¹tn Grk “a small child.” The Greek term nhvpio" (nhpios) refers to a young child, no longer a helpless infant but probably not more than three or four years old (L&N 9.43). The point in context, though, is that this child is too young to take any responsibility for the management of his assets.
²tn Grk “master” or “lord” (kuvrio", kurios).
³tn The Greek term translated “guardians” here is ejpivtropo" (epitropo"), whose semantic domain overlaps with that of paidagwgov" (paidagwgo") according to L&N 36.5.
⁴tn Grk “the,” but the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).
⁵tn See the note on the word “minor” in 4:1.
⁶tn Or “basic principles,” “elemental things,” or “elemental spirits.” Some interpreters take this as a reference to supernatural powers who controlled nature and/or human fate.
⁷tn Grk “the fullness of time” (an idiom for the totality of a period of time, with the implication of proper completion; see L&N 67.69).
⁸tn The Greek term uiJoqesiva (Juioqesia) was originally a legal technical term for adoption as a son with full rights of inheritance. BDAG 1024 s.v. notes, “a legal t.t. of ‘adoption’ of children, in our lit., i.e. in Paul, only in a transferred sense of a transcendent filial relationship between God and humans (with the legal aspect, not gender specificity, as major semantic component).” Although some modern translations remove the filial sense completely and render the term merely “adoption” (cf. NAB), the retention of this component of meaning was accomplished in the present translation by the phrase “as sons.”
⁹tn Grk “calling.” The participle is neuter indicating that the Spirit is the one who calls.
¹⁰tn The term “Abba” is the Greek transliteration of the Aramaic aB*a^ (’abba’), literally meaning “my father” but taken over simply as “father,” used in prayer and in the family circle, and later taken over by the early Greek-speaking Christians (BDAG 1 s.v. ajbba).
¹¹tn Grk “and if a son, then also an heir.” The words “you are” have been supplied twice to clarify the statement.
¹²tc The unusual expression diaV qeou' (dia qeou, “through God”) certainly prompted scribes to alter it to more customary or theologically acceptable ones such as diaV qeovn (dia qeon, “because of God”; F G 1881 pc), diaV Cristou' (dia Cristou, “through Christ”; 81 630 pc sa), diaV *Ihsou' Cristou' (dia Ihsou Cristou, “through Jesus Christ”; 1739^c), qeou' diaV Cristou' (“[an heir] of God through Christ”; Í2 C3 D [P] 0278 [6 326 1505] Ï ar sy), or klhronovmo" meVn qeou', sugklhronovmo" deV Cristou' (klhronomo" men qeou, sugklhronomo" de Cristou, “an heir of God, and fellow-heir with Christ”; Y pc [cf. Rom 8:17]). Although it is unusual for Paul to speak of God as an intermediate agent, it is not unprecedented (cf. Gal 1:1; 1 Cor 1:9). Nevertheless, Gal 4:7 is the most direct statement to this effect. Further testimony on behalf of diaV qeou' is to be found in external evidence: The witnesses with this phrase are among the most important in the NT (Ì46 Í* A B C* 33 1739*^vid lat bo Cl).
¹³tn Grk “those that by nature…” with the word “beings” implied. BDAG 1070 s.v. fuvsi" 2 sees this as referring to pagan worship: “Polytheists worship…beings that are by nature no gods at all Gal 4:8.”
¹⁴tn Or “useless.” See L&N 65.16.
¹⁵tn See the note on the phrase “basic forces” in 4:3.
¹⁶tn Grk “basic forces, to which you want to be enslaved…” Verse 9 is a single sentence in the Greek text, but has been divided into two in the translation because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence.
¹⁷tn The adjective “religious” has been supplied in the translation to make clear that the problem concerns observing certain days, etc. in a religious sense (cf. NIV, NRSV “special days”). In light of the polemic in this letter against the Judaizers (those who tried to force observance of the Mosaic law on Gentile converts to Christianity) this may well be a reference to the observance of Jewish Sabbaths, feasts, and other religious days.
¹⁸tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:11.
¹⁹tn Grk “your trial in my flesh you did not despise or reject.”
²⁰tn Or “the angel of God.” Linguistically, “angel of God” is the same in both testaments (and thus, he is either “an angel of God” or “the angel of God” in both testaments). For arguments and implications, see ExSyn 252; M. J. Davidson, “Angels,” DJG, 9; W. G. MacDonald argues for “an angel” in both testaments: “Christology and ‘The Angel of the Lord’,” Current Issues in Biblical and Patristic Interpretation, 324-35.
²¹tn Grk “as an angel of God…as Christ Jesus.” This could be understood to mean either “you welcomed me like an angel of God would,” or “you welcomed me as though I were an angel of God.” In context only the second is accurate, so the translation has been phrased to indicate this.
²²tn Or “blessedness.”
²³tn Or “have I become your enemy because I am telling you the truth?” The participle ajlhqeuvwn (alhqeuwn) can be translated as a causal adverbial participle or as a participle of means (as in the translation).
²⁴tn Or “They are zealous for you.”
²⁵tn Or “but not commendably” (BDAG 505 s.v. kalw'" 2).
²⁶tn Or “so that you would be zealous.”
²⁷tn Or “commendable.”
²⁸tn Or “to be zealous.”
²⁹tn Grk “But it is always good to be zealous in good.”
³⁰tn Grk “My children, for whom I am again undergoing birth pains until Christ is formed in you.” The relative clauses in English do not pick up the emotional force of Paul’s language here (note “tone of voice” in v. 20, indicating that he is passionately concerned for them); hence, the translation has been altered slightly to capture the connotative power of Paul’s plea.
sn That is, until Christ’s nature or character is formed in them (see L&N 58.4).
³¹tn Grk “voice” or “tone.” The contemporary English expression “tone of voice” is a good approximation to the meaning here.
³²tn Or “will you not hear what the law says?” The Greek verb ajkouvw (akouw) means “hear, listen to,” but by figurative extension it can also mean “obey.” It can also refer to the process of comprehension that follows hearing, and that sense fits the context well here.
³³tn Paul’s use of the Greek article here and before the phrase “free woman” presumes that both these characters are well known to the recipients of his letter. This verse is given as an example of the category called “well-known (‘celebrity’ or ‘familiar’) article” by ExSyn 225.
³⁴tn Grk “born according to the flesh”; BDAG 916 s.v. savrx 4 has “Of natural descent taV tevkna th'" sarkov" children by natural descent Ro 9:8 (opp. taV tevkna th'" ejpaggeliva"). oJ meVn ejk th'" paidivskh" kataV savrka gegevnnhtai Gal 4:23; cp. vs. 29.”
³⁵tn Grk “which things are spoken about allegorically.” Paul is not saying the OT account is an allegory, but rather that he is constructing an allegory based on the OT account.
³⁶sn The meaning of the statement the Jerusalem above is free is that the other woman represents the second covenant (cf. v. 24); she corresponds to the Jerusalem above that is free. Paul’s argument is very condensed at this point.
³⁷tn The direct object “children” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied for clarity. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
³⁸tn Grk “because more are the children of the barren one than of the one having a husband.”
sn A quotation from Isa 54:1.
³⁹tc Most mss (Í A C D2 Y 062 Ï lat sy bo) read “we” here, while “you” is found in Ì46 B D* F G 0261^vid 0278 33 1739 al sa. It is more likely that a copyist, noticing the first person pronouns in vv. 26 and 31, changed a second person pronoun here to first person for consistency.
⁴⁰tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:11.
⁴¹tn Grk “according to the flesh”; see the note on the phrase “by natural descent” in 4:23.
⁴²tn Or “the one born by the Spirit’s [power].”
⁴³sn A quotation from Gen 21:10. The phrase of the free woman does not occur in Gen 21:10.
⁴⁴tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:11.