Galatians 4:23
Galatians 4:21-31 The Message (MSG)
Tell me now, you who have become so enamored with the law: Have you paid close attention to that law? Abraham, remember, had two sons: one by the slave woman and one by the free woman. The son of the slave woman was born by human plotting; the son of the free woman was born by God’s promise. This illustrates the very thing we are dealing with now. The two births represent two ways of being in relationship with God. One is from Mount Sinai in Arabia. It corresponds with what is now going on in Jerusalem—a slave life, producing slaves as offspring. This is the way of Hagar. In contrast to that, there is an invisible Jerusalem, a free Jerusalem, and she is our mother—this is the way of Sarah. Remember what Isaiah wrote: Rejoice, barren woman who bears no children, shout and cry out, woman who has no birth pangs, Because the children of the barren woman now surpass the children of the chosen woman. Isn’t it clear, friends, that you, like Isaac, are children of promise? In the days of Hagar and Sarah, the child who came from faithless plotting (Ishmael) harassed the child who came—empowered by the Spirit—from the faithful promise (Isaac). Isn’t it clear that the harassment you are now experiencing from the Jerusalem heretics follows that old pattern? There is a Scripture that tells us what to do: “Expel the slave mother with her son, for the slave son will not inherit with the free son.” Isn’t that conclusive? We are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.
Galatians 4:23 King James Version (KJV)
But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
Galatians 4:23 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)
But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise.
Galatians 4:23 New Century Version (NCV)
Abraham’s son from the slave woman was born in the normal human way. But the son from the free woman was born because of the promise God made to Abraham.
Galatians 4:23 American Standard Version (ASV)
Howbeit the son by the handmaid is born after the flesh; but the son by the freewoman is born through promise.
Galatians 4:23 New International Version (NIV)
His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.
Galatians 4:23 New King James Version (NKJV)
But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise
Galatians 4:23 Amplified Bible (AMP)
But the child of the slave woman was born according to the flesh and had an ordinary birth, while the son of the free woman was born in fulfillment of the promise.
Galatians 4:23 New Living Translation (NLT)
The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God’s own fulfillment of his promise.