Self-interpreting Bible
Galatians 4
1The Jews were for a while held under the law, as an heir under his guardian till he be of age. 4But Christ came to redeem those that were under the law, and to give both to Jew and Gentile the adoption, and consequently the freedom, of sons. 8Paul therefore reproveth the Galatians, who from serving idols had been received of God, for falling back to the bondage of legal observances. 11He expresseth his fears and tender regard for them, and calleth to mind their former respect and good will to him, from which he admonisheth them not to be seduced in his absence. 21He allegorically describeth the Jewish and Christian churches under the types of Agar and Sara, and inferreth that we, being children of the freewoman, are free.
1 NOW I say, That athe heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
- a: Ga. 3:29
2 But is under *tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
- *: tutors-guardians.
3 Even so we, bwhen we were children, cwere in bondage under the 1elements of the world:
4 But when dthe fulness of the time was come, eGod sent forth his Son, fmade of a woman, made gunder the law,
- d: Ep. 1:10 , Mar. 1:15 , Da. 9:24 - 26 , Eze. 21:27 , Mal. 3:1
- e: Ge. 3:15 , Is. 7:14 , Is. 9:6 , Is. 4:2 , Je. 23:5 , Je. 31:22 , Je. 33:15 , Je. 30:21 , Eze. 34:29 , Mi. 5:2 , Hag. 2:7 , Zec. 3:8 , Zec. 6:12 , Zec. 9:9 , Jn. 1:14 , Jn. 3:16 , Phi. 2:7 , Phi. 2:8 , Mat. 3:15 , Mat. 5:17 , He. 2:14 , He. 2:16 , He. 9:11
- f: Ro. 1:3
- g: Lu. 2:27
5 hTo redeem them that were under the law, that iwe might receive the adoption of sons.
6 And because ye are sons, jGod hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
7 Wherefore kthou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
8 Howbeit then, lwhen ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which mby nature are no gods.
9 But now, nafter that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye 2again to the weak and *beggarly 3elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
- n: Jn. 10:3 , Jn. 10:4 , Jn. 10:14 , 1Co. 8:3 , 1Co. 13:12 , 2Ti. 2:19 , Phi. 3:7 - 11
- 2: Or, back.
- *: beggarly-worthless.
- 3: Or, rudiments, He. 7.18; 9.10; 10.1. , He. 7:18 , He. 9:10 , He. 10:1
10 oYe observe days, and months, and times, and years.
- o: Ro. 14:5 , Col. 2:16 , Leviticus 23 , Leviticus 25 , Numbers 28 , Numbers 29
11 pI am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.
12 Brethren, I beseech you, qbe as I am; for I am as ye are: rye have not injured me at all.
13 Ye know how sthrough infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you tat the first.
- s: 1Co. 2:3 , 2Co. 12:7 , 2Co. 11:6 , 2Co. 11:30 , 2Co. 10:10 , 1Th. 2:2
- t: Ga. 1:6
14 And umy temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; vbut received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
15 4Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, wthat, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.
16 xAm I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?
- x: 1Ki. 21:20 , 1Ki. 22:8 , Pr. 27:5 , Ps. 141:5 , Ga. 3:1 - 4 , Ga. 2:14 , Ga. 4:9 - 11 , Ga. 5:1 - 9
17 yThey zealously *affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude 5you, that ye might affect them.
18 zBut it is good to be zealously *affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.
- z: 1Co. 15:58
- *: affect-desire, seek.
19 aMy little children, of whom I b*travail in birth again until Christ be formed cin you,
- a: Ga. 1:6 , Ga. 3:1 , 1Co. 4:15 , 1Co. 3:5 , 1Co. 3:10 , Philemon vs. 10 , Ja. 1:18 , 1Pe. 1:3 , 1Pe. 1:23 , Col. 1:27 , 1Th. 2:7
- b: 1Co. 2:2 - 5 , 2Co. 11:28 , 2Co. 11:29 , Col. 2:1 , Col. 1:9 - 11 , Col. 1:28 , Col. 1:29
- *: travail-labour.
- c: 2Co. 13:5
20 dI desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for 6I stand in doubt of you.
21 Tell me, ye ethat desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
- e: Ro. 9:30 - 32 , Ro. 10:2 , Ro. 10:3 , Ga. 4:9 , Mat. 22:29 , He. 5:11 , He. 5:12
22 For it is written, fthat Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
23 gBut he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; hbut he of the freewoman was by promise.
- g: Ge. 16:4 , Ge. 17:6 , Ge. 17:15 - 19 , Ge. 18:10 - 14 , Ro. 9:6 - 8 , Jn. 8:39
- h: Ge. 21:1
24 Which things are ian allegory: for these are the two 7covenants; the one from the mount 8Sinai, which j*gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
- i: Ho. 12:10 , Ezekiel 15 , Ezekiel 16 , Ezekiel 19 , Ezekiel 23 , Ezekiel 37 , Matthew 13 , Luke 15 , Luke 16 , 1Co. 10:11
- 7: Or, testaments, He. 8.7,8; 9.15-17. , He. 8:7 , He. 8:8 , He. 9:15 - 17
- 8: Gr. Sina. De. 33.2. , De. 33:2
- j: Ga. 2:4 , Ga. 5:1 , Ro. 8:15 , Ac. 15:10 , He. 2:15
- *: gendereth-bears young.
25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in kArabia, and 9answereth to Jerusalem lwhich now is, and is in bondage with her children.
- k: Ga. 1:17 , Ga. 2:4
- 9: Or, is in the same rank with.
- l: Lu. 19:41 - 44 , Lu. 21:24 , Ro. 9:30 - 32 , Ro. 10:2 , Ro. 10:3 , Ro. 11:7 - 11
26 But mJerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
27 For it is written, nRejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that *travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are othe children of promise.
29 pBut as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
- p: Ge. 21:9 , Job 19:28 , Mat. 23:34 , Mat. 23:37 , Jn. 15:19 , Acts 4 - 8 , Acts 12 - 14 , Acts 17 , Acts 18 , Acts 21 - 25 , 1Th. 2:14 , 1Th. 2:15 , He. 10:33 , He. 10:34 , Ga. 5:11 , Ga. 6:12 - 14
30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? qCast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.