Galatians 4:21

Translations

Modern

Tell me, you who want to be under the law, do you not understand what the law says?

Traditional

Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

Literal

Tell me, those wanting to be under the law, do you not listen to the law?

Latin

Dicite mihi qui sub lege vultis esse: legem non legistis?

Original

Greek

English

Tell me, you who want to be under the law, do you not understand what the law says?

Notes

Galatians 4:21

Do you not understand what the law actually says?: The Galatians tried to achieve righteousness through the law, but they did not truly understand its meaning (see Luke 24:25–27; 1 Timothy 1:7).

Galatians 4:21–31

Paul now returns to using Scripture to support his argument. He tells the story of two of Abraham's wives, Hagar and Sarah, and their children. He uses this story to show the difference between two types of people: those who are like slaves because they try to follow all the laws, and those who are free because they belong to Christ.
Paul uses a special way of explaining Bible stories (called allegory) that Jewish teachers used in those days (see study note on 4:24). Paul was trained as a rabbi (see Acts 22:3) and could effectively debate the Judaizers using their own methods.

Theme notes and profiles

Isaac Ishmael Paul (Saul) Sarah God’s Covenants

Related verses

Galatians 3:10
All who rely on works of the law are under a curse. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”
Romans 3:19
Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
Galatians 3:23–24
Before this faith came, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until faith should be revealed.
Galatians 4:9
But now that you know God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you are turning back to those weak and worthless principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?
Matthew 22:29–32
Jesus answered, “You are mistaken because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.
John 15:25
But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated Me without reason.’
Romans 6:14
For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
Romans 10:3–10
Because they were ignorant of God’s righteousness and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.
John 5:46–47
If you had believed Moses, you would believe Me, because he wrote about Me.
Romans 7:5–6
For when we lived according to the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, bearing fruit for death.
John 12:34
The crowd replied, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ will remain forever. So how can You say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?”
John 10:34
Jesus replied, “Is it not written in your Law: ‘I have said you are gods’?

Galatians 4:21

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