Galatians 4:25-29

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, ¹  and she is our mother. 4:27 For it is written:

“Rejoice, O barren woman who does not bear children; ² 

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.” ³ 

4:28 But you, ⁴  brothers and sisters, ⁵  are children of the promise like Isaac. 4:29 But just as at that time the one born by natural descent ⁶  persecuted the one born according to the Spirit, ⁷  so it is now.

[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.

[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.

[4:27]  ² tn Grk “because more are the children of the barren one than of the one having a husband.”

[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.

[4:28]  ² tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:11.

[4:29]  ¹ tn Grk “according to the flesh”; see the note on the phrase “by natural descent” in 4:23.

[4:29]  ² tn Or “the one born by the Spirit’s [power].”