth of Isaac was in accordance with a special promise, and by a remarkable divine interposition; see Genesis 18:10; Genesis 21:1-2; Hebrews 11:11-12; compare the notes at Romans 4:19-21. The idea here of Paul is, that the son of the slave…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. 22-23Ishmael was the son of the slave woman, Hagar. She was Sarah's servant (see Genesis 16:15). Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham, trying to get the heir God promised through human efforts (see Genesis 16:1–4). Isaac, Sarah's son, was born to the free woman (see Genesis 21:2–3). God did something miraculous to help Sarah have this baby. This fulfilled God's promise (see Genesis 17:15–21).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2323. after the flesh--born according to the usual course of nature: in contrast to Isaac, who was born "by virtue of the promise" (so the Greek), as the efficient cause of Sarah's becoming pregnant out of the course of nature (Ro 4:19). Abraham was to lay aside all confidence in the flesh (after which Ishmael was born), and to live by faith alone in the promise (according to which Isaac was miraculously born, contrary to all calculations of flesh and…Read the comment

Topics related to Galatians 4:23

• Abraham
• Justification
• Parables

In the dictionaries

• Doubt
• Flesh
• Observe
• Sarah
• Zealously
• Abraham
• Allegory
• Freewoman
• Galatians, Epistle to the
• Handmaid

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