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Matthew Henry's Concise
Commentary on the Epistle
GALATIANS 4:26-5:1a
Affectionate Remonstrance. A. D. 56.
21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the
law? 22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid,
the other by a freewoman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after
the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. 24 Which things are
an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai,
which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. 25 For this Agar is mount Sinai
in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with
her children. 26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother
of us all. 27 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 a husband. 28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac
was, are the children of promise. 29 But as then he that was born after
the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is
now. 30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and
her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of
the freewoman. 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman,
but of the free.
In these verses the apostle illustrates the difference between believers
who rested in Christ only and those judaizers who trusted in the law, by
a comparison taken from the story of Isaac and Ishmael. This he introduces
in such a manner as was proper to strike and impress their minds, and to
convince them of their great weakness in departing from the truth, and
suffering themselves to be deprived of the liberty of the gospel: Tell
me, says he, you that desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?
He takes it for granted that they did hear the law, for among the Jews
it was wont to be read in their public assemblies every sabbath day; and,
since they were so very fond of being under it, he would have them duly
to consider what is written therein (referring to what is recorded Gen.
xvi. and xxi.), for, if they would do this, they might soon see how little
reason they had to trust in it. And here, 1. He sets before them the history
itself (v. 22, 23): For it is written, Abraham had two sons, &c. Here
he represents the different state and condition of these two sons of Abraham--that
the one, Ishmael, was by a bond-maid, and the other, Isaac, by a free-woman;
and that whereas the former was born after the flesh, or by the ordinary
course of nature, the other was by promise, when in the course of nature
there was no reason to expect that Sarah should have a son. 2. He acquaints
them with the meaning and design of this history, or the use which he intended
to make of it (v. 24-27): These things, says he, are an allegory, wherein,
besides the literal and historical sense of the words, the Spirit of God
might design to signify something further to us, and that was, That these
two, Agar and Sarah, are the two covenants, or were intended to typify
and prefigure the two different dispensations of the covenant. The former,
Agar, represented that which was given from mount Sinai, and which gendereth
to bondage, which, though it was a dispensation of grace, yet, in comparison
of the gospel state, was a dispensation of bondage, and became more so
to the Jews, through their mistake of the design of it, and expecting to
be justified by the works of it. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia
(mount Sinai was then called Agar by the Arabians), and it answereth to
Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children; that is, it
justly represents the present state of the Jews, who, continuing in their
infidelity and adhering to that covenant, are still in bondage with their
children. But the other, Sarah, was intended to prefigure Jerusalem which
is above, or the state of Christians under the new and better dispensation
of the covenant, which is free both from the curse of the moral and the
bondage of the ceremonial law, and is the mother of us all--a state into
which all, both Jews and Gentiles, are admitted, upon their believing in
Christ. And to this greater freedom and enlargement of the church under
the gospel dispensation, which was typified by Sarah the mother of the
promised seed, the apostle refers that of the prophet, Isa. liv. 1, where
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 who hath a husband. 3. He applies the history thus explained to the
present case (v. 28); Now we, brethren, says he, as Isaac was, are the
children of the promise. We Christians, who have accepted Christ, and rely
upon him, and look for justification and salvation by him alone, as hereby
we become the spiritual, though we are not the natural, seed of Abraham,
so we are entitled to the promised inheritance and interested in the blessings
of it. But lest these Christians should be stumbled at the opposition they
might meet with from the Jews, who were so tenacious of their law as to
be ready to persecute those who would not submit to it, he tells them that
this was no more than what was pointed to in the type; for as then he that
was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit,
they must expect it would be so now. But, for their comfort in this case,
he desires them to consider what the scripture saith (Gen. xxi. 10), Cast
out the bond-woman and her son, for the son of the bond-woman shall not
be heir with the son of the free-woman. Though the judaizers should persecute
and hate them, yet the issue would be that Judaism would sink, and wither,
and perish; but true Christianity should flourish and last for ever. And
then, as a general inference from the whole of the sum of what he had said,
he concludes (v. 31), So then, brethren, we are not children of the bond-woman,
but of the free.
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