Galatians 4 27

Galatians 4:27 kjv

For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.

Galatians 4:27 nkjv

For it is written: "Rejoice, O barren, You who do not bear! Break forth and shout, You who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children Than she who has a husband."

Galatians 4:27 niv

For it is written: "Be glad, barren woman, you who never bore a child; shout for joy and cry aloud, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband."

Galatians 4:27 esv

For it is written, "Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than those of the one who has a husband."

Galatians 4:27 nlt

As Isaiah said, "Rejoice, O childless woman,
you who have never given birth!
Break into a joyful shout,
you who have never been in labor!
For the desolate woman now has more children
than the woman who lives with her husband!"

Galatians 4 verses

Galatians 4 27 meaning

Galatians 4:27, quoting Isaiah 54:1, conveys a profound reversal: the previously barren and desolate woman is now commanded to rejoice and celebrate because she will have more children than the woman with a husband. In Paul's allegorical interpretation within the context of Galatians, the "barren woman" represents Jerusalem above, the mother of all believers who are born of the Spirit through faith, whether Jew or Gentile. Her abundant children signify the multitude of those saved by grace, greatly outnumbering those who depend on the Law for their righteousness (represented by the woman with a husband, i.e., Hagar/earthly Jerusalem/Law). It emphasizes the overwhelming fruitfulness of the New Covenant and the freedom found in Christ.

Galatians 4 27 Context

Galatians 4:27 is the culmination of Paul’s allegorical interpretation in chapter 4, where he compares the story of Abraham’s two sons—Isaac (born of Sarah, by promise) and Ishmael (born of Hagar, by flesh/law)—to two covenants. Hagar and Ishmael represent the Old Covenant given at Mount Sinai, which brings slavery and corresponds to the earthly Jerusalem. Sarah and Isaac represent the New Covenant of promise and freedom, corresponding to the "Jerusalem above." This allegorical framework aims to demonstrate that true spiritual children, the heirs of Abraham, are born of the Spirit through faith, not by adherence to the Mosaic Law or physical descent. The Judaizers in Galatia were pushing Gentile believers to adopt circumcision and the Law, effectively binding them back into a form of slavery. Paul uses this Old Testament prophecy to powerfully assert that the truly spiritual, free community (the church) is the "barren woman" who, by divine grace, now flourishes with a countless number of children, surpassing the children produced under the Law.

Galatians 4 27 Word analysis

• For it is written: (γέγραπται - gegraptai) This phrase indicates a direct quote from the Old Testament (Isa 54:1). It highlights the divine authority and prophetic fulfillment in Paul's argument. It establishes that this reversal is God's foreordained plan.
• Rejoice, barren woman,: (Εὐφράνθητι, στεῖρα - Euphranthēti, steira)
  • Euphranthēti: An imperative command, signifying not just a suggestion but a joyful decree. It calls for exuberant celebration.
  • Steira: Literally "barren," implying childlessness. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, barrenness was often a source of shame and distress, perceived as a curse. This direct address sets up the profound reversal.
• you who never bore a child;: (ἡ οὐ τίκτουσα - hē ou tiktousa) The present participle emphasizes the persistent and historical state of not giving birth, reinforcing the barrenness. This highlights the unexpected and miraculous nature of the impending fruitfulness.
• burst into song and shout,: (ῥῆξον καὶ βόησον - rhēxon kai boēson)
  • Rhēxon: "Burst forth" or "break out," implying a forceful, unrestrained eruption of joy, like water from a broken dam.
  • Boēson: "Shout," a loud cry of triumph or exultation. These are strong commands for unreserved, public expression of happiness.
• you who were never in labor;: (ἡ οὐκ ὠδίνουσα - hē ouk ōdinousa) Parallel to "never bore a child," this phrase further underscores the complete lack of maternal experience and natural means of bearing offspring. It strengthens the emphasis on God's supernatural intervention.
• because more are the children of the desolate woman: (ὅτι πολλὰ τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἐρήμου - hoti polla ta tekna tēs erēmou)
  • Polla ta tekna: "Many are the children." This denotes a vast multitude, exceeding typical expectations. It points to a demographic explosion.
  • Erēmou: "Desolate" or "abandoned." This term for the barren woman adds another layer of isolation and lack of provision, deepening the miracle of her fruitfulness.
• than of her who has a husband.: (μᾶλλον ἢ τῆς ἐχούσης τὸν ἄνδρα - mallon ē tēs echousēs ton andra) This sets up a direct contrast with a woman who enjoys the conventional blessing of marriage and expected fertility. In the allegory, this refers to Hagar/earthly Jerusalem/those under the Law, who are conventionally expected to be fruitful but are here shown to be spiritually barren in comparison to the church of Christ.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "Rejoice, barren woman... burst into song and shout... you who were never in labor": This cluster of commands powerfully directs the once-shamed and infertile to an eruption of unparalleled joy and public celebration. It underscores a complete turnaround of fortunes through divine action, an inversion of cultural expectations.
• "More are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband": This comparative phrase is the theological linchpin. It quantifies the spiritual fruitfulness, stating that the 'barren' spiritual mother (Jerusalem above, the church) will bear a greater spiritual offspring than the one naturally expected to be fertile (earthly Jerusalem, under the Law). It highlights God's preference for grace-wrought spiritual abundance over flesh-reliant progeny.

Galatians 4 27 Bonus section

The "desolate woman" of Isaiah 54:1 and Paul's quote points specifically to Zion (Jerusalem) being restored after its suffering and abandonment, signifying the return and expansion of God's people. Paul masterfully reappropriates this image for the "Jerusalem above" (Gal 4:26), a metaphorical and spiritual entity. This refers to the church, God's new covenant people, which by nature would have been seen as 'barren' or 'desolate' from a purely legalistic or fleshly Jewish perspective (i.e., lacking the traditional markers of Abrahamic descent and Law adherence). However, God’s power and promise enable this spiritual 'mother' to bring forth an uncountable multitude of spiritual children from all nations, emphasizing that divine initiative, not human effort, is the source of true spiritual fruitfulness. This allegorical method, while at times challenging, reveals the profound continuity and reinterpretation of Old Testament prophecies through a Christ-centered lens.

Galatians 4 27 Commentary

Galatians 4:27 is a bold declaration of the expansive and miraculous nature of God's grace under the New Covenant. Paul employs Isaiah's prophecy not just as a quote but as an inspired interpretation that radically redefines spiritual lineage. The "barren woman" signifies the true Jerusalem, which is spiritual, free, and the mother of all believers—Jew and Gentile—united by faith in Christ. This community, once "desolate" or seemingly lacking a conventional lineage of divine favor in the eyes of legalists, is supernaturally made to be tremendously fruitful. Her "children" are the countless individuals called into God's family through faith, surpassing in number and spiritual vitality those bound to the Mosaic Law. This verse assures believers in Galatia and today that their belonging in God's family is secure and abundant, rooted in the divine promise fulfilled by Christ, rather than human works or legalistic adherence. It offers encouragement that the Lord actively provides for and grows His church in ways that defy human expectation and legalistic calculation, proving the superior fruitfulness of grace.