Galatians 4

Galatians · Chapter 4

Galatians 4:7

1Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;2But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.3Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:4But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,5To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.6And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.7Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.8Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.9But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?10Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.11I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.12Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all.13Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.14And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.15Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.16Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?17They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.18But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.19My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,20I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.21Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?22For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.23But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.24Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.25For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.26But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.27For it is written, Rejoice, 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.28Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.29But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.30Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.31So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
7Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, you are also an heir through God.So that thou art no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

Galatians 4:1-7Sons, not servants

About Galatians 4An heir under age is no different from a servant, and so "we, when we were children, were in bondage," but "when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." Paul pleads with the Galatians not to turn back to "weak and beggarly elements," recalls how they once received him "as an angel of God," and travails for them "until Christ be formed in you." He then sets out an allegory of Abraham's two sons: Agar the bondwoman stands for mount Sinai and "Jerusalem which now is," but "Jerusalem which is above is free," and "we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free." Galatians 4:1Galatians 4:3Galatians 4:4Galatians 4:5Galatians 4:9Galatians 4:14Galatians 4:19Galatians 4:22Galatians 4:24Galatians 4:25Galatians 4:26Galatians 4:31

Who, where and when in this chapter

Original Greek words

EnglishGreekSay itStrong'sMeaning
SoὥστεhōsteG5620
so

ὥστε (hōste) ὥσ-τε consecutive particle, 1. with infin., expressing result, so as to: Mat.8:24 12:22, Mrk.1:27, Luk.5:7, Act.1:19, Rom.7:6, 1Co.1:7, Heb.13:6, al.; of a designed result, Mat.10:1, Luk.4:29, al.; preceded by οὕτως, Act.14:1; by τοσοῦτος, Mat.15:33. 2. C. indic., (a) so that: Gal.2:13, preceded by οὕτως, Jhn.3:16; (b) so then, therefore: Mat.12:12, Mrk.2:28, Rom.7:4, 1Co.3:7, Gal.3:9, al. 3. so then, therefore: with subjc., 1Co.5:8; with imperat., 1Co.3:21 4:5, Php.2:12 1Th.4:18, 1Pe.4:19, al (AS)

no longerοὐκέτιouketiG3756
no

οὐ (ou) οὐ, before a vowel with smooth breathing οὐκ, before one with rough breathing οὐχ (but improperly οὐχ ἰδού, Act.2:7, WH, mg.; cf. WH, Intr., §409; M, Pr., 44, 244), [in LXX for אֵין ,אַיִן ,לֹא ;] neg. particle, not, no, used generally with indic, and for a denial of fact (cf . μή); 1. absol. (accented), οὔ, no: Mat.13:29 Jhn.1:21 21:5; οὒ οὕ, Mat.5:37 Jas.5:12. …

you areεἶeiG1510
you are

εἶ (ei) εἰμί, with various uses and significations, like the English verb to be. I. As substantive verb. 1. Of persons and things, to be, exist: Act.17:28, Jhn.1:1, 8:58, 17:5, al; ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν (for past ptcp.), Rev.1:4, 8, 4:8, 11:17, 16:5 (see Swete, Ap., 5; M, Pr., 228); τὰ (μὴ) ὄντα, Rom.4:17, 1Co.1:28. 2. Of times, events, etc., to be, happen, take place: Mat.24:3, Mrk.14:2, 15:42, Luk.21:23, Jhn.4:6, 23, 5:10, al. …

a slaveδοῦλοςdoulosG1401
female slave

δούλη (doulē) δούλη, ἡ, see: δοῦλος. δοῦλος, -η, -ον, [in LXX, ὁ δ. nearly always for עֶבֶד; ὁ δ. chiefly for שִׁפְחָה ,אָמָה ;] 1. in bondage to, subject to: Rom.6:19. 2. As subst., ὁ, ἡ δ., a slave; (a) fem., ἡ δ., a female slave, bondmaid (Cremer, 702; DB, iii, 215): Luk.1:38, 48 Act.2:18" (LXX) ; …

butἀλλ᾽all᾽G0235
but

ἀλλά (alla) ἀλλά (ἀλλ᾽ usually bef. α and υ, often bef. ε and η, rarely bef. ο and ω, never bef. ι; Tdf., Pr., 93 f.; WH, App., 146), adversative particle, stronger than δέ; prop. neuter pl. of ἄλλος, used adverbially, with changed accent; hence prop. otherwise, on the other hand (cf. Rom.3:31); …

a son;υἱός·huiosG5207
son

υἱός (uhios) υἱός, -οῦ, ὁ, [in LXX very frequently and nearly always for בֵּן, Gen.4:17, al.; for בַּר, Dan LXX TH 7:13, al.; etc. ;], a son; 1. in the ordinary sense: Mat.10:37, Mrk.9:17, Luk.1:13, al. mult.; omitted with the art. of origin (WM, §30, 3; Bl., §35, 2), τὸν τοῦ Ἰεσσαί, Act.13:22 (LXX); also with genitive anarth. (cl.), Σώπατρος Πύρρου Βεροιαῖος, Act.20:4; with adj., προτότοκος, Luk.2:7; μονογένης, Luk.7:12; opposite to νόθος, Heb.12:8; in a wider sense, of posterity: ὁ υἱ. Δαυΐδ, of the Messiah (cf. Dalman, Words, 316ff.; DCG, ii, 653f.), Mat.22:42, 45 Mrk.12:35, 37 Luk.20:41, 44 al.; υἱοὶ …

ifεἰeiG1487G
if

εἰ (ei) εἰ, conjunctive particle, used in conditions and in indirect questions. I. Conditional, if; 1. with indic, expressing a general assumption; (a) pres.: before indic, pres., Mat.11:14, Rom.8:25, al.; before imperat., Mrk.4:23 9:22, Jhn.15:18, 1Co.7:9, al.; before fut. indic., Luk.16:31, Rom.8:11, al.; before pf. or aor., with negation in apodosis, Mat.12:26, Rom.4:14, al.; similarly, before impf., Luk.17:6, Jhn.8:39; before quæst., Mat.6:23, Jhn.5:47 7:23 8:46, 1Pe.2:20; (b) fut.: Mat.26:33, 1Pe.2:20; (with) pf.: Jhn.11:12, Rom.6:5, al.; …

nowδὲdeG1161
then

δέ (de) δέ (before vowels δ᾽; on the general neglect of the elision in NT, see WH, App., 146; Tdf., Pr., 96), post-positive conjunctive particle; 1. copulative, but, in the next place, and, now (Abbott, JG, 104): Mat.1:2ff., 2Co.6:15, 16, 2Pe.1:5-7; in repetition for emphasis, Rom.3:21, 22, 9:30, 1Co.2:6, Gal.2:2, Php.2:8; in transition to something new, Mat.1:18, 2:19, Luk.13:1, Jhn.7:14, Act.6:1, Rom.8:28, 1Co.7:1 8:1, al.; in explanatory parenthesis or addition, Jhn.3:19, Rom.5:8, 1Co.1:12, Eph.2:4, 5:32, al.; ὡς δέ, Jhn.2:9; καὶ . . . δέ, but also, Mat.10:18, Luk.1:76, Jhn.6:51, Rom.11:23, al.; …

a son,υἱός,huiosG5207
son

υἱός (uhios) υἱός, -οῦ, ὁ, [in LXX very frequently and nearly always for בֵּן, Gen.4:17, al.; for בַּר, Dan LXX TH 7:13, al.; etc. ;], a son; 1. in the ordinary sense: Mat.10:37, Mrk.9:17, Luk.1:13, al. mult.; omitted with the art. of origin (WM, §30, 3; Bl., §35, 2), τὸν τοῦ Ἰεσσαί, Act.13:22 (LXX); also with genitive anarth. (cl.), Σώπατρος Πύρρου Βεροιαῖος, Act.20:4; with adj., προτότοκος, Luk.2:7; μονογένης, Luk.7:12; opposite to νόθος, Heb.12:8; in a wider sense, of posterity: ὁ υἱ. Δαυΐδ, of the Messiah (cf. Dalman, Words, 316ff.; DCG, ii, 653f.), Mat.22:42, 45 Mrk.12:35, 37 Luk.20:41, 44 al.; υἱοὶ …

alsoκαὶkaiG2532
and

καί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. …

an heir ofκληρονόμοςklēronomosG2818
heir

κληρονόμος (klēronomos) κληρο-νόμος, -ου, ὁ (κλῆρος, νέμομαι, to possess) [in LXX: Jdg.18:7, 2Ki.14:7, Mic.1:15, Jer.8:10 (יָרַשׁ), Sir.23:22 * ;] 1. (as in cl.) an heir: Mat.21:38, Mrk.12:7, Luk.20:14, Gal.4:1; of those who as sons of God inherit the privileges of the Messianic Kingdom; of Christ himself, Heb.1:2; of Abraham, Rom.4:13-14; of Christians, Rom.8:17, Gal.3:29, Tit.3:7, Jas.2:5. 2. (As in LXX: Jg, Mi, Je, ll. with) a possessor: Heb.6:17 11:7 (Cremer, 359 f.).† (AS)

throughδιὰdiaG1223
through/because of

διά (dia) διά (before a vowel δ᾽, exc. Rom.8:10, 2Co.5:7, and in (Proper name)s; Tdf., Pr., 94), prep. with genitive, accusative, as in cl.; 1. with genitive, through; (i) of Place, after verbs of motion or action: Mat.2:12 12:43, Mrk.2:23, Luk.4:30, Jhn.4:4, 2Co.11:33, al.; σώζεσθαι (διας-) δ. πυρός, ὕδατος, 1Co.3:15, 1Pe.3:20; βλέπειν δ. ἐσόπτρου, 1Co.13:12; metaphorically, of a state or condition: Rom.14:20, 2Co.2:4 5:7, 10; δ. γράμματος, ἀκροβυστίας (Lft., Notes, 263, 279), Rom.2:27 4:11; δι ̓ὑπομενῆς, Rom.8:25. (ii) Of Time; …

GodθεοῦtheouG2316
God

θεός (theos) θεός, -οῦ, ὁ, ἡ (Act.19:37 only; see M, Pr., 60, 244), late voc., θεέ (Mat.27:46; cf. Deu.3:24, al.), [in LXX chiefly for אֱלֹהִים, also for אֵל and other cognate forms, יהוה, etc. ;] a god or deity, God. 1. In polytheistic sense, a god or deity: Act.28:6, 1Co.8:4, 2Th.2:4, al.; pl., Ac. 14:11 19:26, Gal.4:8, al. 2. Of the one true God; …

Christ.Χριστοῦ.¶ChristouG5547
Christ

Χριστός (Christos) χριστός (Χρ-), -ή, -όν (χρίω), [in LXX for מָשִׁיחַ and cogn. forms ;] 1. 1. as adj., (a) of things, anointing, to be used as ointment (Æsch., Eur., al.; τ. ἔλαιον τὸ χ., Lev.21:10); (b) of persons, anointed (ὁ ἰερεὺς ὁ χ., Lev.4:5; οἱ χ. ἰευρεῖς, 2Ma.1:10): ὁ χ. τοῦ κυρίου or Θεοῦ (1Ki.2:10, Psa.2:2, al.), of the Messiah (Aram., מְשִׁיחָא; cf. Dalman, Words, 289 ff.), Luk.2:11, 26 Jhn.1:41, Act.2:36 4:26, al. …

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.