the Week of Proper 26 / Ordinary 31
Click here to learn more!
Read the Bible
New King James Version
Galatians 4:1
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- BridgewayEncyclopedias:
- InternationalDevotionals:
- EveryParallel Translations
This is what I am saying: When young children inherit all that their father owned, they are still no different from his slaves. It doesn't matter that they own everything.
I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no better than a slave, though he is the owner of all the estate;
And I saye that the heyre as longe as he is a chylde differth not from a servaunt though he be Lorde of all
But I say that so long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a bondservant, though he is lord of all;
Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave, although he is owner of everything,
I want to tell you this: While those who will inherit their fathers' property are still children, they are no different from slaves. It does not matter that the children own everything.
But I say that so long as the heir is a child, he differs nothing from a slave though he is lord of all;
Now I say, [That] the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he is lord of all;
I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything,
But I say that so long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a bondservant, though he is lord of all;
Now I say the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
Now I say that so long as an heir is a child, he in no respect differs from a slave, although he is the owner of everything,
But Y seie, as long tyme as the eir is a litil child, he dyuersith no thing fro a seruaunt, whanne he is lord of alle thingis;
But I say that so long as the heir is a child, he differeth nothing from a bondservant, though he is lord of all;
What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he is the owner of everything.
Children who are under age are no better off than slaves, even though everything their parents own will someday be theirs.
Now what I mean [when I talk about children and their guardians] is this: as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave even though he is the [future owner and] master of all [the estate];
But I say that so long as the heir is a child, he differeth nothing from a bondservant though he is lord of all;
But I say that as long as the son is a child, he is in no way different from a servant, though he is lord of all;
What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a minor he is no different from a slave, even though he is the legal owner of the estate;
Now I say, As long as the heir is a child, he differs nothing from a bondman, though he be lord of all;
Now what I am saying is this: As long as an heir is a child, he is no better off than a slave, even though he owns everything.
But I say that what time the heir is a child, he differeth not from a servant, though he be lord of all,
But I say, that the heir, so long as he is a child, differeth not from a servant, although he is lord of all;
Now I say, that the heire, as long as hee is a child, differeth nothing from a seruant, though hee bee Lord of all,
Think of it this way. If a father dies and leaves an inheritance for his young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until they grow up, even though they actually own everything their father had.
Let me say this another way. A young child who will get all the riches of his family is not different from a servant who is owned by the family. And yet the young child owns everything.
My point is this: heirs, as long as they are minors, are no better than slaves, though they are the owners of all the property;
Then I say, that the heire as long as hee is a childe, differeth nothing fro a seruant, though he be Lord of all,
NOW this I say, That the heir as long as he is young, cannot be distinguished from the servants, though he is the lord of them all.
But I say: - for as long a time as, the heir, is an infant, he differeth, nothing, from a servant, though, lord of all,
As long as the heir is a child, he differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all,
And I say, that the heyre, as long as he is a chylde, differeth nothyng from a seruaut, though he be Lorde of all,
But now to continue—the son who will receive his father's property is treated just like a slave while he is young, even though he really owns everything.
Now I say that as long as the heir is a child, he differs in no way from a slave, though he is the owner of everything.
Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
Now I say, for as long a time as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he is master of everything,
But I say, Over so long a time the heir is an infant, he being lord of all, does not differ from a slave,
And I say, so long time as the heir is a babe, he differeth nothing from a servant -- being lord of all,
But I saye: As longe as the heyre is a childe, there is no difference betwene him and a seruaunt, though he be lorde of all ye goodes:
Now I say, that the heir, as long as he is a child, is in a state of servitude, tho' he is to be lord of all;
Let me show you the implications of this. As long as the heir is a minor, he has no advantage over the slave. Though legally he owns the entire inheritance, he is subject to tutors and administrators until whatever date the father has set for emancipation. That is the way it is with us: When we were minors, we were just like slaves ordered around by simple instructions (the tutors and administrators of this world), with no say in the conduct of our own lives.
Now I mean that the heir, as long as he is a minor, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything.
It's like this, if a dad dies and leaves an inheritance to his kids, they're not much better off until they grow up. They may own what their dad had, but it's not really theirs until they grow up.
Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything,
Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything,
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
That: Galatians 4:23, Galatians 4:29, Genesis 24:2, Genesis 24:3, 2 Kings 10:1, 2 Kings 10:2, 2 Kings 11:12, 2 Kings 12:2
Reciprocal: Acts 15:10 - which 1 Corinthians 13:11 - I spake Galatians 3:19 - till Galatians 3:23 - faith came Galatians 3:25 - we Galatians 4:7 - thou Colossians 2:14 - the handwriting Hebrews 9:26 - in
Cross-References
And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel."
And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, "For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed."
And he called his name Noah, saying, "This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD has cursed."
Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man intimately.
not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother's righteous.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Now I say,.... To illustrate what he had said of the law's being a schoolmaster to the Jews until the coming of Christ, and then ceasing as such, he proposes the case of an heir during his minority, till he come to the proper time of enjoying his estate.
that the heir, as long as he is a child; anyone that is an heir to his father's estate, or another's, whilst under age, being reckoned as a child, as he is from his infancy to his manhood,
differeth nothing from a servant: he is not his own man, nor at his own dispose; he cannot do as he pleases; he is under restraint; he is kept to school or to business, and is liable to correction and chastisement according as he behaves; nor can he have the free use of his father's estate,
though he be Lord of all, of all the servants, according to the Arabic version; or of the whole estate his father left him, of which he is Lord in right, but not in possession; he is right heir to it, though as yet it is not in his hands, nor can he do with it as he will.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Now I say - He had before said Galatians 3:24-25 that while they were under the Law they were in a state of minority. This sentiment he proceeds further to illustrate by showing the true condition of one who was a minor.
That the heir - Any heir to an estate, or one who has a prospect of an inheritance. No matter how great is the estate; no matter how wealthy his father; no matter to how elevated a rank he may be raised on the moment that he enters on his inheritance, yet until that time he is in the condition of a servant.
As long as he is a child - Until he arrives at the age. The word rendered “child” (νήπιοι nēpioi) properly means an infant; literally, “one not speaking” (νη nē insep. un, ἔπος epos), and hence, a child or babe, but without any definite limitation - Robinson. It is used as the word “infant” is with us in law, to denote “a minor.”
Differeth nothing from a servant - That is, he has no more control of his property; he has it not at his command. This does not mean that he does not differ in any respect, but only that in the matter under consideration he does not differ. He differs in his prospects of inheriting the property, and in the affections of the father, and usually in the advantages of education, and in the respect and attention shown him. but in regard to property, he does not differ, and he is like a servant, under the control and direction of others.
Though he be lord of all - That is, in prospect. He has a prospective right to all the property, which no one else has. The word “lord” here (κύριος kurios), is used in the same sense in which it is often in the Scriptures, to denote master or owner. The idea which this is designed to illustrate is, that the condition of the Jews before the coming of the Messiah was inferior in many respects to what the condition of the friends of God would be under him - as inferior as the condition of an heir was before he was of age, to what it would be when he should enter on his inheritance. The Jews claimed, indeed, that they were the children or the sons of God, a title which the apostle would not withhold from the pious part of the nation; but it was a condition in which they had not entered on the full inheritance, and which was far inferior to that of those who had embraced the Messiah, and who were admitted to the full privileges of sonship. They were indeed heirs. They were interested in the promises. But still they were in a condition of comparative servitude, and could be made free only by the gospel.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
CHAPTER IV.
The apostle shows that, as an heir in nonage is under tutors
and guardians, so were the Galatians while under the law; and,
as the heir when he comes of age is no longer under guardians,
so they, when the Gospel came, arrived at full maturity, and
were redeemed from the law, 1-3.
He shows, farther, that when the fulness of the time came God
sent forth his Son, that we might obtain the adoption of sons,
and have the strongest evidence of that adoption, 4-6.
Those who are children of God are heirs of heaven, 7.
He compares their former and latter state, and shows the reason
he had to fear that his labour on their behalf was in vain,
8-11.
He mentions his trials among them, and their kindness to him,
12-16.
Shows his tender affection for them, and exhorts them to return
to the Gospel, 17-20.
Shows the excellence of the Gospel beyond that of the law, by
the allegory of Mount Sinai and Jerusalem, 21-27.
Shows also that the believing Gentiles are children of the
promise, as Isaac was; and have been elected in the place of
the Jews, who have been cast out according to the Scriptures,
28-31.
NOTES ON CHAP. IV.
Verse Galatians 4:1. The heir, as long as He is a child — Though he be appointed by his father's will heir of all his possessions yet till he arrive at the legal age he is master of nothing, and does not differ from one of the common domestics.
