GAL 4:5 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 3:26–4:7: A child of God is not a slave of the law

In the previous section, Paul talked about people from a Jewish background. In this section, he returned to focus on the non-Jews whom he had talked about earlier.

This section has two parts. In the first one (3:26 to 3:29), Paul reminded the non-Jewish Christians in Galatia that they had become children of God through faith. When people become children of God, there is no longer a difference between Jew or non-Jew, male or female, slave or free. He further pointed out that once people have become children of God, they are entitled to all the blessings of the new life in Christ.

In the second part (4:1 to 4:7), Paul compared the time under the law to a time of slavery. But when Christ came, he freed people from slavery. The time under the law ended. So believers in Jesus Christ are God’s sons. They are not slaves to the law. It is no longer necessary to follow the law.

Some other examples for a heading for this section are:

By faith we are sons of God and are rescued from the law

You are not slaves but children of God

No longer prisoners to the law but sons

Paragraph 4:1–7

In this paragraph, Paul further explained that the period of the law was temporary. He compared the period under the law to a period of slavery. When Christ came, he redeemed the people who were in slavery. They are no longer slaves. Instead, they are now adopted as God’s sons and are his heirs. The time of the law is over.

4:5a

to redeem those under the law,

He came to release/free those who were under the authority of the law
God sent him to pay for the freedom of us^(incl) who were slaves to the law

to redeem those under the law: This clause states God’s purpose for sending his Son to earth. He sent his Son (4:4b)…in order to redeem all his children from the authority of the law (4:5a).

It may be helpful in your language to begin a new sentence here and restate that God sent Jesus, so that it will be clear that this clause expresses God’s purpose in doing that. Some ways to translate this clause are:

His Son came to redeem those who were under the authority/control of the law

God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law (NLT)

He send his Son as a human being under the law in order to redeem the people who followed/obeyed the law

to redeem: The Greek word that the BSB translates as redeem means “release a prisoner or slave by paying the price (a ransom) necessary to free him.” The price that Christ had to pay to release us was to die on the cross for us. God’s Son freed us from slavery to the law.

Some other ways to translate this word are:

buy freedom (NLT)

pay for the freedom (GW)

to release/free by becoming a sacrifice

This same word occurs in 3:13a. See also redeem in the Glossary.

those under the law: This clause refers to being under the authority or control of the law. This clause certainly refers to Jews who were required to obey the many commandments in the law of Moses. This clause may also refer to Gentiles, who also lived under certain religious laws. These laws were like their master. They were like slaves to the law.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

those who were controlled by these laws (GW)

us who were slaves to the law (NLT)

4:5b

that we might receive our adoption as sons.

so that we^(incl) might be adopted as sons.
in order that he/God might make us^(incl) his children.

that we might receive our adoption as sons: This clause states the purpose for which Christ redeemed us. He redeemed us (4:5a) so that we might receive our adoption as sons of God (4:5b).

The phrase adoption as sons refers to the fact that God adopts us as his sons/children. We, as believers, receive all the benefits and rights of children of God. We are counted as heirs. We are no longer slaves.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

so that we would be adopted as his children (GW)

so that he could adopt us as his very own children (NLT)

Christ redeemed us so that we would become God’s children.

our adoption as sons: The Greek word that the BSB translates as our adoption as sons means that God makes us his spiritual children. The word does not exclude women, so it is better to translate sons as “children.”

Some other ways to translate this word are:

we might become God’s children (GNT)

made/considered God’s children

counted as God’s children

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-goal

ἵνα

in_order_that

The phrase in order that introduces a purpose clause. Paul is stating the purpose for which God sent forth his Son. Use a natural way in your language for introducing a purpose clause. Alternate translation: [so that] or [with the purpose that]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἐξαγοράσῃ

˱he˲_˓may˒_redeem

With the word redeem, Paul uses the metaphor of a person buying back lost property or buying the freedom of a slave as a picture of God sending Jesus to pay the price for people’s sins by dying on the cross. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture. Alternatively, you could express the meaning plainly.

Note 3 topic: grammar-connect-logic-goal

(Occurrence 2) ἵνα

in_order_that

The phrase so that introduces a purpose clause. Paul is stating the purpose for which God redeemed the ones under the law, which was so that God could adopt them as his spiritual sons and daughters. Use a natural way in your language for introducing a purpose clause. Alternate translation: [in order that] or [with the purpose that]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ὑπὸ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἵνα τούς ὑπό νόμον ἐξαγοράσῃ ἵνα τήν υἱοθεσίαν ἀπολάβωμεν)

See how you translated the word under in [3:23](../03/23.md) where it is used with the same meaning.

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

τὴν υἱοθεσίαν ἀπολάβωμεν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἵνα τούς ὑπό νόμον ἐξαγοράσῃ ἵνα τήν υἱοθεσίαν ἀπολάβωμεν)

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you must state who did the action, Paul implies that “God” did it. Alternate translation: [God might adopt us as his sons]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / exclusive

ἀπολάβωμεν

˱we˲_˓may˒_take_back

The word we could refer to: (1) all Christians, both Jews and non-Jews, in which case we would be inclusive. Your language may require you to mark these forms. (2) Jewish Christians only, in which case we would be exclusive.

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

τὴν υἱοθεσίαν ἀπολάβωμεν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἵνα τούς ὑπό νόμον ἐξαγοράσῃ ἵνα τήν υἱοθεσίαν ἀπολάβωμεν)

Paul speaks of God giving people a close personal relationship with himself and giving them special rights and privileges as if it were adoption. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent metaphor from your culture. Alternatively, you could express the meaning plainly.

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

υἱοθεσίαν

adoption_as_sons

Paul speaks of those who believe in Jesus as if God were their biological, physical father. He means that these people have a father-son relationship with God because they trust in Jesus. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. See how you translated the word sons in [3:26](../03/26.md) where it is used with the same meaning. Alternate translation: [the spiritual children of God]

Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

υἱοθεσίαν

adoption_as_sons

Although the term sons is masculine, Paul is using the word here in a generic sense that includes both men and women. Alternate translation: [adoption as children] or [adoption as God’s children]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.

OET interlinear GAL 4:5

SR Greek word order

Section 3:26–4:7: A child of God is not a slave of the law

Paragraph 4:1–7

4:5a

4:5b

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)