Galatians 4
1599 Geneva Bible
4 1 Being delivered from the bondage of the Law, 4 by Christ’s coming, who is the end thereof, 9 it is very absurd to slide back to beggarly ceremonies: 13 He calleth them again therefore to the purity of the doctrine of the Gospel, 21 confirming his discourse with a fine allegory.
1 Then [a]I say, that the heir as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be Lord of all,
2 But is under tutors and governors, [b]until the time appointed of the Father.
3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the [c]rudiments of the world.
4 [d]But when the [e]fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son made of a [f]woman, and made under the Law,
5 That he might redeem them which were under the Law, that we (A)might receive the [g]adoption of the sons.
6 [h]And because ye are sons, God hath [i]sent forth the [j]Spirit of his Son into your hearts, which crieth, Abba, Father.
7 Wherefore, thou art no more a [k]servant, but a son: now if thou be a son, thou art also the [l]heir of God through Christ.
8 [m]But even then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them, which by nature are not gods:
9 But now seeing ye know God, yea, rather are known of God, how turn ye again unto impotent and [n]beggarly rudiments, whereunto as from the beginning ye will be in bondage [o]again?
10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
11 I am in fear of you, lest I have bestowed on you labor in vain.
12 [p]Be ye as I (for I am even as you) brethren, I beseech you: ye have not hurt me at all.
13 And ye know, how through [q]infirmity of the flesh, I preached the Gospel unto you at the first.
14 And the [r]trial of me which was in my flesh, ye despised not, neither abhorred: but ye received me as an Angel of God, yea, as [s]Christ Jesus.
15 [t]What was then your felicity? for I bear you record, that if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them unto me.
16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?
17 They are jealous over you [u]amiss: yea, they would exclude you, [v]that ye should altogether love them.
18 But it is a good thing to love [w]earnestly always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you,
19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again, until Christ be formed in you.
20 And I would I were with you now, that I might [x]change my voice: for I am in doubt of you.
21 [y]Tell me, ye that [z]will be under the Law, do ye not hear the Law?
22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, (B)one by a servant, and (C)one by a free woman.
23 But he which was of the servant, was born after the [aa]flesh: and he which was of the free woman, was born by [ab]promise.
24 By the which things another thing is meant: for [ac]these mothers are the [ad]two Testaments, the one which is Hagar of mount [ae]Sinai, which gendereth unto bondage.
25 (For Hagar or Sinai is a mountain in Arabia, and it [af]answered to Jerusalem which now is) and [ag]she is in bondage with her children.
26 But Jerusalem, which is [ah]above, is free: which is the mother of us all.
27 [ai]For it is written, (D)Rejoice thou barren that bearest no children: break forth, and cry, thou that travailest not: for the [aj]desolate hath many more children, than she which hath an husband.
28 (E)Therefore, brethren, we are after the [ak]manner of Isaac, children of the [al]promise.
29 But as then he that was born after the [am]flesh, persecuted him that was born after the [an]Spirit, even so it is now.
30 But what saith the Scripture? (F)Put out the servant and her son: for the son of the servant shall not be heir with the son of the free woman.
31 [ao]Then brethren, we are not children of the servant, but of the free woman.
Footnotes
- Galatians 4:1 He declareth that by another double similitude, which he said before concerning the keeper and schoolmaster. For he saith, that the Law, (that is, the whole government of God’s house according to the Law) was as it were a tutor or overseer appointed for a time, until such time as that protection and overseeing which was but for a time, being ended, we should at length come to be at our own liberty, and should live as children, and not as servants. Moreover, he showeth by the way, that that governance of the Law, was as it were an ABC, and as certain principles in comparison of the doctrine of the Gospel.
- Galatians 4:2 This is added, because he that is always under a tutor or governor, may hardly be counted a freeman.
- Galatians 4:3 The Law is called rudiments, because that by the Law God instructed his Church as it were by rudiments, and afterward poured out his holy Spirit most plentifully in the time of the Gospel.
- Galatians 4:4 He uttereth and declareth many things at once, to wit, that this tutorship was ended at his time, that curious men may leave to ask, why that schoolmastership lasted so long. And moreover, that we are not sons by nature, but by adoption, and that in that Son of God, who therefore took upon him our flesh, that we might be made his brethren.
- Galatians 4:4 The time is said to be full, when all parts of it are past and ended, and therefore Christ could not have come either sooner or later.
- Galatians 4:4 He calleth Mary a woman, in respect of the sex, and not as the word is used in a contrary sense to a virgin still.
- Galatians 4:5 The adoption of the sons of God, is from everlasting, but is revealed and showed in the time appointed for it.
- Galatians 4:6 He showeth that we are in such sort free and set at liberty, that in the mean season we must be governed by the Spirit of Christ, which reigning in our hearts, may teach us the true service of the Father. But this is not to serve, but rather to enjoy true liberality, as it cometh sons and heirs.
- Galatians 4:6 By that that followeth he gathereth that that went before: for if we have his spirit, we are his sons, and if we are his sons, then are we free.
- Galatians 4:6 The holy Ghost, who is both of the Father and of the Son: but there is a peculiar reason why he is called the Spirit of the Son, to wit, because the holy Ghost sealeth up our adoption in Christ, and maketh us a full assurance of it.
- Galatians 4:7 The word, servant, is not taken here for one that liveth in sin, which is proper to the infidels, but for one that is yet under the ceremonies of the Law, which is proper to the Jews.
- Galatians 4:7 Partaker of this blessing.
- Galatians 4:8 He applieth the former doctrine to the Galatians, with a peculiar reprehension: for in comparison of them, the Jews might have pretended some excuse as men that were born and brought up in that service of the Law. But seeing the Galatians were taken and called out of idolatry to Christian liberty: what pretence might they have to go back to those impotent and beggarly rudiments?
- Galatians 4:9 They are called impotent and beggarly ceremonies, being considered apart by themselves without Christ: and again, for that by that means they gave good testimony that they were beggars in Christ, when as notwithstanding, for men, to fall back from Christ to ceremonies, is nothing else, but to cast away riches, and to follow beggarly.
- Galatians 4:9 By going backward.
- Galatians 4:12 He mitigateth and qualifieth those things wherein he might have seemed to have spoken somewhat sharply, very artificially and divinely, declaring his good will towards them in such sort, that the Galatians could not but either be utterly desperate when they read these things, or acknowledge their own lightness with tears, and desire pardon.
- Galatians 4:13 Many afflictions.
- Galatians 4:14 Those daily troubles wherewith the Lord tried me amongst you.
- Galatians 4:14 For my ministry’s sake.
- Galatians 4:15 What a talk was there abroad in the world amongst men, how happy you were?
- Galatians 4:17 For they are jealous over you for their own commodity.
- Galatians 4:17 That they may convey all your love from me to themselves.
- Galatians 4:18 He setteth his own true and good love, which he earnestly bent towards them, against the naughty vicious love of the false apostles.
- Galatians 4:20 Use other words among you.
- Galatians 4:21 Because the false apostles always urged this, that unless the Gentiles were circumcised, Christ could profit them nothing at all, and this dissension of them which believed of the circumcision against them which believed of the uncircumcision, was full of offense: the Apostle, after divers arguments whereby he hath refuted their error, bringeth forth an allegory, wherein he saith the holy Ghost did shadow not unto us, all these mysteries: to wit, that it should come to pass, that two sorts of sons should have Abraham a father common to them both, but not with like success: for as Abraham begat Ishmael, by the common course of nature, of Hagar his bondmaid and a stranger, and begat Isaac of Sarah a free woman by the virtue of the promise and by grace only, and the first was not only not heir, but also persecuted the heir: So there are two covenants, and as it were two sons born to Abraham of those two covenants, as it were of two mothers. The one was made in Sinai, without the land of promise according to which covenant Abraham’s children according to the flesh were begotten: to wit, the Jews which seek righteousness by that covenant, that is, by the Law: but they are not heirs, nay they shall at length be cast out of the house, as they that persecute the true heirs. The other was made in that high Jerusalem or in Zion (to wit, by the sacrifice of Christ) which begetteth children of promise, to wit, believers by the virtue of the holy Ghost which children (as Abraham) do rest themselves in the free promise, and they only by the right of children shall be partakers of the father’s inheritance, and those servants shall be shut out.
- Galatians 4:21 That desire so greatly.
- Galatians 4:23 As all men are, and by the common course of nature.
- Galatians 4:23 By virtue of the promise, which Abraham laid hold on for himself and his true seed, for otherwise Abraham and Sarah were past begetting and bearing children.
- Galatians 4:24 These do represent and shadow forth.
- Galatians 4:24 They are called two covenants, one of the old Testament, and another of the New: which were not two indeed, but in respect of the times, and the diversity of the government.
- Galatians 4:24 He maketh mention of Sinai, because that covenant was made in that mountain, of which mountain Hagar was a shadow.
- Galatians 4:25 Look how the case standeth betwixt Hagar and her children, even so standeth it between Jerusalem and hers.
- Galatians 4:25 That is, Sinai.
- Galatians 4:26 Which is excellent, and of great account.
- Galatians 4:27 He showeth that in this allegory, he hath followed the steps of Isaiah, who foretold that the Church should be made and consist of the children of barren Sarah, that is to say, of them which only spiritually should be made Ahraham’s children by faith, rather than of fruitful Hagar, even then foreshowing the casting off of the Jews, and calling of the Gentiles.
- Galatians 4:27 She that is destroyed and wasted.
- Galatians 4:28 After the manner of Isaac who is the first begotten of the heavenly Jerusalem, as Israel is of the slavish Synagogue.
- Galatians 4:28 That seed, unto which the promise belongeth.
- Galatians 4:29 By the common course of nature.
- Galatians 4:29 By the virtue of God’s promise and after a spiritual manner.
- Galatians 4:31 The conclusion of the former allegory, that we by no means procure and call back again the slavery of the Law, seeing that the children of the bondmaid shall not be heirs.
Galatians 4
Holman Christian Standard Bible
4 1 Now I say that as long as the heir(A) is a child, he differs in no way from a slave, though he is the owner(B) of everything. 2 Instead, he is under guardians and stewards until the time set by his father. 3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were in slavery under the elemental forces[a] of the world.(C) 4 When the time came to completion, God sent His Son,(D) born of a woman,(E) born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.(F) 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son(G) into our[b] hearts, crying, “Abba,(H) Father!”(I) 7 So you are no longer a slave(J) but a son,(K) and if a son, then an heir(L) through God.
Paul’s Concern for the Galatians
8 But in the past, when you didn’t know God,(M) you were enslaved to things[c] that by nature are not gods. 9 But now, since you know God,(N) or rather have become known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and bankrupt(O) elemental forces?(P) Do you want to be enslaved to them all over again? 10 You observe special days, months, seasons, and years.(Q) 11 I am fearful for you, that perhaps my labor for you has been wasted.
12 I beg you, brothers: Become like me, for I also became like you. You have not wronged me; 13 you know that previously I preached the gospel to you because of a physical illness. 14 You did not despise or reject me though my physical condition was a trial for you.[d] On the contrary, you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself.
15 What happened to this sense of being blessed you had? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?(R) 17 They[e] are enthusiastic about you, but not for any good. Instead, they want to isolate you so you will be enthusiastic about them. 18 Now it is always good to be enthusiastic about good—and not just when I am with you. 19 My children,(S) I am again suffering labor pains(T) for you until Christ is formed in you. 20 I would like to be with you right now and change my tone of voice, because I don’t know what to do about you.
Sarah and Hagar: Two Covenants
21 Tell me, those of you who want to be under the law, don’t you hear the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham(U) had two sons, one by a slave(V) and the other by a free woman. 23 But the one by the slave was born according to the impulse of the flesh, while the one by the free woman was born as the result of a promise. 24 These things are illustrations,[f] for the women represent the two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai(W) and bears children into slavery—this is Hagar.(X) 25 Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia(Y) and corresponds to the present Jerusalem,(Z) for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above(AA) is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written:(AB)
Rejoice, childless woman,(AC)
who does not give birth.
Burst into song and shout,
you who are not in labor,
for the children of the desolate are many,
more numerous than those
of the woman who has a husband.(AD)[g]
28 Now you, brothers, like Isaac,(AE) are children of promise.(AF) 29 But just as then the child born according to the flesh persecuted the one born according to the Spirit,(AG) so also now.(AH) 30 But what does the Scripture say?
Drive out the slave and her son, for the son of the slave will never be a coheir with the son of the free woman.(AI)[h]
31 Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.(AJ)
Footnotes
- Galatians 4:3 Or spirits, or principles
- Galatians 4:6 Other mss read your
- Galatians 4:8 Or beings
- Galatians 4:14 Other mss read me
- Galatians 4:17 The false teachers
- Galatians 4:24 Typology or allegory
- Galatians 4:27 Is 54:1
- Galatians 4:30 Gn 21:10
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
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