Bond and Free

21 Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not (A)listen to the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, (B)one by the bondwoman and (C)one by the free woman. 23 But (D)the son by the bondwoman [a]was born according to the flesh, and (E)the son by the free woman through the promise. 24 [b](F)This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from (G)Mount Sinai bearing children [c]who are to be (H)slaves; [d]she is Hagar. 25 Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But (I)the Jerusalem above is free; [e]she is our mother. 27 For it is written,

(J)Rejoice, barren woman who does not bear;
Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor;
For more numerous are the children of the desolate
Than of the one who has a husband.”

28 And you brethren, (K)like Isaac, are (L)children of promise. 29 But as at that time (M)he who was born according to the flesh (N)persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, (O)so it is now also. 30 But what does the Scripture say?

(P)Cast out the bondwoman and her son,
For (Q)the son of the bondwoman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman.”

31 So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, [f]but of the free woman.

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Footnotes

  1. Galatians 4:23 Lit has been born
  2. Galatians 4:24 Lit Which
  3. Galatians 4:24 Lit into slavery
  4. Galatians 4:24 Lit which
  5. Galatians 4:26 Lit which
  6. Galatians 4:31 V 5:1, note 1

Hagar and Sarah

21 Tell me, you who want to be under the law,(A) are you not aware of what the law says? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman(B) and the other by the free woman.(C) 23 His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh,(D) but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.(E)

24 These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem that is above(F) is free, and she is our mother. 27 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.”[a](G)

28 Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.(H) 29 At that time the son born according to the flesh(I) persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit.(J) It is the same now. 30 But what does Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”[b](K) 31 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman,(L) but of the free woman.(M)

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Footnotes

  1. Galatians 4:27 Isaiah 54:1
  2. Galatians 4:30 Gen. 21:10