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An Allegory of Two Covenants

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 servant-woman and (C)one by the free woman. 23 But (D)the son by the servant-woman had been born according to the flesh, while (E)the son by the free woman through the promise. 24 [a](F)This is [b]spoken with allegory, for these women are two covenants: one from (G)Mount Sinai bearing children into (H)slavery; [c]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; [d]she is our mother. 27 For it is written,

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

28 And you brothers, (K)in accordance with Isaac, are (L)children of promise. 29 But as at that time (M)he who was born according to the flesh (N)was persecuting 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 servant-woman and her son,
For (Q)the son of the servant-woman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman.”

31 So then, brothers, we are not children of a servant-woman, [e]but of the free woman.

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Footnotes

  1. Galatians 4:24 Lit Which
  2. Galatians 4:24 Or written
  3. Galatians 4:24 Lit which
  4. Galatians 4:26 Lit which
  5. Galatians 4:31 Ch 5:1, note 1

The Allegory of Hagar and Sarah

21 Tell me, you who desire to be subject to the law, will you not listen to the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by an enslaved woman and the other by a free woman.(A) 23 One, the child of the enslaved woman, was born according to the flesh; the other, the child of the free woman, was born through the promise.(B) 24 Now this is an allegory: these women are two covenants. One woman, in fact, is Hagar, from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery. 25 Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia[a] and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the other woman corresponds to the Jerusalem above; she is free, and she is our mother.(C) 27 For it is written,

“Rejoice, you childless one, you who bear no children,
    burst into song and shout, you who endure no birth pangs,
for the children of the desolate woman are more numerous
    than the children of the one who is married.”(D)

28 Now you,[b] my brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, like Isaac. 29 But just as at that time the child who was born according to the flesh persecuted the child who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also.(E) 30 But what does the scripture say? “Drive out the enslaved woman and her child, for the child of the enslaved woman will not share the inheritance with the child of the free woman.”(F) 31 So then, brothers and sisters, we are children, not of an enslaved woman but of the free woman.

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Footnotes

  1. 4.25 Other ancient authorities read For Sinai is a mountain in Arabia
  2. 4.28 Other ancient authorities read we