GAL 4:1 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) But as long as the heir is underage, he’s no wealthier than a slave (even though he’ll become the master),

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT Now I say, for as much time as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, being master of all.

UST Now, I will further discuss children and heirs. An heir is a person who will later possess and control all that his father has. But as long as that heir is a child, others control him, with the result that he is just like a slave.

BLB Now I say, for as long a time as the heir is a child, he differs not from a slave, though being owner of everything.

AICNT I say, for as long a time as the heir is an infant, he is no different from a slave, though being lord of all,

OEB My point is this – as long as the heir is under age, there is no difference between him and a slave, though he is master of the whole estate.

WEBBE 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,

WMBB (Same as above)

NET 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.

LSV And I say, now as much time as the heir is a child, he differs nothing from a servant, [though] being lord of all,

FBV Let me explain what I'm saying. An heir who is under-age is no different from a slave, even though the heir may be the owner of everything.

TCNT Now I say that as long as the heir is a child, he differs in no way from a slave, though he is the master of all.

T4T Now, I will further discuss children and heirs: An heir is a person who will later control all that his father has. But as long as that heir is a child, others control him, with the result that he is just like a slave [MET].

LEB Now I say, for as long a time as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he[fn] is master of everything,

4:1 *Here “although” is supplied as a component of the participle (“is”) which is understood as concessive

BBE 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;

Moff What I mean is this. As long as an heir is under age, there is no difference between him and a servant, though he is lord of all the property;

Wymth 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,

ASV But I say that so long as the heir is a child, he differeth nothing from a bondservant though he is lord of all;

DRA Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;

YLT And I say, so long time as the heir is a babe, he differeth nothing from a servant — being lord of all,

Drby Now I say, As long as the heir is a child, he differs nothing from a bondman, though he be lord of all;

RV But I say that so long as the heir is a child, he differeth nothing from a bondservant, though he is lord of all;

SLT And I say, for as long time as the heir is a child, he differs nothing from a servant, being lord of all;

Wbstr Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he is lord of all;

KJB-1769 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;

KJB-1611 ¶ Now I say, that the heire, as long as hee is a child, differeth nothing from a seruant, though hee bee Lord of all,
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from marking of added words (and possibly capitalisation and punctuation))

Bshps And I say, that the heyre, as long as he is a chylde, differeth nothyng from a seruaut, though he be Lorde of all,
(And I say, that the heyre, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be Lord of all,)

Gnva Then I say, that the heire as long as hee is a childe, differeth nothing from a seruant, though he be Lord of all,
(Then I say, that the heir as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be Lord of all, )

Cvdl 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:
(But I say: As long as the heir is a child, there is no difference between him and a servant, though he be lord of all ye/you_all goods:)

TNT And I saye that the heyre as longe as he is a chylde differth not from a servaunt though he be Lorde of all
(And I say that the heir as long as he is a child differth not from a servant though he be Lord of all )

Wycl 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, as long time as the heir is a little child, he dyuersith no thing from a servant, when he is lord of all things;)

Luth Ich sage aber, solange der Erbe ein Kind ist, so ist unter ihm und einem Knechte kein Unterschied, ob er wohl ein Herr ist aller Güter,
(I said but, as_long_as the/of_the heritage a child is, so is under him and on servant(s) no/not Unterschied, if/whether he probably/well a Lord is all goods,)

ClVg Dico autem: quanto tempore hæres parvulus est, nihil differt a servo, cum sit dominus omnium:[fn]
(Sayo however: how_much at_the_time heir little_one it_is, nothing different from server/keeper, when/with be master of_all: )

4.1 Dico autem, etc. Modo vos gentiles et nos Judæi sumus Christi, et semen Abrahæ et hæredes. Sed olim nos Judæi sub lege eramus dum parvuli fuimus sicut hæres futurus, et a patre substitutus.

4.1 Sayo however, etc. Modo you(pl) Gentiles and us Jews we_are Christi, and seed Abrahæ and theseredes. But formerly/once us Jews under lawfully eramus while little_ones we_were like heir to_be, and from to_his_father substitutus.

UGNT λέγω δέ, ἐφ’ ὅσον χρόνον ὁ κληρονόμος νήπιός ἐστιν, οὐδὲν διαφέρει δούλου, κύριος πάντων ὤν;
(legō de, ef’ hoson ⱪronon ho klaʸronomos naʸpios estin, ouden diaferei doulou, kurios pantōn ōn;)

SBL-GNT Λέγω δέ, ἐφʼ ὅσον χρόνον ὁ κληρονόμος νήπιός ἐστιν, οὐδὲν διαφέρει δούλου κύριος πάντων ὤν,
(Legō de, efʼ hoson ⱪronon ho klaʸronomos naʸpios estin, ouden diaferei doulou kurios pantōn ōn,)

RP-GNT Λέγω δέ, ἐφ' ὅσον χρόνον ὁ κληρονόμος νήπιός ἐστιν, οὐδὲν διαφέρει δούλου, κύριος πάντων ὤν·
(Legō de, ef' hoson ⱪronon ho klaʸronomos naʸpios estin, ouden diaferei doulou, kurios pantōn ōn;)

TC-GNT Λέγω δέ, ἐφ᾽ ὅσον χρόνον ὁ κληρονόμος νήπιός ἐστιν, οὐδὲν διαφέρει δούλου, κύριος πάντων ὤν·
(Legō de, ef hoson ⱪronon ho klaʸronomos naʸpios estin, ouden diaferei doulou, kurios pantōn ōn; )

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, orange:accents differ, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN 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.

4:1a

What I am saying is that

¶ I mean that (ESV)
¶ Let me explain further. (GW)

What I am saying is that: The Greek clause that the BSB translates as What I am saying is that introduces an explanation of what it means to be an heir of God (in 3:29b).

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

Let me explain further. (GW)

Think of it this way. (NLT)

My point is this: (NRSV)

In 3:17a and 5:16a, Paul used a similar expression to introduce an explanation of a previous statement.

4:1b

as long as the heir is a child,

during the time that the heir is a child,
When the son who will receive his father’s possessions is very young,

as long as the heir is a child: The word child refers to a young person who is not yet an adult. This entire clause refers to the time when a child is too young to receive the inheritance.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

when the heir is a young child

during the time when the son who will receive his father’s possessions is very young

before the boy who will one day own his father’s possessions becomes an adult

the heir: The Greek word that the BSB translates as heir refers to the son who will eventually receive his father’s possessions. In this case, it probably does not mean that the father has already died. This is perhaps a situation where the father has decided to give some of his possessions to his son when the son becomes an adult. The father will do this even if he is still alive.

Some other ways to translate this word are:

the son who will later inherit/get his father’s possessions

the son who will receive his father’s property (GNT)

the son who will one day own his father’s possessions

This same word occurs in 3:29c.

4:1c

he is no different from a slave,

his situation is no different/better than that of a slave,
he is like a slave/servant,
he is under authority as a slave is under authority.

he is no different from a slave: The clause he is no different from a slave is a figure of speech called a hyperbole. Paul exaggerated to make a point. In one sense, a boy who will inherit possessions is very different from a slave. But they are similar in that both are under rules and regulations. While the heir is a child, he has no control over what will one day be his.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

is like a slave

it is as if he were just a servant/worker

he is under authority like a slave who is under authority

is no better than a slave (RSV)

4:1d

although he is the owner of everything.

even though he owns everything.
even if everything that the father possesses/owns will someday be his.
The son will one day own his father’s property, but he does not yet have authority over anything.

although he is the owner of everything: This clause refers to the fact that the child will one day become the owner of his father’s property. This will happen when the father chooses to give it to him. The son’s status of being like a slave is only temporary. In some languages, it may be more natural to use the future tense here.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

even though he owns everything (GW)

even though everything the father owns/has will someday be his

General Comment on 4:1b–d

In some languages, it is more natural to reorder the clauses of 4:1b–d. For example:

^dThe heir will eventually get all his father’s possessions. ^bBut while he is a child, ^che is no different than a slave.

Parallel GAL 4:1

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

Paragraph 4:1–7

4:1a

4:1b

4:1c

4:1d

General Comment on 4:1b–d