Galatians 4:21-31 · Bible study
Galatians 4:21-31 Commentary: Paul's Allegory of Law and Promise
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
How Paul uses the very law the Galatians crave to argue for freedom, using an allegory of Hagar and Sarah as two covenants.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Paul uses an allegory of Hagar and Sarah to show that the law brings slavery, but the promise brings freedom; believers are children of the free woman.
- Key words: Allēgoroumena (allegorized), present passive, only NT use; sustoichei (corresponds), military term for standing in the same row; paidiskē (slave woman) vs. eleuthera (free woman).
- Main debate: Whether Paul uses allegory as a valid interpretive method or as an ad hominem argument to the Judaizers; also the text-critical issue of the word ‘Hagar’ in v.25.
- Theological theme: Law vs. promise, bondage vs. freedom, earthly vs. heavenly Jerusalem, the inclusion of Gentiles as children of promise.
- Best use: Teaching on justification by faith, the function of the law, and the identity of the church as the free children of God.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
21Tell me, you who want to be under the law, do you not understand what the law says?
22For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.
23His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born through the promise.
24These things serve as illustrations, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children into slavery: This is Hagar.
25Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present-day Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children.
26But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.
27For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth and cry aloud, you who have never travailed; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.”
28Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.
29At that time, however, the son born by the flesh persecuted the son born by the Spirit. It is the same now.
30But what does the Scripture say? “Expel the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”
31Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.
WEB World English Bible 2000
21Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, don’t you listen to the law?
22For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the servant, and one by the free woman.
23However, the son by the servant was born according to the flesh, but the son by the free woman was born through promise.
24These things contain an allegory, for these are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children to bondage, which is Hagar.
25For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to the Jerusalem that exists now, for she is in bondage with her children.
26But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
27For it is written, “Rejoice, you barren who don’t bear. Break out and shout, you who don’t travail. For the desolate women have more children than her who has a husband.”
28Now we, brothers, as Isaac was, are children of promise.
29But as then, he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now.
30However, what does the Scripture say? “Throw out the servant and her son, for the son of the servant will not inherit with the son of the free woman.”
31So then, brothers, we are not children of a servant, but of the free woman.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
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, one by the handmaid, and one by the freewoman.
23Howbeit the son by the handmaid is born after the flesh; but the son by the freewoman is born through promise.
24Which things contain an allegory: for these women are two covenants; one from mount Sinai, bearing children unto bondage, which is Hagar.
25Now this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia and answereth to the Jerusalem that now is: for she is in bondage with her children.
26But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is our mother.
27For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; Break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: For more are the children of the desolate than of her that hath the husband.
28Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.
29But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted himthat was bornafter the Spirit, so also it is now.
30Howbeit what saith the scripture? Cast out the handmaid and her son: for the son of the handmaid shall not inherit with the son of the freewoman.
31Wherefore, brethren, we are not children of a handmaid, but of the freewoman.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
21Tell me, ye who are willing to be under law, the law do ye not hear?
22for it hath been written, that Abraham had two sons, one by the maid-servant, and one by the free-woman,
23but he who is of the maid-servant, according to flesh hath been, and he who is of the free-woman, through the promise;
24which things are allegorized, for these are the two covenants: one, indeed, from mount Sinai, to servitude bringing forth, which is Hagar;
25for this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and doth correspond to the Jerusalem that now is , and is in servitude with her children,
26and the Jerusalem above is the free-woman, which is mother of us all,
27for it hath been written, `Rejoice, O barren, who art not bearing; break forth and cry, thou who art not travailing, because many are the children of the desolate--more than of her having the husband.'
28And we, brethren, as Isaac, are children of promise,
29but as then he who was born according to the flesh did persecute him according to the spirit, so also now;
30but what saith the Writing? `Cast forth the maid-servant and her son, for the son of the maid-servant may not be heir with the son of the free-woman;'
31then, brethren, we are not a maid-servant's children, but the free-woman's.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
21Tell me, ye who are desirous of being under law, do ye not listen to the law?
22For it is written that Abraham had two sons; one of the maid servant, and one of the free woman.
23But he [that was] of the maid servant was born according to flesh, and he [that was] of the free woman through the promise.
24Which things have an allegorical sense; for these are two covenants: one from mount Sinai, gendering to bondage, which is Hagar.
25For Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which [is] now, for she is in bondage with her children;
26but the Jerusalem above is free, which is our mother.
27For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break out and cry, thou that travailest not; because the children of the desolate are more numerous than [those] of her that has a husband.
28But ye, brethren, after the pattern of Isaac, are children of promise.
29But as then he that was born according to flesh persecuted him [that was born] according to Spirit, so also [it is] now.
30But what says the scripture? Cast out the maid servant and her son; for the son of the maid servant shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.
31So then, brethren, we are not maid servant's children, but [children] of the free woman.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
21Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, have you not read the law?
22For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman and the other by a free woman.
23But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh: but he of the free woman was by promise.
24Which things are said by an allegory. For these are the two testaments. The one from Mount Sina, engendering unto bondage, which is Agar.
25For Sina is a mountain in Arabia, which hath affinity to that Jerusalem which now is: and is in bondage with her children.
26But that Jerusalem which is above is free: which is our mother.
27For it is written: Rejoice, thou barren, that bearest not: break forth and cry thou that travailest not: for many are the children of the desolate, more than of her that hath a husband.
28Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
29But as then he that was born according to the flesh persecuted him that was after the spirit: so also it is now.
30But 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 free woman.
31So then, brethren, we are not the children of the bondwoman but of the free: by the freedom wherewith Christ has made us free.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Galatians 4:21
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Paul deploys an allegorical reading of the Genesis account to contrast two covenants, one of bondage (the law) and one of freedom (the promise). The Cambridge Bible notes that the historical facts are ‘types, calculated and intended to teach great spiritual truths’. Barnes stresses that Paul ‘may be regarded allegorically’ rather than arguing from strict exegesis, while Calvin calls the illustration ‘of great beauty’ even if as an argument it is not the strongest. The key Greek phrase, ἅτινά ἐστιν ἀλληγορούμενα (hatina estin allēgoroumena, present passive periphrastic), indicates that these events are being given a figurative meaning, the only NT use of the verb. Paul deliberately presents Ishmael’s birth with the perfect tense γεγέννηται (gegennētai, ‘has been born’, treating the fact as present), contrasting it with Isaac’s birth δι᾽ ἐπαγγελίας (through promise). Thus the very Pentateuch that the Galatians wanted to subject themselves to becomes the basis for declaring their freedom.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Typological/allegorical reading as legitimate exegesis: Paul uses the historical persons as types ordained by God to teach about the two covenants; the grammatical feature of present passive participle (‘are being allegorized’) suggests an intended deeper meaning.
- Ad hominem/illustrative reading: Paul may have borrowed a rabbinic style of argument that his opponents would accept, without necessarily endorsing allegory as normative exegesis; Calvin notes it is more beautiful than powerful as argument.
What is clear: Paul clearly teaches that the law brings bondage and cannot produce heirs of God, while the promise through Christ brings freedom and inheritance for all who believe.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The allegorical method of interpretation | Paul intentionally draws a spiritual meaning from the historical account of Hagar and Sarah, and this meaning points to two covenants. | Some commentators (e.g., Calvin) see the allegory as an illustration rather than a rigorous argument; others (e.g., Cambridge) affirm the historical facts as types ordained by God. Christians differ on how far allegorical interpretation can be applied to other Old Testament narratives. |
| Identification of Hagar with Mount Sinai | Hagar represents the law given at Sinai, which produces bondage. This is the main point of the allegory. | The phrase ‘this Hagar is Mount Sinai’ has textual variants; some manuscripts omit ‘Hagar’ and read ‘Sinai is a mountain in Arabia’. Also, the exact geographical link (Sinai in Arabia, the mountain of the Hagarenes) is debated among interpreters. |
| The role of the Old Testament in Christian doctrine | The Genesis story is not discarded but given a Christ-centered reading. The law itself contains the seeds of the gospel. | Christians hold different views on the continuing validity of the Mosaic law: Lutherans and Reformed see it as abrogated in its ceremonial aspects but still useful as a guide; Catholics see it as completed and fulfilled in Christ; theonomy advocates argue for its continued application in civil law. |
| The meaning of ‘Jerusalem above’ | This refers to the heavenly or spiritual Jerusalem, the mother of all believers in Christ. | Some interpret it as the church on earth (the invisible church), others as the eschatological heavenly city (as in Revelation 21). Dispensationalists may distinguish it from the earthly Jerusalem in a future millennial role, while covenant theologians see it as the one people of God across all ages. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The Galatian churches were being unsettled by Judaizing teachers who insisted that Gentile believers must adopt Moses’ law, especially circumcision and calendar observances, to be fully saved. Paul writes with pastoral urgency, ‘perplexed’ about them (4:20). In this passage he pulls a surprising move: he turns to the law itself, the Pentateuch, to make his case.
Jewish interpreters of Paul’s day commonly drew ‘mystical’ meanings from patriarchal stories. Philo of Alexandria, for instance, allegorized Hagar as ‘encyclical education’ and Sarah as ‘virtue’. Paul goes further, grounding his allegory in redemptive history. He identifies Hagar with Mount Sinai in Arabia, the place where the law was given, and with the present earthly Jerusalem, which he says ‘is in bondage with her children’. By contrast, Sarah represents the ‘Jerusalem above’, the free mother of all believers. This language echoes Jewish apocalyptic thought, where the heavenly Jerusalem stands for the true people of God.
The quotation from Isaiah 54:1 (v.27) originally promised restoration to desolate Israel after exile. Paul applies it to the church, showing that the barren woman (Sarah and her spiritual descendants) will have more children than the one ‘who has a husband’ (Hagar’s line). In one bold stroke, Paul re-reads the family story of Abraham to declare that the law leads to slavery, while the promise produces freedom.
Textual Notes
The main textual issue in this passage occurs in verse 25. The phrase ‘For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia’ appears in most manuscripts, but some early witnesses (including Codex Vaticanus) omit the word ‘Hagar’, reading instead ‘For Sinai is a mountain in Arabia’. The sense is not substantially altered; the point that the law covenant is linked to Sinai and produces bondage remains. In verse 28, there is a variant between ‘we’ and ‘you’ (ὑμεῖς vs. ἡμεῖς). The majority of manuscripts support ‘we’, which fits the flow of Paul’s argument. The consulted sources note no other significant variants that affect the interpretation of the passage.
Reception History
This passage has been a cornerstone for understanding the relationship between law and gospel. In the early church, Irenaeus and Augustine used the allegory to argue that the Old Testament points to Christ and that the Church is the true heir of the promise. During the Reformation, Luther drew heavily on Galatians 4 to assert justification by faith alone, contrasting the ‘bondage’ of works-righteousness with the ‘freedom’ of the gospel. Calvin, while cautious about the force of allegory as proof, still found it pastorally useful. In later centuries, the passage shaped debates about the identity of Israel and the Church; some interpreters saw the ‘casting out’ of Hagar as a prophecy of the replacement of Israel by the Church, while others argued for a distinction (as in dispensationalism) between an earthly people and a heavenly people. The image of the ‘Jerusalem above’ also inspired the Christian hope of the heavenly city in hymns and in Augustine’s City of God.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The law itself points beyond itself. Paul starts with the very Scriptures the Galatians revere, showing that the story of Hagar and Ishmael, the son ‘born according to the flesh’, represents the covenant of law from Mount Sinai, which produces slavery.
- Two covenants, two mothers, two children. Hagar and Sarah are not just historical women; they embody two relationships with God. One is based on human effort; the other on divine promise. Isaac’s birth is supernatural, a gift.
- Freedom comes through being cast out. The command to expel the bondwoman and her son is harsh, but it makes space for the true heir. In the gospel, the old way of law must be sent away so that grace can have its full place.
Five-point outline
- The irony: Paul appeals to the law to free people from the law.
- The historical foundation: Abraham’s two sons as real persons, not fiction.
- The spiritual meaning: the two women allegorize two covenants (Sinai vs. promise).
- The present application: Jerusalem below is in slavery; the Jerusalem above is free.
- The conclusion: believers are children of promise, heirs with Isaac.
Illustration hooks
- A man works years to earn his father’s approval, only to discover the inheritance was always a gift. The law is like trying to earn what love gives freely.
- A family that adopts a child: the child does nothing to earn membership; it comes through promise. The birth children by nature are not automatically heirs if the parent chooses to include the adopted one.
- Two columns in a ledger: one for ‘works I do for God’ and one for ‘what God promised to do for me’. The allegory of Hagar and Sarah represents shifting from the first column to the second.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “If we are free from the law, do we still need to obey God’s commands?”
- “What do we do with guilt when we fail to keep religious rules we thought were part of being Christian?”
- “How do I know I’m living as a child of the free woman, not the slave?”
Leading a Discussion
This passage invites us to reflect on what it means to live as children of promise. Paul takes a familiar Old Testament story and shows that it was always pointing to freedom in Christ. Use these questions in your group to move from the text to your lives.
Discussion questions
- Read Galatians 4:21-31 aloud. Why does Paul call this an allegory? What does that tell us about how we can read the Old Testament?
- How does Paul identify Hagar and Sarah? Are they simply individuals, or do they represent something larger? Why does he connect Hagar with Mount Sinai and the present Jerusalem?
- What does the phrase ‘Jerusalem above’ mean? How is she our mother?
- The command to ‘cast out the slave woman and her son’ seems harsh. In what ways might we need to ‘cast out’ a slave mentality in our own walk with God?
- The Galatians wanted to add law-keeping to faith. What are some contemporary ways we are tempted to add human effort to God’s free grace?
- ‘We are not children of the slave woman, but of the free.’ How does this identity shape the way you pray, face failures, or relate to others?
- Share a time when you experienced the difference between religious obligation and the freedom that comes from being God’s child by promise.
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Matthew 21:42 | Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected was made the head of the corner. This was from the Lord. It is marvelous in our eyes’? |
| Matthew 21:44 | He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it will fall, it will scatter him as dust.” |
| Matthew 22:29 | But Jesus answered them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God. |
| Matthew 22:32 | ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” |
| John 5:46 | For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote about me. |
| John 5:47 | But if you don’t believe his writings, how will you believe my words?” |
| John 10:34 | Jesus answered them, “Isn’t it written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’? |
| John 12:34 | The multitude answered him, “We have heard out of the law that the Christ remains forever. How do you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke highlights Paul's use of Jewish allegorical method, where Hagar represents the earthly Jerusalem in bondage to the law, while Sarah symbolizes the heavenly Jerusalem that is free and mother of all believers. He notes textual variations in the Greek manuscripts, such as the disputed word "Agar" in verse 25, to clarify the contrast.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes insists Paul does not claim the Genesis account was originally an allegory. He uses the historical fact of Hagar and Sarah simply as an illustration to contrast slavery under the law with the freedom of the gospel. This distinction, for Barnes, guards against fanciful over-allegorizing of Scripture.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin interprets Paul's allegory to show that the law produces slaves, while grace produces free children. The two covenants are like two mothers: Hagar represents the law given at Sinai,
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary stresses that Paul treats the Genesis account of Sarah and Hagar as real history, not a made-up story. The events themselves are designed to teach spiritual truths, with the historical people and circumstances corresponding to the two covenants. Paul's allegorical reading would carry real force for Jews shaped by Scripture's patterns.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Note insists that the two mothers, Hagar and Sarah, are an allegory for two covenants. Hagar represents the law from Mount Sinai, which produces slavery, while Sarah represents the heavenly Jerusalem, the free mother of all believers. Believers are children of the promise, like Isaac, not children of bondage.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB argues that Paul's allegory of Hagar and Sarah is not human fancy but a Spirit-sanctioned exposition of history, used to counter the Judaizers on their own ground. The law from Sinai, like Hagar, produces bondage, while the free Jerusalem above, like Sarah, produces freedom for believers.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that Paul uses the story of Isaac and Ishmael as an allegory to draw a sharp contrast between two kinds of people: those who rest on Christ alone and those who trust in the law. The bondwoman's son represents bondage under the law, while the freewoman's son represents the freedom of the promise.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent observes that Paul opens abruptly with a direct challenge, then notes the Greek distinction: the readers are bent on being under the law
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley interprets Hagar and Sarah as types of two covenants: one from Mount Sinai that leads to bondage, and one from the heavenly Jerusalem that brings freedom. Believers are children of promise, born by God's supernatural power, not by natural means. Those who rely on the law will be cast out, just as Ishmael persecuted Isaac.