Focused Passage

Galatians 4:1-7

No Longer Slaves: Sonship, Pastoral Anguish, and Children of Promise

Paul moves from the temporary minority of heirs under guardians, to redemption and adoption through God's sent Son, to the Spirit's cry of sonship, then to pastoral anguish over the Galatians' regression, and finally to the contrast between slavery and promise through Hagar and Sarah.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he is the owner of everything.

2He is subject to guardians and trustees until the date set by his father.

3So also, when we were children, we were enslaved under the basic principles of the world.

4But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

5to redeem those under the law, that we might receive our adoption as sons.

6And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”

7So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, you are also an heir through God.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

[What]δέG1161ConjunctionI am saying [is that]ΛέγωG3004Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singularas long asἐφ’G1909Preposition. . .ὅσονG3745Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Singular. . .χρόνονG5550Noun - Accusative Masculine SingulartheG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularheirκληρονόμοςG2818Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularisἐστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singulara childνήπιόςG3516Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singularhe is no differentδιαφέρειG1308Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular. . .οὐδὲνG3762Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singularfrom a slaveδούλουG1401Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular[although] he isὤνG1510Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singularthe ownerκύριοςG2962Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularof everythingπάντωνG3956Adjective - Genitive Neuter Plural
Verse 2

Original words

-ἀλλὰG235ConjunctionHe isἐστὶνG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singularsubject toὑπὸG5259PrepositionguardiansἐπιτρόπουςG2012Noun - Accusative Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctiontrusteesοἰκονόμουςG3623Noun - Accusative Masculine PluraluntilἄχριG891PrepositiontheτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine Singulardate setπροθεσμίαςG4287Noun - Genitive Feminine Singularby [his]τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularfatherπατρόςG3962Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Verse 3

Original words

SoοὕτωςG3779AdverbalsoκαὶG2532ConjunctionwhenὅτεG3753Adverbwe wereἦμενG1510Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 1st Person PluralchildrenνήπιοιG3516Adjective - Nominative Masculine PluralweἡμεῖςG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person PluralwereἤμεθαG1510Verb - Imperfect Indicative Middle - 1st Person PluralenslavedδεδουλωμένοιG1402Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine PluralunderὑπὸG5259PrepositiontheτὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter Pluralbasic principlesστοιχεῖαG4747Noun - Accusative Neuter Pluralof theτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularworldκόσμουG2889Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular

BSB notes

  • Or elemental forces; similarly in verse 9
Verse 4

Original words

ButδὲG1161ConjunctionwhenὍτεG3753AdverbtheτὸG3588Article - Nominative Neuter Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingulartimeχρόνουG5550Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular{had} fullyπλήρωμαG4138Noun - Nominative Neuter SingularcomeἦλθενG2064Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularGodΘεὸςG2316Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularsentἐξαπέστειλενG1821Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularHisαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular-τὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularSonΥἱὸνG5207Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularbornγενόμενονG1096Verb - Aorist Participle Middle - Accusative Masculine SingularofἐκG1537Prepositiona womanγυναικόςG1135Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularbornγενόμενονG1096Verb - Aorist Participle Middle - Accusative Masculine SingularunderὑπὸG5259Preposition[the] lawνόμονG3551Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Verse 5

Original words

-ἵναG2443Conjunctionto redeemἐξαγοράσῃG1805Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person SingularthoseτοὺςG3588Article - Accusative Masculine PluralunderὑπὸG5259Preposition[the] lawνόμονG3551Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularthatἵναG2443Conjunctionwe might receiveἀπολάβωμενG618Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 1st Person Plural[our]τὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine Singularadoption as sonsυἱοθεσίανG5206Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Verse 6

Original words

AndδέG1161ConjunctionbecauseὍτιG3754Conjunctionyou areἐστεG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person PluralsonsυἱοίG5207Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularGodΘεὸςG2316Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularsentἐξαπέστειλενG1821Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingulartheτὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter SingularSpiritΠνεῦμαG4151Noun - Accusative Neuter SingularofτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularHisαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person SingularSonΥἱοῦG5207Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularintoεἰςG1519PrepositionourἡμῶνG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Plural-τὰςG3588Article - Accusative Feminine PluralheartsκαρδίαςG2588Noun - Accusative Feminine Pluralcrying outκρᾶζονG2896Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Neuter SingularAbbaἈββᾶG5Noun - Vocative Masculine Singular-G3588Article - Vocative Masculine SingularFatherΠατήρG3962Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Verse 7

Original words

SoὥστεG5620Conjunctionyou areεἶG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singularno longerοὐκέτιG3765Adverba slaveδοῦλοςG1401Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularbutἀλλὰG235Conjunctiona sonυἱόςG5207Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularandδὲG1161Conjunctionsince [you are]εἰG1487Conjunctiona sonυἱόςG5207Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular[you are] alsoκαὶG2532Conjunctionan heirκληρονόμοςG2818Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularthroughδιὰG1223PrepositionGodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.