But what does the Scripture say?This phrase introduces a direct appeal to the authority of Scripture, emphasizing its role as the ultimate guide for faith and practice. In the context of Galatians, Paul frequently uses Scripture to validate his arguments, particularly in addressing the Judaizers who were advocating for adherence to the Mosaic Law. This rhetorical question underscores the importance of returning to the foundational texts for guidance, reflecting the principle of Sola Scriptura, which holds Scripture as the supreme authority in all matters of doctrine and practice.
“Expel the slave woman and her son,
This command refers to the story of Hagar and Ishmael inGenesis 21:10, where Sarah demands that Abraham send them away. In the allegory Paul presents, Hagar represents the old covenant of the Law given at Sinai, while Sarah represents the new covenant of grace. The expulsion signifies the rejection of the old covenant as a means of justification. Historically, this reflects the tension between the descendants of Isaac and Ishmael, with Ishmael traditionally seen as the ancestor of various Arab tribes. Theologically, it illustrates the incompatibility of law and grace as means of salvation.
for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance
Ishmael, as the son of the slave woman, is not entitled to the inheritance promised to Isaac, the son of the free woman. This distinction highlights the concept of spiritual inheritance, where only those who are children of the promise, like Isaac, are heirs to God's promises. In the broader biblical narrative, inheritance is a recurring theme, often associated with the blessings and promises of God to His people, as seen in the Abrahamic covenant. This phrase underscores the exclusivity of the inheritance to those who are in Christ, as opposed to those who rely on the law.
with the free woman’s son.”
Isaac, the son of Sarah, represents those who are born through the promise and are thus heirs according to faith. This distinction between the free and the slave woman serves as an allegory for the two covenants: the covenant of grace and the covenant of law. The free woman’s son symbolizes the believers who are justified by faith and are thus part of the new covenant. This aligns with the broader Pauline theology that emphasizes freedom in Christ and contrasts it with the bondage of the law, as seen in other passages likeRomans 8:15-17, where believers are described as children of God and co-heirs with Christ.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
Paul the ApostleThe author of the letter to the Galatians, addressing the churches in Galatia about the dangers of legalism and the importance of faith in Christ.
2.
HagarThe slave woman mentioned in the verse, mother of Ishmael, representing the old covenant of the law and bondage.
3.
SarahThe free woman, wife of Abraham, and mother of Isaac, representing the new covenant of grace and freedom.
4.
IshmaelSon of Hagar, symbolizing those born according to the flesh and under the law.
5.
IsaacSon of Sarah, symbolizing those born according to the promise and under grace.
Teaching Points
Understanding the AllegoryPaul uses the account of Hagar and Sarah as an allegory to illustrate the difference between living under the law (bondage) and living under grace (freedom). Believers are called to live as children of the promise, not under the bondage of the law.
Freedom in ChristJust as Isaac was the child of promise, Christians are called to live in the freedom that comes through faith in Christ, not under the constraints of legalism.
Inheritance of the BelieverThe inheritance promised to believers is not based on works or adherence to the law but on faith in Jesus Christ. This inheritance is eternal and secure.
Separation from LegalismThe command to "expel the slave woman and her son" serves as a metaphor for rejecting legalism and embracing the grace offered through Christ.
Living by the SpiritAs children of the promise, believers are encouraged to live by the Spirit, which leads to true freedom and fulfillment of God's promises.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Galatians 4:30?
2.How does Galatians 4:30 instruct us to handle false teachings in the church?
3.What does "cast out the slave woman" symbolize in our spiritual lives today?
4.How does Galatians 4:30 relate to the promise of freedom in Christ?
5.In what ways can we apply Galatians 4:30 to personal spiritual growth?
6.How does Galatians 4:30 connect with the theme of inheritance in Scripture?
7.What does Galatians 4:30 mean by "Cast out the slave woman and her son"?
8.How does Galatians 4:30 relate to the concept of spiritual inheritance?
9.Why does Paul reference Sarah and Hagar in Galatians 4:30?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Galatians 4?
11.Was Hagar a wife or concubine of Abraham?
12.Is the Holy Spirit a seal of divine promise?
13.Why does Galatians 4:22-23, referring to Abraham's two sons, contradict other accounts of their significance in Genesis?
14.In Numbers 30:6-8, why can a husband nullify his wife's vow while no reciprocal right is given, and does this contradict Galatians 3:28's teaching on equality?What Does Galatians 4:30 Mean
But what does the Scripture say?Paul pauses his argument and points the Galatians straight to the written Word—his ultimate authority.
• Like Jesus in the wilderness (“It is written,”Matthew 4:4) Paul treats Scripture as decisive, not merely helpful.
•2 Timothy 3:16 affirms, “All Scripture is God-breathed,” grounding Paul’s confidence.
• By opening with this question, Paul invites believers to measure every teaching—legalistic or otherwise—against the clear voice of God’s Word (Acts 17:2, 11).
“Expel the slave woman and her son”Paul quotesGenesis 21:10 (BSB: “Drive out the slave woman and her son”). In its original setting, Sarah insists that Hagar and Ishmael leave so Isaac can be the uncontested heir. Paul uses that historical event to illustrate a spiritual reality.
• Hagar represents the Sinai covenant that produces bondage (Galatians 4:24-25); Sarah pictures the new covenant of promise.
• Casting out the slave woman echoes God’s call for believers to separate from reliance on the law for salvation (2 Corinthians 6:17).
• Jesus said, “Everyone who sins is a slave to sin… So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:34-36). Trusting Christ means leaving slavery behind.
•Genesis 21:12 shows God Himself endorsing Sarah’s demand, underscoring that this separation was His plan, not human whim.
“for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”Inheritance belongs to the child of promise, not to the child of fleshly effort.
• Isaac came by God’s supernatural word; Ishmael was born through human planning (Genesis 17:15-19).
•Galatians 3:18: “For if the inheritance depends on the law, it no longer depends on a promise.”
•Romans 8:16-17 assures believers, “We are children of God… heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.”
•Ephesians 1:11 speaks of an “inheritance having been predestined according to His purpose,” highlighting grace, not works.
•Hebrews 9:15 ties our eternal inheritance to Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice, not to legal observance.
summaryGalatians 4:30 drives home a simple, liberating truth: God’s Word settles the matter. The law, symbolized by Hagar and Ishmael, cannot coexist with the covenant of grace represented by Sarah and Isaac. Those who rely on works remain in slavery and forfeit the inheritance. Those who trust the promise in Christ are free sons and daughters, guaranteed the full blessing of salvation and eternal life. Stand in that freedom, and let Scripture have the final word.
(30)
What saith the scripture?--In
Genesis 21:10 the words are put into the mouth of Sarah, but they are afterwards endorsed by the divine command.
The son of the bondwoman shall not be heir.--A bold declaration of the incompatibility of Judaism with Christianity, by which the Apostle clinches his argument against the practices which the Galatian Judaisers were trying to introduce. This is followed by an emphatic assertion of the point on which the whole gist of the previous allegory consists--that the essential character of the Christian Church is freedom. The practical conclusion is given in the opening verse of the next chapter, which should be taken in close connection with the end of this.
Verse 30. -Nevertheless what saith the Scripture? (ἀλλὰ τί λέγει ἡ γραφή). "Nevertheless:" man is acting thus; but, what clothGod say touching the matter? The similar question inRomans 11:4, "But what saith the answer of God (ὁ χρηματισμὸς) to him?" favours the belief that by "the Scripture" the apostle does not mean Scripture in general (ase.g.John 10:35), but the particular "passage of Scripture" to which he is referring (cf.John 19:37;Acts 1:16). The animation of his tone is that of the triumphant assertion of the Almighty's will as an all-suffering answer to all objections and all discouragements. For "the Scripture" is equivalent to "the utterance of God;" not merely as found in an inspired volume, but because of the circumstances attending upon the speaking of the words (comp.Romans 9:17:Galatians 3:8). They were, indeed, uttered by Sarah; being, however, not words of a simply jealous and petulant woman, but of a righteously indignant matron, whose just, if severe, requirement was enforced upon the reluctant Abraham by God's own express command. The historical fact itself, as thus recorded, was singularly noticeable, standing in a position marking it as peculiarly significant: that it really was a type, prophetical of a certain future spiritual procedure, is ascertained for us by the apostle's exposition.Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman (ἔκβαλε τὴν παιδίσκην καὶ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτῆς οὐ,γὰρ μὴ κληρονομήσῃ [or,κληρονομήσει]ὁ υἱὸς τῆς παιδίσκης μετὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ τῆς ἐλευθέραςcast out the handmaid and her son:for the son of the handmaid shall not inherit with the son of the freewoman. The Septuagint has "Cast outthis (ταύτην) handmaid and her son; for the son of this (ταύτης) handmaid shall not inherit withmy son Isaac (μετᾶ τοῦ υἱοῦμου Ἰσαάκ);" the apostle's citation being literally exact, except that it has not the wordsταύτην andταύτης (which are not in the Hebrew), and substitutes "the son of the freewoman" for "my son Isaac." His object in these 'changes, which do not in the least affect the substance, is to mark the utterance the more distinctly as God's own voice, speaking of the parties concerned, not as Sarah did, being one of them, but as supreme Ruler and Judge: for the Lord adopted her decision for his own. In respect to Ishmael's exclusion from inheriting, the instance of Jephthah (Judges 11:1, 2), excluded in somewhat similar terms by the legitimate sons of his father ("Thou shalt not inherit in the house of our father; for the son of a harlot woman art thou"), does not apply. Hagar was not a "harlot;" but stoodwith respect to Sarah in much the same position as did Bilhah and Zilpah to Rachel and Leah. We cannot doubt but that the discrimination made between the two sons, whatever was the character of Sarah's feelings in the matter, is to be ascribed to God's own sovereign appointment (seeRomans 9:7, 11). In this terrible sentence, by which Hagar and Ishmael were driven forth beyond the pale of God's most especial guardianship and blessing, the apostle hears the voice of God bidding away from his covenant all who disbelieved the gospel - all, that is, who set aside God's assurances of his tree unmerited love to all who believed in Jesus. It should seem that it was mainly for the purpose of introducing this denunciation that the apostle has been at the pains to trace out the allegorical meaning of the narrative. The apostle is not now thinking of the national excision of the Jews; he is contemplating, not nationalities, but habits of mind - servile legality on the one side, and on the other faith accepting a free gift of grace. It is at their extreme peril, he in effect tells the Galatians, that they forsake the latter to take up with the former: God has shown that by so doing they will forfeit the inheritance altogether.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Greek
But
Ἀλλὰ(Alla)
Conjunction
Strong's 235:But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.
what
τί(ti)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 5101:Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.
{does} the
ἡ(hē)
Article - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
Scripture
γραφή(graphē)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1124:(a) a writing, (b) a passage of scripture; plur: the scriptures. A document, i.e. Holy Writ.
say?
λέγει(legei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3004:(a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.
“Expel
Ἔκβαλε(Ekbale)
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 1544:To throw (cast, put) out; I banish; I bring forth, produce. From ek and ballo; to eject.
the
τὴν(tēn)
Article - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
slave woman
παιδίσκην(paidiskēn)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3814:A female slave, maidservant, maid, young girl. Feminine diminutive of pais; a girl, i.e., a female slave or servant.
and
καὶ(kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532:And, even, also, namely.
her
αὐτῆς(autēs)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846:He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.
son,
υἱὸν(huion)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5207:A son, descendent. Apparently a primary word; a 'son', used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship.
for
γὰρ(gar)
Conjunction
Strong's 1063:For. A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason.
the
ὁ(ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
slave woman’s
παιδίσκης(paidiskēs)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3814:A female slave, maidservant, maid, young girl. Feminine diminutive of pais; a girl, i.e., a female slave or servant.
son
υἱὸς(huios)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5207:A son, descendent. Apparently a primary word; a 'son', used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship.
will never share in the inheritance with
κληρονομήσει(klēronomēsei)
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2816:To inherit, obtain (possess) by inheritance, acquire. From kleronomos; to be an heir to.
the
τοῦ(tou)
Article - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
free [woman’s]
ἐλευθέρας(eleutheras)
Adjective - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 1658:Free, delivered from obligation. Probably from the alternate of erchomai; unrestrained, i.e. not a slave, or exempt.
son.”
υἱοῦ(huiou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 5207:A son, descendent. Apparently a primary word; a 'son', used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship.
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NT Letters: Galatians 4:30 However what does the Scripture say? Throw (Gal. Ga)
