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

21Tell me, you who want to be under the law, do you not understand the law? 22For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. But one, the son by the slave woman, was born by natural descent, while the other, the son by the free woman, was born through the promise. 24These things may be treated as an allegory, for these women represent two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai bearing children for slavery; this is Hagar. 25Now Hagar represents Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.

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 9:7nor are all the children Abraham’s true descendants; rather “through Isaac will your descendants be counted.”
• Genesis 17:15Then God said to Abraham, “As for your wife, you must no longer call her Sarai; Sarah will be her name.
• Genesis 18:10One of them said, “I will surely return to you when the season comes round again, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” (Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, not far behind him.
• Genesis 21:1The Lord visited Sarah just as he had said he would and did for Sarah what he had promised.
• Romans 4:18Against hope Abraham believed in hope with the result that he became the father of many nations according to the pronouncement, “so will your descendants be.”
• Romans 10:8But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we preach),
• Hebrews 11:11By faith, even though Sarah herself was barren and he was too old, he received the ability to procreate, because he regarded the one who had given the promise to be trustworthy.

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