Galatians 4 21

Galatians 4:21 kjv

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

Galatians 4:21 nkjv

Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?

Galatians 4:21 niv

Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says?

Galatians 4:21 esv

Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law?

Galatians 4:21 nlt

Tell me, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually says?

Galatians 4 verses

Galatians 4 21 Meaning

This verse states that those who desire to be under the law are not listening to its true message. Instead, they are submitting to a system of works and external regulations that do not lead to true freedom or sonship in Christ. It highlights a misunderstanding of the Mosaic Law's purpose and its fulfillment in Jesus.

Galatians 4 21 Context

Galatians chapter 4 addresses the dilemma of believers caught between the old covenant of law and the new covenant of grace through Christ. Paul uses the allegory of Abraham's two sons, Ishmael (born of the slave woman Hagar) and Isaac (born of the free woman Sarah), to illustrate this. The Judaizers in Galatia were insisting that Gentile believers must adhere to the Mosaic Law, including circumcision, to be truly saved and part of God's family. Paul argues that attempting to live by the Law is like seeking salvation through the bondservant's son (Ishmael), who represents servitude and the old covenant. He contrasts this with the free woman's son (Isaac), who represents the new covenant of grace through faith in Christ. In this specific verse, Paul directly challenges the Galatians, who profess to want the benefits of being under the Law, by asking if they truly understand or have heard the implications and full meaning of the Law itself.

Galatians 4 21 Word Analysis

• ’Apo` (ἀπό - from): Indicates origin or separation. It suggests the source from which something comes or by which something is caused.
• ’Eleomai` (ἐθέλω - to will, to wish, to desire): Expresses a strong desire or intention. Paul uses it here to describe the will of those who are turning back to the Law.
• Ei’nai` (εἶναι - to be): The infinitive of "to be." Here it connects their desire with their condition of being under the Law.
• ’Echein` (ἔχετε - you have, you hold): Refers to possessing or understanding. The question is whether they possess an understanding of the Law's essence.
• Nomos` (νόμος - law): This crucial word refers to the Mosaic Law, a system of divine commandments and statutes given through Moses.
• ’Ou’ (οὐ - not): A negative particle.
• ’Akouete` (ἀκούετε - you hear): Present indicative of 'akouō' (ἀκούω), meaning to hear, to listen, to understand. Paul is asking if they are truly perceiving and grasping the message of the Law.

Words Group Analysis:

• ”’Apo `eleomai eina nomon ” (‘pòἐθέλω εἶναι νόμον’): This phrase, "you who desire to be under the law," directly identifies the object of Paul's critique: individuals who are willingly placing themselves under the stipulations and requirements of the Mosaic Law for their justification or spiritual standing.
• ”Ei’ ou’ akouete tonnomon?” (‘Εἰ οὐκ ἀκούετε τὸν νόμον?’): The question "do you not hear the law?" challenges their perceived understanding. Paul implies they have not truly grasped the Law's intent or its limitations, especially in light of Christ. Hearing the Law meant understanding its true purpose, which ultimately pointed to Christ and demonstrated the inability of humanity to keep it perfectly on its own.

Galatians 4 21 Bonus Section

The emphasis on "hearing" (ἀκούετε) the Law carries a prophetic undertone, recalling Old Testament injunctions where true obedience was linked to listening to God's voice. For example, in Deuteronomy 6:4, the Shema begins with "Hear, O Israel..." calling for attentiveness to God's commands. Paul here suggests that by focusing on legalistic observance, the Galatians were failing to truly "hear" or comprehend the deeper message of the Law, which was to lead them to Christ. The desire to be under the Law implies a misunderstanding of the Abrahamic covenant, which predates the Mosaic Law and was based on promise and faith, paralleling the new covenant in Christ which is also by faith. The failure to grasp this historical and theological progression renders their desire to return to legalism futile and misdirected.

Galatians 4 21 Commentary

Paul's question to the Galatians is pointed and rhetorical. He isn't asking if they have physically heard the Law; they are likely familiar with its content through the Old Testament Scriptures. Instead, he is questioning their spiritual comprehension. To be "under the law" as these Galatians desired was to believe that adherence to its commands could bring righteousness before God and justify them. However, Paul argues that this is a misinterpretation. The Law's purpose was to reveal sin (Rom. 3:20) and to act as a temporary custodian or tutor until Christ arrived (Gal. 3:24). Its fulfillment in Christ meant that believers are no longer bound to its ceremonial or legalistic aspects for salvation. Those who seek to be under the Law, Paul states, are ignoring the very message of the Law itself, which leads to Christ, the end of the Law for righteousness (Rom. 10:4). They are like someone reading a contract but ignoring its ultimate purpose or key clauses. True freedom and sonship come not from a renewed effort to keep a law that always condemns when broken, but from faith in Christ, whose perfect obedience and sacrifice satisfy the Law's demands. This verse calls believers to recognize that attempting to live by the Law is a rejection of God's grace in Christ and demonstrates a lack of understanding of the Law's true function and finality in Jesus.