Galatians 4:3 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Galatians 4:1-7

In this chapter the apostle deals plainly with those who hearkened to the judaizing teachers, who cried up the law of Moses in competition with the gospel of Christ, and endeavored to bring them under the bondage of it. To convince them of their folly, and to rectify their mistake herein, in these verses he prosecutes the comparison of a child under age, which he had touched upon in the foregoing chapter, and thence shows what great advantages we have now, under the gospel, above what they had... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Galatians 4:1-7

4:1-7 This is what I mean--so long as the heir is an infant there is no difference between him and a slave, although he is owner of everything, but he is under the control of stewards and overseers until the day which his father has fixed arrives. It is just the same with us. When we were infants we were in subjection to the elementary knowledge which this world can supply. But when the fulness of time came, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order that he might... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Galatians 4:3

Even so we ,.... Jews, for of such the apostle is only speaking, and to whom he applies the above case of heirs in minority; it was to the Jews he had spoken of the law, as being a military guard, a prison, and a schoolmaster to them; and then having addressed the Gentiles, as being the children of God, baptized into Christ, one in him, interested in him, the spiritual seed of Abraham, and heirs of all the blessings of grace and glory; he returns to the Jews, and represents their estate and... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Galatians 4:3

Even so we - The whole Jewish people were in a state of nonage while under the law. The elements of the world - A mere Jewish phrase, הזה עולם יסודי yesodey olam hazzeh , "the principles of this world;" that is, the rudiments or principles of the Jewish religion. The apostle intimates that the law was not the science of salvation, it was only the elements or alphabet of it; and in the Gospel this alphabet is composed into a most glorious system of Divine knowledge: but as the... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Galatians 4:3

Verse 3 3.Under the elements of the world. Elements may either mean, literally, outward and bodily things, or, metaphorically, rudiments. I prefer the latter interpretation. But why does he say that those things which had a spiritual signification were of the world ? We did not, he says, enjoy the truth in a simple form, but involved in earthly figures; and consequently, what was outward must have been “of the world,” though there was concealed under it a heavenly mystery. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Galatians 4:1-3

The Church of God in its minority. The apostle now passes to a new phase of argument. He has used the similitudes of a testament, a prison, a schoolmaster, to mark the condition of believers under the Law; he now uses the similitude of an heir in his nonage. The Galatians are here taught that the state of men under the Law, so far from being an advanced religious position, was rather low and infantile. Mark— I. THE HEIR 'S POTENTIAL POSITION . He is "lord of all." He is such by... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Galatians 4:1-7

Majority through the gospel. Paul, having spoken of the Law-school in the preceding sections, and of the participation of believing Gentiles in the privileges of the Abrahamic family, proceeds in the present section to speak of the times before Christ's advent as infantile, of the advent as the fulness of times, and of the majority which is realized by believers through the gospel. Four leading thoughts are thus presented. I. THE IMPERFECT TIMES . ( Galatians 4:1-3 .) The Old... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Galatians 4:1-11

Majority and minority. I. THE CHILD COMING TO HIS MAJORITY . Analogy. "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." At the close of the preceding chapter Christians were described as Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise. It is with regard to this that the apostle now makes use of an analogy. It is a very simple and... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Galatians 4:3

Even so we ( οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς ); so we also. This "we" represents the same persons as before in Galatians 3:13 , Galatians 3:24 , Galatians 3:25 (see notes), namely, the people of God; a society preserving a continuous identity through successive stages of development, till now appearing as the Church of Christ. The plural pronoun recites, not individuals, but the community viewed as a whole, having the now subsisting "us" as its present representatives. Individually,... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Galatians 4:3

Even so we - We who were Jews - for so I think the word here is to be limited, and not extended to the pagan, as Bloomfield supposes. The reasons for limiting it are:That the pagans in no sense sustained such a relation to the Law and promises of Gad as is here supposed; Such an interpretation would not be pertinent to the design of Paul. He is stating reasons why there should not be subjection to the laws of Moses, and his argument is, that that condition was like that of bondage or minorship.... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Galatians 4:1-7

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Galatians 4:1-7

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Galatians 4:3

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Galatians 4:3

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Galatians 4:3

The Pulpit Commentary - Galatians 4:1-3

The Pulpit Commentary - Galatians 4:1-7

The Pulpit Commentary - Galatians 4:1-11

The Pulpit Commentary - Galatians 4:3

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Galatians 4:3

Group of Brands