New Living Translation
Galatians 4:27
27As Isaiah said, “Rejoice, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into a joyful shout, you who have never been in labor! For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband!”
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
25And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery to the law. 26But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our mother. As Isaiah said, “Rejoice, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into a joyful shout, you who have never been in labor! For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband!” 28And you, dear brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, just like Isaac. 29But you are now being persecuted by those who want you to keep the law, just as Ishmael, the child born by human effort, persecuted Isaac, the child born by the power of the Spirit.
Read all of Galatians 4Galatians 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, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into loud and joyful song, O Jerusalem, you who have never been in labor. For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband,” says the Lord.
- 1 Samuel 2:5Those who were well fed are now starving, and those who were starving are now full. The childless woman now has seven children, and the woman with many children wastes away.
- Psalms 113:9He gives the childless woman a family, making her a happy mother. Praise the Lord!
- Ruth 1:11But Naomi replied, “Why should you go on with me? Can I still give birth to other sons who could grow up to be your husbands?
- Ruth 4:14Then the women of the town said to Naomi, “Praise the Lord, who has now provided a redeemer for your family! May this child be famous in Israel.
- 2 Samuel 13:20Her brother Absalom saw her and asked, “Is it true that Amnon has been with you? Well, my sister, keep quiet for now, since he’s your brother. Don’t you worry about it.” So Tamar lived as a desolate woman in her brother Absalom’s house.
- Isaiah 49:21Then you will think to yourself, ‘Who has given me all these descendants? For most of my children were killed, and the rest were carried away into exile. I was left here all alone. Where did all these people come from? Who bore these children? Who raised them for me?’”
- 1 Timothy 5:5Now a true widow, a woman who is truly alone in this world, has placed her hope in God. She prays night and day, asking God for his help.
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
In the dictionaries
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
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries