Galatians 3:28

3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave ¹  nor free, there is neither male nor female ²  – for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 4:1

4:1 Now I mean that the heir, as long as he is a minor, ³  is no different from a slave, though he is the owner ⁴  of everything.

Galatians 4:7

4:7 So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if you are ⁵  a son, then you are also an heir through God. ⁶ 

Galatians 4:22-23

4:22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the ⁷  slave woman and the other by the free woman. 4:23 But one, the son by the slave woman, was born by natural descent, ⁸  while the other, the son by the free woman, was born through the promise.

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¹ tn See the note on the word “slave” in 1:10.

² tn Grk “male and female.”

³ tn Grk “a small child.” The Greek term νήπιος (nhpios) refers to a young child, no longer a helpless infant but probably not more than three or four years old (L&N 9.43). The point in context, though, is that this child is too young to take any responsibility for the management of his assets.

⁴ tn Grk “master” or “lord” (κύριος, kurios).

⁵ tn Grk “and if a son, then also an heir.” The words “you are” have been supplied twice to clarify the statement.

⁶ tc The unusual expression διὰ θεοῦ (dia qeou, “through God”) certainly prompted scribes to alter it to more customary or theologically acceptable ones such as διὰ θεόν (dia qeon, “because of God”; F G 1881 pc), διὰ Χριστοῦ (dia Cristou, “through Christ”; 81 630 pc sa), διὰ ᾿Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ (dia Ihsou Cristou, “through Jesus Christ”; 1739^c), θεοῦ διὰ Χριστοῦ (“[an heir] of God through Christ”; א² C³ D [P] 0278 [6 326 1505] Ï ar sy), or κληρονόμος μὲν θεοῦ, συγκληρονόμος δὲ Χριστοῦ (klhronomo" men qeou, sugklhronomo" de Cristou, “an heir of God, and fellow-heir with Christ”; Ψ pc [cf. Rom 8:17]). Although it is unusual for Paul to speak of God as an intermediate agent, it is not unprecedented (cf. Gal 1:1; 1 Cor 1:9). Nevertheless, Gal 4:7 is the most direct statement to this effect. Further testimony on behalf of διὰ θεοῦ is to be found in external evidence: The witnesses with this phrase are among the most important in the NT (Ì⁴⁶ א* A B C* 33 1739*^vid lat bo Cl).

⁷ tn Paul’s use of the Greek article here and before the phrase “free woman” presumes that both these characters are well known to the recipients of his letter. This verse is given as an example of the category called “well-known (‘celebrity’ or ‘familiar’) article” by ExSyn 225.

⁸ tn Grk “born according to the flesh”; BDAG 916 s.v. σάρξ 4 has “Of natural descent τὰ τέκνα τῆς σαρκός children by natural descent Ro 9:8 (opp. τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἐπαγγελίας). ὁ μὲν ἐκ τῆς παιδίσκης κατὰ σάρκα γεγέννηται Gal 4:23; cp. vs. 29.”