Galatians 4:23 kjv
But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
Galatians 4:23 nkjv
But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise,
Galatians 4:23 niv
His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.
Galatians 4:23 esv
But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise.
Galatians 4:23 nlt
The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God's promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God's own fulfillment of his promise.
Galatians 4 23 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gal 4:22 | For it is written that Abraham had two sons... | Gal 4:22 |
| Gen 16:15 | Abraham fathered Ishmael. | Gen 16:15 |
| Gen 21:2 | Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age... | Gen 21:2 |
| Gen 21:12 | God said to Abraham, "Let it not be displeasing to you because of the boy or your female servant..." | Gen 21:12 |
| Rom 9:7-8 | ...not all descendants through lineage are children of God... but through Isaac shall your offspring be named. | Rom 9:7-8 (Nature of True Offspring) |
| John 3:6 | ...that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. | John 3:6 (Spiritual Birth) |
| Gal 3:16 | Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. | Gal 3:16 (Abrahamic Promise) |
| Gal 3:29 | And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise. | Gal 3:29 (Inheritors of Promise) |
| Rom 4:19-21 | Without weakening in the faith, he looked to his own body... nor to the barrenness of Sarah's womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith... | Rom 4:19-21 (Faith of Abraham) |
| Heb 11:11 | By faith alone Sarah herself received strength to conceive, even when she was past the age... | Heb 11:11 (Faith of Sarah) |
| Gal 4:28 | Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. | Gal 4:28 (Believers as Isaac's) |
| Gal 5:4 | You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by law; you have fallen away from grace. | Gal 5:4 (Contrast with Law) |
| John 1:13 | who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. | John 1:13 (Born of God) |
| 1 Cor 15:45 | Thus it is written, "The first man Adam became a living soul." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. | 1 Cor 15:45 (Flesh vs. Spirit) |
| Gal 4:30 | But what does the Scripture say? "Cast out the slave woman and her son..." | Gal 4:30 (Casting out Ishmael) |
| Acts 4:12 | And in no one else is there any salvation. | Acts 4:12 (Salvation through Christ) |
| Rom 8:5 | For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh... | Rom 8:5 (Life according to Flesh) |
| Rom 8:13 | ... if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. | Rom 8:13 (Life by the Spirit) |
| Phil 3:3 | For we are the true circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh. | Phil 3:3 (No Confidence in Flesh) |
| 2 Cor 5:17 | Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. | 2 Cor 5:17 (New Creation) |
Galatians 4 verses
Galatians 4 23 Meaning
This verse highlights the foundational contrast in the Abrahamic covenant between a son born according to the flesh (Ishmael) and a son born through the Spirit's power (Isaac). It underscores that belonging to God's people is not based on natural birth or human effort but on divine promise and the work of the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 4 23 Context
In Galatians 4, Paul uses the allegorical story of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar to illustrate the contrast between the Law (represented by Hagar and Mount Sinai) and the Gospel of grace (represented by Sarah and the heavenly Jerusalem). The Galatian believers, who were being persuaded by Judaizers to adopt the Mosaic Law, were being compared to Ishmael, born of slavery. Paul reminds them that they are children of promise, like Isaac, through faith in Christ. Verse 23 explicitly draws the parallel between Isaac's birth and the nature of spiritual sonship.
Galatians 4 23 Word Analysis
"hōs men" (ὡς μὲν): "as indeed" or "in fact" - Introduces a statement that is being presented as a factual reality and sets up a contrast.
"gar" (γάρ): "for" - Connects this statement to the preceding argument, reinforcing the point being made.
"gegonenai" (γεγονέναι): Perfect infinitive of "ginomai" (γίνομαι) - "to become" or "to have come into being". It signifies a past action with a present result, emphasizing the established fact of their birth.
"apokefalēn" (ἀποκεφαλῆν): Genitive feminine noun of "apokefalēs" (ἀποκεφαλής) - "child born after the flesh". This term denotes birth that is purely natural, human, and subject to physical limitations.
"kata" (κατὰ): "according to" or "in accordance with".
"sarka" (σάρκα): Accusative feminine noun of "sarx" (σάρξ) - "flesh". In Paul's writings, "flesh" represents human nature in its fallen, mortal state, apart from divine intervention, subject to sin and weakness.
"kai" (καὶ): "and" - Connects the two contrasting births.
"hautē de" (αὕτη δὲ): "but this one" or "but she". This introduces the contrasting birth.
"ek" (ἐκ): "from" or "out of".
"eppaggelias" (ἐπαγγελίας): Genitive feminine noun of "epaggelia" (ἐπαγγελία) - "promise". This refers specifically to God's divine promise to Abraham and Sarah, signifying a birth that was divinely ordained and supernatural.
Word Group Analysis:
- "apokefalēn kata sarka" (ἀποκεφαλῆν κατὰ σάρκα) - The "child of the flesh" refers to Ishmael, emphasizing that his birth was solely due to natural human processes, subject to earthly limitations and not directly tied to God's specific, covenantal promise.
- "hautē de ek eppaggelias" (αὕτη δὲ ἐκ ἐπαγγελίας) - This refers to Isaac, highlighting that his birth was a direct result of God's "promise," indicating a supernatural intervention and a covenantal significance, apart from normal human means.
Galatians 4 23 Bonus Section
The concept of "born of the flesh" versus "born of the promise" resonates deeply within biblical theology. The flesh signifies the limitations of the natural man, unable to achieve righteousness or fulfill divine will on its own, as seen in many instances of Israel's history. The promise, conversely, points to God's faithfulness and power to bring about His purposes through supernatural means, culminating in the ultimate promise of salvation through Jesus Christ. This contrast prefigures Jesus' teaching to Nicodemus in John 3:6, that one must be "born of the Spirit" to enter the Kingdom of God, echoing the pattern established with Isaac. The rejection of Hagar and Ishmael by Abraham, at God's instruction (Gen. 21:12), further emphasizes that the heir according to the promise stands apart from those born of mere fleshly or human schemes.
Galatians 4 23 Commentary
The verse firmly establishes the Old Testament precedent that undergirds Paul's argument. Ishmael's birth was an attempt by Abraham and Sarah to fulfill God's promise of descendants through human means, an outcome described as "according to the flesh." In stark contrast, Isaac's birth, occurring long after Sarah's reproductive ability had ceased, was a clear miracle, directly brought about by God's promised intervention, thus "by promise." This serves as a foundational example of how God's true lineage and blessings are established not through natural, humanly engineered means, but through His sovereign grace and promise.