Galatians 4:23-31

4:23 But one, the son by the slave woman, was born by natural descent, ¹  while the other, the son by the free woman, was born through the promise. 4:24 These things may be treated as an allegory, ²  for these women represent two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai bearing children for slavery; this is Hagar. 4:25 Now Hagar represents Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 4:26 But the Jerusalem above is free, ³  and she is our mother. 4:27 For it is written:

“Rejoice, O barren woman who does not bear children; ⁴ 

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.” ⁵ 

4:28 But you, ⁶  brothers and sisters, ⁷  are children of the promise like Isaac. 4:29 But just as at that time the one born by natural descent ⁸  persecuted the one born according to the Spirit, ⁹  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” ¹⁰  of the free woman. 4:31 Therefore, brothers and sisters, ¹¹  we are not children of the slave woman but of the free woman.

¹ tn Grk “born according to the flesh”; BDAG 916 s.v. σάρξ 4 has “Of natural descent τὰ τέκνα τῆς σαρκός children by natural descent Ro 9:8 (opp. τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἐπαγγελίας). ὁ μὲν ἐκ τῆς παιδίσκης κατὰ σάρκα γεγέννηται Gal 4:23; cp. vs. 29.”

² tn Grk “which things are spoken about allegorically.” Paul is not saying the OT account is an allegory, but rather that he is constructing an allegory based on the OT account.

³ 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.

⁴ 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.

⁵ tn Grk “because more are the children of the barren one than of the one having a husband.”

⁶ 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.

⁷ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:11.

⁸ tn Grk “according to the flesh”; see the note on the phrase “by natural descent” in 4:23.

⁹ tn Or “the one born by the Spirit’s [power].”

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

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