Text -- Galatians 4:26-31 (NET)

4:26 But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. 4:27 For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren woman who does not bear children; break forth and shout, you who have no birth pains, because the children of the desolate woman are more numerous than those of the woman who has a husband.” 4:28 But you, brothers and sisters, are children of the promise like Isaac. 4:29 But just as at that time the one born by natural descent persecuted the one born according to the Spirit, so it is now. 4:30 But what does the scripture say? “Throw out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the inheritance with the son” of the free woman. 4:31 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman but of the free woman.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Gal 4:26

¹ sn The meaning of the statement the Jerusalem above is free is that the other woman represents the second covenant (cf. v. 24); she corresponds to the Jerusalem above that is free. Paul’s argument is very condensed at this point.

NET Notes: Gal 4:27

¹ tn The direct object “children” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied for clarity. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

² tn Grk “because more are the children of the barren one than of the one having a husband.”

sn A quotation from Isa 54:1.

NET Notes: Gal 4:28

¹ tc Most mss (א A C D² Ψ 062 Ï lat sy bo) read “we” here, while “you” is found in Ì⁴⁶ B D* F G 0261^vid 0278 33 1739 al sa. It is more likely that a copyist, noticing the first person pronouns in vv. 26 and 31, changed a second person pronoun here to first person for consistency.

² tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:11.

NET Notes: Gal 4:29

¹ tn Grk “according to the flesh”; see the note on the phrase “by natural descent” in 4:23.

² tn Or “the one born by the Spirit’s [power].”

NET Notes: Gal 4:30

¹ sn A quotation from Gen 21:10. The phrase of the free woman does not occur in Gen 21:10.

NET Notes: Gal 4:31

¹ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:11.