Example of Hagar and Sarah

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

(H)“Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear;
    break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor!
For the children of the desolate one will be more
    than those of the one who has a husband.”

28 Now you,[b] brothers, (I)like Isaac, (J)are children of promise. 29 But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh (K)persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, (L)so also it is now. 30 But what does the Scripture say? (M)“Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” 31 So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but (N)of the free woman.

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Footnotes

  1. Galatians 4:25 Some manuscripts For Sinai is a mountain in Arabia
  2. Galatians 4:28 Some manuscripts we

Hagar and Sarah Represent Two Covenants

21 Tell me, you who are wanting to be under the law, do you not understand[a] the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the female slave and one by the free woman. 23 But the one by the female slave was born according to human descent, and the one by the free woman through the promise, 24 which things are spoken allegorically, for these women are two covenants, one from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery, who is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is a slave with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free, which is our mother. 27 For it is written,

“Rejoice, O barren woman, who does not give birth to children;
    burst out and shout, you who do not have birth pains,
because many are the children of the desolate woman,
    even more than those of the one who has a husband.”[b]

28 But you, brothers, are children of the promise, just as Isaac. 29 But just as at that time the child born according to human descent persecuted the child born according to the Spirit, so also now. 30 But what does the scripture say? “Drive out the female slave and her son, for the son of the female slave will never inherit with the son”[c] of the free woman. 31 Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the female slave but of the free woman.

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Footnotes

  1. Galatians 4:21 Literally “hear”
  2. Galatians 4:27 A quotation from Isa 54:1
  3. Galatians 4:30 A quotation from Gen 21:10, which does not include the words “of the free woman”