What Does Galatians 4:24 Mean in the King James?
Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
A covenant is exposed by its offspring: this one gives birth to bondage.
THE MEANING
The verse opens a second layer of speech: the women signify two covenants. The covenant from Sinai is pictured as begetting bondage, so its offspring is servitude. This speaks now wherever a form of belonging brings forth captivity.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The verse undoes the assumption that every religious bond necessarily produces freedom: this covenant is named by the bondage it brings forth.
THE ROOT
γεννῶσα
gennōsa
GROWS FROM
γεννάω
gennaō
To beget, give birth to, bring forth.
“gendereth” in this verse is gennōsa. The Greek is birth language: the covenant is presented as a source that begets a condition. Bondage is its offspring.
ALSO GROWS
gennēma: Offspring; what is born or produced.
γέννημα
This branch makes the verse’s image plain: bondage is what the covenant brings forth.
gennētos: Born; begotten.
γεννητός
This branch keeps the focus on a condition brought into being, rather than one merely imposed from outside.
δουλείαν
douleian
GROWS FROM
δουλ-
doul-
The condition of a δοῦλος (doulos, servant): slavery or servitude.
The Greek word belongs to the same family as the servant and the act of serving as a slave. Bondage here is a lived relation of servitude, not only a feeling of confinement.
ALSO GROWS
doulos: Servant; slave.
δοῦλος
The noun names the person whose status gives the condition of bondage its shape.
douleuō: To serve as a slave; to be enslaved.
δουλεύω
This verb shows bondage as ongoing service under a master, the condition this covenant is said to bring forth.
THE PATTERN
A governing relation is revealed by the condition its service produces.
Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.THE THREAD
But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.“Born” in this verse and “gendereth” in the next are forms of γεννάω (gennaō), to beget or bring forth. Together they set the two covenants beside what each brings forth: one is linked with bondage, the other with promise.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us