Galatians 4:22
in Galatians 4For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, one by the handmaid, and one by the freewoman.
KJV
For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
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This verse in Galatians 4
Commentary
14 notes on this verse(Verse 22, 23.) For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through the promise. It is of great difficulty to demonstrate that only Isaac, who was born of Sarah, was generated through the promise, and not also Ishmael, who was born of the Egyptian slave Hagar.
This site's exposition
you who want to be under the law
on Galatians 4:21-23
Paul turns the law on those who want to be under it, going to Genesis for two sons of Abraham. One was born according to the flesh and the other was born through the promise, and the allegory rests on that difference.
This site's exposition
Abraham had two sons
Genesis 16 and 21 tell of Ishmael, born of Hagar the slave, and Isaac, born of Sarah the free wife. The teachers stressed descent from Abraham. Paul asks which son and which mother.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
But why enlarge on such a subject? When the very apostle whom our heretics adopt, interprets the law which allows an unmuzzled mouth to the oxen that tread out the corn, not of cattle, but of ourselves; and also alleges that the rock which followed (the Israelites) and supplied them with drink was Christ; teaching the Galatians, moreover, that the two narratives of the sons of Abraham had an allegorical meaning in their course; and to the Ephesians giving an intimation that, when it was declared in the beginning that a man should leave his father and mother and become one flesh with his wife, he applied this to Christ and the church.
"Abraham had two sons." He wishes to show that those who are Abraham's offspring by physical kinship, that is, the Jews, are related by flesh, while those who are brought into Abraham's offspring by faith, that is, the Christians, are offspring of Abraham by promise. …
He returns again to Abraham, not in the way of repetition, but, inasmuch as the Patriarch's fame was great among the Jews, to show that the types had their origin from thence, and that present events were pictured aforetime in him. Having previously shown that the Galatians were sons of Abraham, now, in that the Patriarch's sons were not of equal dignity, one being by a bondwoman, the other by a free-woman, he shows that they were not only his sons, but sons in the same sense as he that was freeborn and noble. Such is the power of Faith.
The Medieval Church2 voices
A commentator
BonaventureCollations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 2 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
And concerning the allegory of the body: "It is written that Abraham had two sons, the one by a slave-girl and the other by a free woman. And the son of the slave-girl was born according to the flesh, but the son of the free …
Above he said that you are children of Abraham. But since the sons of the patriarch were not of equal dignity, but one was from the slave woman and the other from the free woman, he now shows that you are not only children, but …
6 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
Then when he says, "It is written that Abraham had two sons," he sets forth his intention, saying: The reason I ask whether you have read the Law is that it contains certain things which clearly indicate that the Law must not be retained. And …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
For it is written,.... In Gen 16:15 that Abraham had two sons, not two sons only; for besides the two referred to, he had six more, Gen 25:2 but it being only pertinent to the apostle's purpose to take notice of these two, he mentions no more, though he does not deny that he had any more. These two sons were Ishmael and Isaac: the one by a bondmaid. Ishmael was by Hagar, Sarah's servant, who represented the covenant the Jewish nation was under the bondage of. The other by a free woman.
Was born after the flesh - In a natural way. By promise - Through that supernatural strength which was given Abraham in consequence of the promise.
Here he represents the different state and condition of these two sons of Abraham--that the one, Ishmael, was by a bond-maid, and the other, Isaac, by a free-woman; and that whereas the former was born after the flesh, or by the ordinary course of nature, the other was by promise, when in the course of nature there was no reason to expect that Sarah should have a son.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
For it is written - Viz. in Gen 16:15; Gen 22:1, etc., that Abraham had two sons, Ishmael and Isaac; the one; Ishmael, by a bond maid, Hagar; the other, Isaac, by a free woman, Sarah.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
For it is written - Gen. 16; 21. Abraham had two sons - Ishmael and Isaac. Abraham subsequently had several sons by Keturah after the death of Sarah; Gen 26:1-6. But the two sons by Hagar and Sarah were the most prominent, and the events of their lives furnished the particular illustration which Paul desired. The one by a bond-maid - Ishmael, the son of Hagar. Hagar was an Egyptian slave, whom Sarah gave to Abraham in order that he might not be wholly without posterity; Gen 16:3. The other by a free woman - Isaac, the son of Sarah; Gen 21:1-2.
The words behind it
16 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| γέγραπται | gegraptai | It has been written | G1125 → | 189 times |
| γὰρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | that | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| Ἀβραὰμ | abraam | Abraham | G11 → | 73 times |
| δύο | duo | two | G1417 → | |
| υἱοὺς | huious | sons | G5207 → | 377 times |
| ἔσχεν, | eschen | had, | G2192 → | 707 times |
| ἕνα | hena | one | G1520 → | 343 times |
| ἐκ | ek | of | G1537 → | 911 times |
| τῆς | tes | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| παιδίσκης | paidiskes | slave woman | G3814 → | 13 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἕνα | hena | one | G1520 → | 343 times |
| ἐκ | ek | of | G1537 → | 911 times |
| τῆς | tes | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐλευθέρας. | eleutheras | free. | G1658 → | 23 times |
γέγραπταιIt has been written
gegraptaiG1125 →189 times
γὰρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
ὅτιthat
hotiG3754 →1292 times
ἈβραὰμAbraham
abraamG11 →73 times
δύοtwo
duoG1417 →
υἱοὺςsons
huiousG5207 →377 times
ἔσχεν,had,
eschenG2192 →707 times
ἕναone
henaG1520 →343 times
ἐκof
ekG1537 →911 times
τῆςthe
tesG3588 →19766 times
παιδίσκηςslave woman
paidiskesG3814 →13 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἕναone
henaG1520 →343 times
ἐκof
ekG1537 →911 times
τῆςthe
tesG3588 →19766 times
ἐλευθέρας.free.
eleutherasG1658 →23 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Genesis 21:10and she said to Abraham, “Expel the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac!”
it leads to
- John 8:35
A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son belongs to it forever.
- Galatians 4:22–31
For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.
- 1 John 2:19
They went out from us, but they did not belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But their departure made it clear that none of…
- 1 Peter 1:4
and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you,
- Genesis 36:6–7
Later, Esau took his wives and sons and daughters and all the people of his household, along with his livestock, all his other animals, and all the property he had acquired in Canaan, and…
- John 8:35
Through
Genesis 16:15And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne.
it leads to
- Genesis 25:12
This is the account of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore to Abraham.
- Genesis 17:18
And Abraham said to God, “O that Ishmael might live under Your blessing!”
- Genesis 37:27
Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him; for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And they agreed.
- Genesis 25:12
Where this verse is studied
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About Galatians
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 14 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bonaventure, Collations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 2; Jerome, Commentary on Galatians; John Calvin, Commentary on Galatians; John Chrysostom, Homily on Galatians 4; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Galatians; Tertullian, Against Marcion Book III; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Galatians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Galatians.