7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, aand if a son, then an heir of God2 through Christ.
Fears for the Church
8 But then, indeed, awhen you did not know God, byou served those which by nature are not gods.
9 But now aafter you have known God, or rather are known by God, bhow isitthat you turn again to cthe weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage?
10aYou observe days and months and seasons and years.
11 I am afraid for you, alest I have labored for you in vain.
12 Brethren, I urge you to become like me, for I became like you. aYou have not injured me at all.
13 You know that abecause of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first.
14 And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me aas an angel of God, beven as Christ Jesus.
151What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me.
16 Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?
17 They azealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them.
18 But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always, and not only when I am present with you.
19aMy little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you,
20 I would like to be present with you now and to change my tone; for I have doubts about you.
Two Covenants
21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?
22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons: athe one by a bondwoman, bthe other by a freewoman.
23 But he whowas of the bondwoman awas born according to the flesh, band he of the freewoman through promise,
24 which things are symbolic. For these are1 the two covenants: the one from Mount aSinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar—
25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children—
26 but the aJerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.
27 For it is written: a“Rejoice, O barren, You who do not bear! Break forth and shout, You who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children Than she who has a husband.”
28 Now awe, brethren, as Isaac was, are bchildren of promise.
29 But, as ahe who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him whowasborn according to the Spirit, beven so itis now.
30 Nevertheless what does athe Scripture say? b“Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for cthe 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.
Now, after that ye have known God - After having been brought to the knowledge of God as your Savior.
Or rather are known of God - Are approved of him, having received the adoption of sons.
To the weak and beggarly elements - After receiving all this, will ye turn again to the ineffectual rites and ceremonies of the Mosaic law - rites too weak to counteract your sinful habits, and too poor to purchase pardon and eternal life for you? If the Galatians were turning again to them, it is evident that they had been once addicted to them. And this they might have been, allowing that they had become converts from heathenism to Judaism, and from Judaism to Christianity. This makes the sense consistent between the 8th and 9th verses.
Other Adam Clarke entries containing Galatians 4:9:
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