Galatians 4
1 Nevertheless, I’m telling you, for as long as an heir is a minor, despite being lord of everything, nothing distinguishes them from someone who is enslaved. 2 Rather, they are under caregivers and household managers until the time designated by their father.a 3 It is the same for us: When we were children, we were enslaved under the fundamental assumptionsb of the world systems.c 4 But when the appropriate time came, God sent outd his son, given birth from a woman and born under Torah, 5 so that those under Torah would be purchased from enslavement and so that we would receive adoption as heirs.e 6 So because you are heirs, God sentf his son’s Life-breath into our hearts that were calling out, “Abba! (Father!)”g 7 So then, no longer are youh enslaved but instead are an heir; you are an heir and recipient of the inheritance through God.
8 Nevertheless, when you did not see God, you were enslaved to what are not meant to bei gods, 9 but now that you know God (or more so, are known by God),j how can you return again to the weak and useless fundamental assumptions?k Do you wish to be enslaved all over again? 10 You are meticulously observing days and months and seasons and years; 11 I fear for you that I have worked hard for you for nothing.
12 I beg you, my family, become like me, since I also am like you. You have not acted unjustly toward me, 13 but as you know, originally, I announced the triumphant message to you because of a bodily weakness, 14 a test for you in my body, but you did not treat me with contempt or reject me; instead, you welcomed me with respect like a messenger of God, like Christ Jesus. 15 So, where is your sense of gratification?l Because, I attest to you, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I then become a hateful personm toward you because I speak truth to you?
17 Theyn are passionate about you but not for anything genuinely beneficial; rather, they want to exclude you so that you will be passionate about them. 18 What is genuinely beneficial is being passionate about genuine benefit always and not only while I am present with you. 19 My children, I am feeling the pain of giving birth to you all over again until Christ is formed in you. 20 I have been wanting to be already with you and adjust my tone because I am at a loss with you.
21 Tell me, those who want to be under Torah, do you not pay attention to what Torah says?o 22 You see, it is written that Abraham had two sons, one from the enslaved girl and one from the free woman. 23 While the one from the enslaved girl was conceived based on bodily impulses, the one from the free woman was through a promise. 24 If these things are allegorized, these women are two covenants, one from Mount Sinai for giving birth to enslavement; this is Hagar. 25 So, Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; it parallels Jerusalem, for she is enslaved with her children. 26 The higher Jerusalemp is the free woman; she is our mother. 27 It is written,
“Celebrate, woman who is infertile, who does not give birth
Break out into shouts of joy,q woman who is not in labor
Because the children of the lonely woman will ber many more
Than the one who has a husband.”s
28 You, Family, are children like Isaac: from a promise. 29 However, just as the one conceived based on bodily impulses targeted the one conceived based on the Life-breath, now it is also the same. 30 But what does the scripture say? “Banish the enslaved girl and her son since the enslaved girl’s son will not inherit along with” the free woman’s son.t 31 Therefore, Family, we are not children of the enslaved girl but, rather, of the free woman.
FOOTNOTES:
a Paul is drawing on Greek cultural practices, the way things were, including absolute authority of the patriarch of the family and the cultural disregard of the value of children being taken seriously or having any say in their lives or their context. This description should not be taken as prescription.
b Literally, ‘first principals’ or ‘basics’ or ‘primary elements’ or ‘fundamentals’
c Literally, ‘world,’ but it’s clearly not talking about the place, the planet, but rather ‘how the world works.’
d Related to the word for ‘apostle’ or ‘emissary,’ ‘one who is sent’
e Literally, ‘sons.’ The cultural implication was that the newly adopted ‘sons’ would be heirs of the estate, receiving a portion of the inheritance. Daughters did not inherit the estate from their fathers. However, the application here is not limited to males who follow Christ, but is for the church in its entirety.
f Related to the word for ‘apostle’ or ‘emissary,’ ‘one who is sent’
g The Greek here is abba ho pater. The second half (ho pater) is Greek for ‘father.’ The first word abba is a transliteration (changing into Greek letters rather than translating into Greek language) of the Aramaic word. Most Bible translations just continue that tradition and transition it into English letters, but the English translation equivalent is ‘daddy’ or ‘dad’ or ‘papa.’ It was not only used by small children, and was sometimes used by adults toward their fathers, so ‘dad’ may be a better translation than ‘daddy.’ This word appears three times in the Bible (see Mark 14:36 and Romans 8:15) and is always followed by the Greek pater to show its translation for audiences that did not speak Aramaic. I followed that same pattern here, leaving the first word in the original language and translating the second as a clarification for non-Aramaic speakers as ‘Father’ in parentheses.
h Most of the instances the audience has been addressed have been plural, but this word is singular here.
i This word translated ‘meant to be,’ phusis, is the same as ‘by birth’ in Galatians 2:15 regarding the Jewish origins of the members of the original audience of this letter. There does not seem to be a good way to translate this literally. It has to do with growth or sprouting up, and in connection with that, the nature of a thing.
j Compare to Matthew 7:21-23
k Referring to Galatians 4:3
l This is the noun version of what is translated as ‘gratified’ (traditionally, ‘blessed’) in Matthew 5. Other translations translate it as ‘sense of happiness’ (NET), ‘joy’ (NIV), ‘sense of blessing’ (NASB), ‘blessing you felt’ (ESV), ‘grateful spirit you felt’ (NLT), ‘good will you felt’ (NRSV), ‘blessedness ye spake of’ (KJV), and ‘blessing you enjoyed’ (NKJV). As many of these others are attempting to convey, it has both a sense a gift received and the emotional impact of receiving it. ‘Gratification’ in its definition separate from ‘immediate gratification’ or ‘self-gratification’ carries that full meaning.
m Traditionally, ‘enemy.’
n There is no clear referent for who it is discussing. It seems to imply ‘people who are hateful toward you’ but it is not explicit.
o Literally, ‘hear/listen to Torah’
p Greek ano means ‘above’ but ‘the Jerusalem above’ in English sounds like it is indicating the Jerusalem mentioned previously in the text; however, this is speaking of a Jerusalem that is ‘above’ or ‘higher’ than the regular Jerusalem. It seems to correspond to the New Jerusalem of Revelation 21-22.
q Literally, ‘break through and shout’
r There is no verb in the Greek here or in the Hebrew of Isaiah 54:1. It is up to context to determine whether this should be translated into English as ‘are’ or ‘will be.’ Literally, the Greek reads ‘because many the children of the lonely woman more than the one who has a husband.’
s Quotation of Isaiah 54:1
t Quotation of Genesis 21:10. The author adjusted the last few words from ‘my son’ in Genesis to ‘the free woman’s son’ here.