Romans 4:11-16

4:11 And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised, ¹  so that he would become ²  the father of all those who believe but have never been circumcised, ³  that they too could have righteousness credited to them. 4:12 And he is also the father of the circumcised, ⁴  who are not only circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham possessed when he was still uncircumcised. ⁵ 

4:13 For the promise ⁶  to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not fulfilled through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 4:14 For if they become heirs by the law, faith is empty and the promise is nullified. ⁷  4:15 For the law brings wrath, because where there is no law there is no transgression ⁸  either. 4:16 For this reason it is by faith so that it may be by grace, ⁹  with the result that the promise may be certain to all the descendants – not only to those who are under the law, but also to those who have the faith of Abraham, ¹⁰  who is the father of us all

Galatians 4:22-31

4:22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the ¹¹  slave woman and the other by the free woman. 4:23 But one, the son by the slave woman, was born by natural descent, ¹²  while the other, the son by the free woman, was born through the promise. 4:24 These things may be treated as an allegory, ¹³  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, ¹⁴  and she is our mother. 4:27 For it is written:

“Rejoice, O barren woman who does not bear children; ¹⁵ 

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.” ¹⁶ 

4:28 But you, ¹⁷  brothers and sisters, ¹⁸  are children of the promise like Isaac. 4:29 But just as at that time the one born by natural descent ¹⁹  persecuted the one born according to the Spirit, ²⁰  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” ²¹  of the free woman. 4:31 Therefore, brothers and sisters, ²²  we are not children of the slave woman but of the free woman.

¹ tn Grk “of the faith, the one [existing] in uncircumcision.”

² tn Grk “that he might be,” giving the purpose of v. 11a.

³ tn Grk “through uncircumcision.”

⁴ tn Grk “the father of circumcision.”

⁵ tn Grk “the ‘in-uncircumcision faith’ of our father Abraham.”

⁶ sn Although a singular noun, the promise is collective and does not refer only to Gen 12:7, but as D. Moo (Romans 1-8 [WEC], 279) points out, refers to multiple aspects of the promise to Abraham: multiplied descendants (Gen 12:2), possession of the land (Gen 13:15-17), and his becoming the vehicle of blessing to all people (Gen 12:13).

⁷ tn Grk “rendered inoperative.”

⁸ tn Or “violation.”

⁹ tn Grk “that it might be according to grace.”

¹⁰ tn Grk “those who are of the faith of Abraham.”

¹¹ tn Paul’s use of the Greek article here and before the phrase “free woman” presumes that both these characters are well known to the recipients of his letter. This verse is given as an example of the category called “well-known (‘celebrity’ or ‘familiar’) article” by ExSyn 225.

¹² 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.”

¹³ 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.

¹⁴ 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.

¹⁵ 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.

¹⁶ tn Grk “because more are the children of the barren one than of the one having a husband.”

¹⁷ 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.

¹⁸ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:11.

¹⁹ tn Grk “according to the flesh”; see the note on the phrase “by natural descent” in 4:23.

²⁰ tn Or “the one born by the Spirit’s [power].”

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

²² tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:11.