Galatians 4
NASB2020
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New American Standard Bible 2020

Galatians 4:4-31

4But when 1the fullness of the time came, God sent His Son, 2born of a woman, born 3under 4the Law, 5so that He might redeem those who were under 5the Law, that we might receive the adoption as 6sons and daughters. 6Because you are sons, 7God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “8Abba! 9Father!” 7Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and 10if a son, then an heir 11through God.

8However at that time, 12when you did not know God, you were 13slaves to 14those which by nature are not gods. 9But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be 15known by God, 16how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless 1718elementary principles, to which you want to be enslaved all over again? 10You 19meticulously observe days and months and seasons and years. 11I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored 20over you in vain.

12I beg of you, 21brothers and sisters, 22become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong; 13but you know that it was because of a 23bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the 24first time; 14and you did not despise that which was a trial to you in my 25bodily condition, nor express contempt, but 26you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself. 15Where then is 27that sense of blessing you had? For I testify about you that, if possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. 16So have I become your enemy 28by 29telling you the truth? 17They eagerly seek you, not 30in a commendable way, but they want to shut you out so that you will seek them. 18But it is good always to be eagerly sought 31in a commendable way, and 32not only when I am present with you. 1933My children, with whom 34I am again in labor until 35Christ is formed in you-- 20but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone of voice, for 36I am at a loss about you!

21Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not 37listen to the Law? 22For it is written that Abraham had two sons, 38one by the slave woman and 39one by the free woman. 23But 40the son by the slave woman 41was born according to the flesh, and 42the son by the free woman through the promise. 244344This is speaking allegorically, for these women are two covenants: one coming from 45Mount Sinai giving birth to children 46who are to be 47slaves; 48she is Hagar. 25Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is enslaved with her children. 26But 49the Jerusalem above is free; 50she is our mother. 27For it is written: “51Rejoice, infertile one, you who do not give birth; Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor; For the children of the desolate one are more numerous Than those of the one who has a husband.” 28And you, brothers and sisters, 52like Isaac, are 53children of promise. 29But as at that time 54the son who was born according to the flesh 55persecuted the one who was born according to the Spirit, 56so it is even now. 30But what does the Scripture say? “57Drive out the slave woman and her son, For 58the son of the slave woman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman.” 31So then, brothers and sisters, we are not children of a slave woman, but of the free woman.

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Notes

  1. 1. Galatians 4:4 Mark 1:15 ↩
  2. 2. Galatians 4:4 John 1:14; Rom 1:3; 8:3; Phil 2:7 ↩
  3. 3. Galatians 4:4 Luke 2:21f, 27 ↩
  4. 4. Galatians 4:4 Or law ↩
  5. 5. Galatians 4:5 Or law ↩
  6. 6. Galatians 4:5 Rom 8:14; Gal 3:26 ↩
  7. 7. Galatians 4:6 Acts 16:7; Rom 5:5; 8:9, 16; 2 Cor 3:17 ↩
  8. 8. Galatians 4:6 Mark 14:36; Rom 8:15 ↩
  9. 9. Galatians 4:6 I.e., Paul’s translation of the Aramaic Abba ↩
  10. 10. Galatians 4:7 Rom 8:17 ↩
  11. 11. Galatians 4:7 I.e., through the gracious act of ↩
  12. 12. Galatians 4:8 1 Cor 1:21; Eph 2:12; 1 Thess 4:5; 2 Thess 1:8 ↩
  13. 13. Galatians 4:8 Gal 4:3 ↩
  14. 14. Galatians 4:8 2 Chr 13:9; Is 37:19; Jer 2:11; 1 Cor 8:4f; 10:20 ↩
  15. 15. Galatians 4:9 1 Cor 8:3 ↩
  16. 16. Galatians 4:9 Col 2:20 ↩
  17. 17. Galatians 4:9 Or rudimentary teachings ↩
  18. 18. Galatians 4:9 Gal 4:3 ↩
  19. 19. Galatians 4:10 Rom 14:5; Col 2:16 ↩
  20. 20. Galatians 4:11 Or for ↩
  21. 21. Galatians 4:12 Gal 6:18 ↩
  22. 22. Galatians 4:12 2 Cor 6:11, 13 ↩
  23. 23. Galatians 4:13 Lit weakness of the flesh ↩
  24. 24. Galatians 4:13 Or former ↩
  25. 25. Galatians 4:14 Lit flesh ↩
  26. 26. Galatians 4:14 Matt 10:40; 1 Thess 2:13 ↩
  27. 27. Galatians 4:15 I.e., considering yourselves fortunate ↩
  28. 28. Galatians 4:16 Amos 5:10 ↩
  29. 29. Galatians 4:16 Or dealing truthfully with you ↩
  30. 30. Galatians 4:17 Or with good intentions ↩
  31. 31. Galatians 4:18 Or with good intentions ↩
  32. 32. Galatians 4:18 Gal 4:13f ↩
  33. 33. Galatians 4:19 1 John 2:1 ↩
  34. 34. Galatians 4:19 1 Cor 4:15 ↩
  35. 35. Galatians 4:19 Eph 4:13 ↩
  36. 36. Galatians 4:20 2 Cor 4:8 ↩
  37. 37. Galatians 4:21 Luke 16:29 ↩
  38. 38. Galatians 4:22 Gen 16:15 ↩
  39. 39. Galatians 4:22 Gen 21:2 ↩
  40. 40. Galatians 4:23 Rom 9:7; Gal 4:29 ↩
  41. 41. Galatians 4:23 Lit has been born ↩
  42. 42. Galatians 4:23 Gen 17:16ff; 18:10ff; 21:1; Gal 4:28; Heb 11:11 ↩
  43. 43. Galatians 4:24 Lit Which ↩
  44. 44. Galatians 4:24 1 Cor 10:11 ↩
  45. 45. Galatians 4:24 Deut 33:2 ↩
  46. 46. Galatians 4:24 Lit into slavery ↩
  47. 47. Galatians 4:24 Gal 4:3 ↩
  48. 48. Galatians 4:24 Lit which ↩
  49. 49. Galatians 4:26 Heb 12:22; Rev 3:12; 21:2, 10 ↩
  50. 50. Galatians 4:26 Lit which ↩
  51. 51. Galatians 4:27 Is 54:1 ↩
  52. 52. Galatians 4:28 Gal 4:23 ↩
  53. 53. Galatians 4:28 Rom 9:7ff; Gal 3:29 ↩
  54. 54. Galatians 4:29 Gal 4:23 ↩
  55. 55. Galatians 4:29 Gen 21:9 ↩
  56. 56. Galatians 4:29 Gal 5:11 ↩
  57. 57. Galatians 4:30 Gen 21:10, 12 ↩
  58. 58. Galatians 4:30 John 8:35 ↩

Commentaries on Galatians 4

New American Standard Bible 2020 — © 1960–2020 The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.