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Galatians Chapter 4

Galatians Chapter 4

(Underlining marks a quotation/allusion. [Brackets] mark a textual variant.fnWhen two (or more) different copies of an original manuscript disagree on any given word or phrase — addition, omission, word order, etc. — the disagreement is called a "textual variant". ~99% of existing textual variants are either minor (like spelling), obviously not original (often appearing only in a few late manuscripts), or don't affect meaning (like "Jesus Christ" vs. "Christ Jesus"). The ~1% that remain do not affect any central doctrine of Christianity. The BOS Bible only marks significant textual variants that affect the meaning; smaller variants that do not affect meaning won't be marked for readability.  "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.fn"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love".  However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings — agapé centers on choice and behavior.  It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings.  (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".)  Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé".  Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing.  It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. An asterisk (*) indicates a verb in the Greek perfect tense.fnThe Greek perfect tense signifies a completed action in the past with a result and/or an ongoing state that extends into the present. For example, Hebrews 12:2 says in part: "He *sat down at the right hand of the throne of God"; the verb for "sat" is in the perfect tense, indicating that He sat down once (completed action in the past), and also that He remains seated until the present moment (ongoing state).)

Glossary

Note: this glossary is currently a work in progress; entries that do not expand will be added as time permits

Ages/of ages
“ages” and “of ages” are the Greek words “αἰών” (aión, noun form) and “αἰώνιος” (aiónios, adjective form) respectively.  The adjective form is typically translated “eternal”, as in “eternal life”. The noun form refers to a whole time period, (Keizer, “Life Time Entirety”) such as a person’s lifetime (an older Greek sense), an age/epoch (e.g., 2 Cor 4:4), or even time in its entirety, making its meaning similar to “forever” (e.g., John 14:16). The adjective form is similarly context-dependent, and the New Testament context often dictates a meaning similar to “forever” (but not always: e.g. 2 Tim 1:9).  Alternately or additionally, it can indicate the quality of a time period — indicating greatness/severity — like the English idiom “of ages” (e.g. “battle of the ages”). Thus, “of ages” was chosen for the adjective form so that both the time and quality senses remain visible.

Clean/unclean

Covenant

Faith

Flesh

Forgive/forgiveness

Grace
The Greek word is “χάρις” (charis), most often translated “grace”, “gift”, or “thanks”. It was a technical term in the 1st century, referring to the Patronage system in place. The Patron (from “pater” = “father”) would give gifts or do favors (both called a charis). A charis was always given/done freely to anyone who would be grateful for it, and this person then became a “client” of the patron. The clients were expected to reciprocate by telling everyone what the patron had done, and offering their services to the patron whenever the patron needed them. This reciprocal act was also called “charis”, and the ones who reciprocated were “being faithful” by giving thanks in this way. Both were done out of gratitude, not legal obligation. A client who wasn’t faithful and grateful probably wouldn’t receive any more charis from his patron, or any other patrons. The patron was responsible for taking care of all his clients, and making sure their needs were met. New Testament usage typically casts God the Father as a Heavenly Patron, to whom Christians should be grateful and faithful because of the gifts He has given us. (e.g. salvation, provision, protection, etc.)

Holy

Justification

Law (Torah)

Make purification

Pure/Impure

Purification offering
In the Old Testament, this is typically the Hebrew “חַטָּ֖את” (khat-tat); in the New Testament, it’s typically “περὶ ἁμαρτίας” (peri hamartias), which is what the Septuagint (an ancient translation of the Old Testament into Greek) used to translate the Hebrew. It’s traditionally translated “sin offering”, but that translation has less support in high-level scholarship. The Hebrew word can mean “sin”, but it can also mean “purification” (e.g. Numbers 8:7). This offering was used to purify uncleanness, whether or not a sin was committed. Thus, it was required even when no sin was committed, such as after childbirth (Leviticus 12:1-8), for certain diseases (Leviticus 14), etc. High-level, peer-reviewed scholarship dedicated to the field (e.g. Milgrom, Levine, Gane, Sklar, Wright, Gorman, etc.) is largely united on the “purification offering” understanding. The BOS Bible has aligned itself with that high-level, peer-reviewed scholarship in its translation.

Ransom

Redemption

Repent/repentance

Righteous/righteousness

Salvation/save

Soul
“soul” is the Greek word “ψυχή/psuché” and Hebrew word “נֶפֶשׁ/nephesh”. The BOS Bible translates these words as “soul” for consistency, and so the full meaning of “soul” isn’t obscured by different translations in different places. They closely overlap in meaning and are typically translated “soul” or “life”. They refer to the animating force of a living thing, and thus can also refer to its life, or to the whole of any person or creature, including animals (e.g. fish in Revelation 8:9 and Genesis 1). They are frequently used as an emphatic reference to a person’s whole self, including longings, deep emotions, and inner life. (e.g. Ps 42:11) Note: while “soul” has significant overlap in meaning with “spirit”, the words have distinct meanings and usages throughout scripture. For example, lions tear apart a soul in Psalm 7:2, and a “dead soul” is mentioned in Leviticus 21:11; “spirit” has no analogous usages, and it returns to God at death (Ecc 12:7; Acts 7:59). The adjective forms of soul and spirit are contrasted in 1 Corinthians 2:14-15; see also: Hebrews 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:23.

Sin

Click to Collapse the Glossary
Sons and heirs
  1. And I say this: for as long asfn“as long as” is literally: “as long a time as” the heir is a child, he differs from a slave in nothing though being lord of all things.
  2. But he’s under guardians and stewards until the time appointed beforehand by the father.
  3. In this way also, when we were children, we were *enslaved under the elementary spiritsfn“elementary spirits” could also be translated “elementary principles” since the underlying Greek word can mean either depending on context. of the world.
  4. But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, having been born from a woman and born under the law,
  5. so He might purchase the men under the law, so we might receive the adoption as sons.
  6. And because you are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out “Abba,fn“Abba” is a Greek form of the Hebrew word for father.  It is a term of greater closeness and familiarity than “father”, though the degree of closeness is widely debated.  Some think “Papa” or “Daddy” is appropriate, while others say that’s is too familiar and prefer “Dad” or perhaps “Pa”.  Some of the latter group prefer to render as an adjective and would translate it “dear father”. Father!”
  7. So then you’re no longer a slave, but a son.  And if a son, then also an heir through God.
  8. But not *knowing God at that former time, you indeed served as slaves to the ones who by nature aren’t gods.
  9. But now having known God – and more, having been known by God – how do you return again to the weak and destitute elementary spirits,fn“elementary spirits” could also be translated “elementary principles” since the underlying Greek word can mean either depending on context. to which you want to serve as slaves all over again?
  10. You carefully observe days, and months, and seasons, and years.
  11. I fear for you, lest somehow in vain I have exhausted myself working for you.
  12. I implore you brothers: become like I am, because I also became like you.  You wronged me in nothing.
  13. Now, you *know that I formerly preached the gospel to you through an infirmity of the flesh.
  14. And in your test by my infirm flesh, you didn’t treat me with contempt nor reject me in disgust.  But like an angel of God, you welcomed me like Jesus the Anointed.
  15. Where then is your declaration of blessedness?  For I testify about you that if possible, you would’ve given me your eyes after having plucked them out.
  16. So have I become your enemy by speaking truth to you?
  17. They are jealous for you.  Not nobly, but they want to exclude you so you might be jealous for them.
  18. And it’s always noble to be jealous for a noble thing, and not only when I’m present with you.
  19. My children, for whom I again go through birthing pains until the Anointed might be formed in you,
  20. and I was wishing to be present with you now and to change my tone, because I’m perplexed and have doubts in you.
Hagar and Sarah, Slave and Free
  1. Tell me, you men wishing to be under the law, don’t you listen to the law?
  2. For it’s *written that Abraham had two sons, one from the slave woman and one from the free woman.
  3. But indeed: the son from the slave woman has been born according to the flesh, but the son from the free woman through the promise,
  4. (about which we’re speaking allegorically) for these are two covenants.  Indeed, one is from Mount Sinai birthing into slavery, which is Hagar.
  5. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she serves as a slave with her children.
  6. But the Jerusalem above is free, who is our mother.
  7. For it is *written: “Be glad you barren woman, you woman not giving birth.  Break forth and shout you woman not suffering birthing pains, because the children of the desolate woman are many more than of the woman having a husband.”fnquotation/allusion to Isaiah 54:1
  8. But brothers, you are children of promise like Isaac.
  9. But just as when the son who was born according to the flesh was persecuting the son born according to the Spirit, so also it is now.
  10. But what does the scripture say?  “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman definitely won’t inherit with the son of the free woman.” fnquotation/allusion to Genesis 21:10
  11. Therefore brothers, we aren’t children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.

 

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