Galatians 4

New Testament · English Majority Text Version with Greek parallel

Galatians 4

1Now I say, for as much time as the heir is a minor, he does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all,Λέγω δέ, ἐφ᾽ ὅσον χρόνον ὁ κληρονόμος νήπιός ἐστιν, οὐδὲν διαφέρει δούλου, κύριος πάντων ὤν·

2but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father.ἀλλὰ ὑπὸ ἐπιτρόπους ἐστὶ καὶ οἰκονόμους, ἄχρι τῆς προθεσμίας τοῦ πατρός.

3Even so we, when we were minors, were enslaved by the elements of the world.Οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς, ὅτε ἦμεν νήπιοι, ὑπὸ τὰ στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου ἦμεν δεδουλωμένοι·

4But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,ὅτε δὲ ἦλθε τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ χρόνου, ἐξαπέστειλεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ, γενόμενον ἐκ γυναικός, γενόμενον ὑπὸ νόμον,

5so that He might redeem those under the law, so that we might receive the adoption.ἵνα τοὺς ὑπὸ νόμον ἐξαγοράσῃ, ἵνα τὴν υἱοθεσίαν ἀπολάβωμεν.

6And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”Ὅτι δέ ἐστε υἱοί, ἐξαπέστειλεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν, κρᾶζον, Ἀββᾶ, ὁ πατήρ.

7Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.Ὥστε οὐκέτι εἶ δοῦλος, ἀλλ᾽ υἱός· εἰ δὲ υἱός, καὶ κληρονόμος Θεοῦ διὰ Χριστοῦ.

8But at one time indeed, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature were not gods.Ἀλλὰ τότε μέν, οὐκ εἰδότες Θεόν, ἐδουλεύσατε τοῖς μὴ φύσει οὖσι θεοῖς·

9But now, having known God, or rather, having been known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and worthless elements, to which once again you wish to be slaves?νῦν δέ, γνόντες Θεόν, μᾶλλον δὲ γνωσθέντες ὑπὸ Θεοῦ, πῶς ἐπιστρέφετε πάλιν ἐπὶ τὰ ἀσθενῆ καὶ πτωχὰ στοιχεῖα, οἷς πάλιν ἄνωθεν δουλεύειν θέλετε;

10You observe days and months and seasons and years.Ἡμέρας παρατηρεῖσθε, καὶ μῆνας, καὶ καιρούς, καὶ ἐνιαυτούς.

11I am afraid for you, lest somehow I have worked hard for you in vain.Φοβοῦμαι ὑμᾶς, μήπως εἰκῇ κεκοπίακα εἰς ὑμᾶς.

12Brothers, I beseech you, become as I am, because I also am as you are. You have not wronged me at all.Γίνεσθε ὡς ἐγώ, ὅτι κἀγὼ ὡς ὑμεῖς, ἀδελφοί, δέομαι ὑμῶν. Οὐδέν με ἠδικήσατε·

13You know that because of weakness in the flesh I preached the gospel to you the former time.οἴδατε δὲ ὅτι δι᾽ ἀσθένειαν τῆς σαρκὸς εὐηγγελισάμην ὑμῖν τὸ πρότερον.

14And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise nor disdain, but as an angel of God you received me, even as Christ Jesus.Καὶ τὸν πειρασμόν μου τὸν ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου οὐκ ἐξουθενήσατε οὐδὲ ἐξεπτύσατε, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ἄγγελον Θεοῦ ἐδέξασθέ με, ὡς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν.

15What then was your blessing? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have torn out your own eyes and given them to me!Τίς οὖν ἦν ὁ μακαρισμὸς ὑμῶν; Μαρτυρῶ γὰρ ὑμῖν ὅτι, εἰ δυνατόν, τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ὑμῶν ἐξορύξαντες ἂν ἐδώκατέ μοι.

16Have I therefore become your enemy by speaking the truth to you?Ὥστε ἐχθρὸς ὑμῶν γέγονα ἀληθεύων ὑμῖν;

17They are zealous for you in the wrong way; indeed, they wish to shut you out, so that you will be zealous about them.Ζηλοῦσιν ὑμᾶς οὐ καλῶς, ἀλλὰ ἐκκλεῖσαι ὑμᾶς θέλουσιν, ἵνα αὐτοὺς ζηλοῦτε.

18But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always, and not only when I am present with you.Καλὸν δὲ τὸ ζηλοῦσθαι ἐν καλῷ πάντοτε, καὶ μὴ μόνον ἐν τῷ παρεῖναί με πρὸς ὑμᾶς.

19My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you!Τεκνία μου, οὓς πάλιν ὠδίνω, ἄχρις οὗ μορφωθῇ Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν,

20And I wanted to be present with you just now and to change my tone; for I am perplexed about you.ἤθελον δὲ παρεῖναι πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἄρτι, καὶ ἀλλάξαι τὴν φωνήν μου, ὅτι ἀποροῦμαι ἐν ὑμῖν.

21Tell me, you who wish to be under the law, do you not hear the law?Λέγετέ μοι, οἱ ὑπὸ νόμον θέλοντες εἶναι, τὸν νόμον οὐκ ἀκούετε;

22For it is written that Abraham had two sons: one by the servant girl, and the other by a freewoman.Γέγραπται γάρ, ὅτι Ἁβραὰμ δύο υἱοὺς ἔσχεν· ἕνα ἐκ τῆς παιδίσκης, καὶ ἕνα ἐκ τῆς ἐλευθέρας.

23But he who was of the servant girl was born according to the flesh, and he of the free woman according to the promise,Ἀλλ᾽ ὁ μὲν ἐκ τῆς παιδίσκης κατὰ σάρκα γεγέννηται, ὁ δὲ ἐκ τῆς ἐλευθέρας διὰ τῆς ἐπαγγελίας.

24which things are symbolic. For these are two covenants: one in fact from Mount Sinai, bearing children into slavery, which is Hagar—Ἅτινά ἐστιν ἀλληγορούμενα· αὗται γάρ εἰσι δύο διαθῆκαι· μία μὲν ἀπὸ ὄρους Σινᾶ, εἰς δουλείαν γεννῶσα, ἥτις ἐστὶν Ἄγαρ.

25for Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, and is in slavery with her children—Τὸ γὰρ Ἄγαρ Σινᾶ ὄρος ἐστὶν ἐν τῇ Ἀραβίᾳ, συστοιχεῖ δὲ τῇ νῦν Ἱερουσαλήμ, δουλεύει δὲ μετὰ τῶν τέκνων αὐτῆς.

26but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.Ἡ δὲ ἄνω Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐλευθέρα ἐστίν, ἥτις ἐστὶ μήτηρ πάντων ἡμῶν·

27For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren one, who does not give birth; break forth and shout, you who does not have birth pangs; for the children of the desolate are many more than those of her who has a husband.”γέγραπται γάρ, Εὐφράνθητι, στεῖρα, ἡ οὐ τίκτουσα· ῥῆξον καὶ βόησον, ἡ οὐκ ὠδίνουσα· ὅτι πολλὰ τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἐρήμου μᾶλλον ἢ τῆς ἐχούσης τὸν ἄνδρα.

28But we, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.Ἡμεῖς δέ, ἀδελφοί, κατὰ Ἰσαάκ, ἐπαγγελίας τέκνα ἐσμέν.

29But just as then the one who was born according to the flesh persecuted the one born according to the Spirit, so also it is now.Ἀλλ᾽ ὥσπερ τότε ὁ κατὰ σάρκα γεννηθεὶς ἐδίωκε τὸν κατὰ Πνεῦμα, οὕτω καὶ νῦν.

30But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the servant girl and her son, for the son of the servant girl shall by no means inherit with the son of the free woman.”Ἀλλὰ τί λέγει ἡ γραφή; Ἔκβαλε τὴν παιδίσκην καὶ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτῆς, οὐ γὰρ μὴ κληρονομήσῃ ὁ υἱὸς τῆς παιδίσκης μετὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ τῆς ἐλευθέρας.

31So then, brothers, we are not children of the servant girl, but of the free woman.Ἄρα, ἀδελφοί, οὐκ ἐσμὲν παιδίσκης τέκνα, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐλευθέρας.

The Fathers on Galatians 4

Saint John Chrysostom comments on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.

On Galatians 4:1–3

Saint John Chrysostom

Eastern Fathers · c. 390 AD · Homilies on the Epistle to the Galatians

“But I say, that so long as the heir is a child, he differeth nothing from a bond-servant, though he is lord of all; but is under guardians and stewards, until the term appointed of the father. So we also when we were children, were held in bondage under the rudiments of the world.”

Read Homilies on the Epistle to the Galatians →