Galatians 4
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New American Standard Bible 2020

Galatians 4:4-31

4But whenG3753 1the fullnessG4138 of the timeG5550 cameG2064, GodG2316 sentG1821 His SonG5207, 2bornG1096 of a womanG1135, bornG1096 3underG5259 4the LawG3551, 5soG2443 thatG2443 He might redeemG1805 thoseG3588 who were underG5259 5the LawG3551, that we might receiveG618 the adoptionG5206 as 6sonsG5206 and daughters. 6BecauseG3754 you are sonsG5207, 7GodG2316 has sentG1821 the SpiritG4151 of His SonG5207 into our heartsG2588, cryingG2896 outG2896, “8AbbaG5! 9FatherG3962!” 7ThereforeG5620 you are noG3765 longerG3765 a slaveG1401, but a sonG5207; and 10ifG1487 a sonG5207, thenG2532 an heirG2818 11throughG1223 GodG2316.

8HoweverG235 at that timeG5119, 12when you did not knowG3609 GodG2316, you were 13slavesG1398 to 14thoseG3588 which by natureG5449 are not godsG2316. 9But nowG3568 that you have come to knowG1097 GodG2316, orG1161 ratherG3123 to be 15knownG1097 by GodG2316, 16howG4459 is it that you turnG1994 backG1994 againG3825 to the weakG772 and worthlessG4434 1718elementaryG4747 principlesG4747, to whichG3739 you wantG2309 to be enslavedG1398 allG509 overG509 againG3825? 10You 19meticulouslyG3906 observeG3906 daysG2250 and monthsG3376 and seasonsG2540 and yearsG1763. 11I fearG5399 for you, that perhapsG4458 I have laboredG2872 20overG1519 you in vainG1500.

12I begG1189 of you, 21brothersG80 and sisters, 22becomeG1096 as I am, for I alsoG2532 have become as you are. You have doneG91 me noG3762 wrongG91; 13but you knowG3609 that it was becauseG1223 of a 23bodilyG4561 illnessG769 that I preachedG2097 the gospelG2097 to you the 24firstG4387 timeG4387; 14and you did not despiseG1848 that whichG3986 wasG3986 aG3986 trialG3986 to you in my 25bodilyG4561 conditionG4561, norG3761 expressG1609 contemptG1609, but 26you receivedG1209 me as an angelG32 of GodG2316, as ChristG5547 JesusG2424 Himself. 15WhereG4226 thenG3767 is 27that senseG3108 ofG3108 blessingG3108 you had? For I testifyG3140 about you that, ifG1487 possibleG1415, you would have tornG1846 outG1846 your eyesG3788 and givenG1325 them to me. 16SoG5620 have I becomeG1096 your enemyG2190 28by 29tellingG226 you theG226 truthG226? 17They eagerlyG2206 seekG2206 you, not 30in a commendableG2573 wayG2573, but they wantG2309 to shutG1576 you outG1576 soG2443 thatG2443 you will seekG2206 them. 18But it is goodG2570 alwaysG3842 to be eagerlyG2206 soughtG2206 31in a commendableG2570 wayG2570, and 32not onlyG3440 whenG1722 I amG3918 presentG3918 with you. 1933My childrenG5043, with whomG3739 34I amG5605 againG3825 inG5605 laborG5605 untilG3360 35ChristG5547 is formedG3445 in you-- 20but I could wishG2309 to be presentG3918 with you nowG737 and to changeG236 my tone of voiceG5456, for 36I amG639 atG639 aG639 lossG639 aboutG1722 you!

21TellG3004 me, you who wantG2309 to be underG5259 lawG3551, do you not 37listenG191 to the LawG3551? 22For it is writtenG1125 that AbrahamG11 hadG2192 twoG1417 sonsG5207, 38oneG1520 by the slaveG3814 womanG3814 and 39oneG1520 by the freeG1658 womanG1658. 23But 40the son by the slaveG3814 womanG3814 41was bornG1080 accordingG2596 to the fleshG4561, and 42the son by the freeG1658 womanG1658 throughG1223 the promiseG1860. 244344ThisG3748 is speakingG238 allegoricallyG238, for theseG3778 women are twoG1417 covenantsG1242: oneG1520 coming from 45MountG3735 SinaiG4614 givingG1080 birthG1080 toG1080 childrenG1080 46who are to be 47slavesG1397; 48she is HagarG28. 25NowG1161 thisG3588 HagarG28 is MountG3735 SinaiG4614 in ArabiaG688 and correspondsG4960 to the presentG3568 JerusalemG2419, for she is enslavedG1398 with her childrenG5043. 26But 49the JerusalemG2419 aboveG507 is freeG1658; 50she is our motherG3384. 27For it is writtenG1125: “51RejoiceG2165, infertileG4723 one, you who do not giveG5088 birthG5088; BreakG4486 forthG4486 and shoutG994, you who areG5605 not inG5605 laborG5605; For the childrenG5043 of the desolateG2048 one are moreG4183 numerousG4183 ThanG2228 those of the one who hasG2192 a husbandG435.” 28And you, brothersG80 and sisters, 52likeG2596 IsaacG2464, are 53childrenG5043 of promiseG1860. 29But as at that timeG5119 54the son who was bornG1080 accordingG2596 to the fleshG4561 55persecutedG1377 the one who was born accordingG2596 to the SpiritG4151, 56soG3779 it is evenG2532 nowG3568. 30But whatG5101 does the ScriptureG1124 sayG3004? “57DriveG1544 out the slaveG3814 womanG3814 and her sonG5207, For 58the sonG5207 of the slaveG3814 womanG3814 shall not beG2816 anG2816 heirG2816 with the sonG5207 of the freeG1658 womanG1658.” 31SoG1352 thenG1352, brothersG80 and sisters, we are not childrenG5043 of a slaveG3814 womanG3814, but of the freeG1658 womanG1658.

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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.