Galatians 4:21

Although St Paul is at a loss about the Galatians (Galatians 4:20) he will try yet another method. He appeals to the very Law itself under which they were wishing to be. The argument of the following verses is subtle, and to us seems to insist unduly on mere words, but to readers more or less accustomed to Jewish interpretations bound up with words and letters as such it had much force In any case the Jewish writings, as we shall see, afford close parallels to the modes of expression and argument employed by St Paul here It may also be assumed that the Galatians, even though converts from heathenism, would not find this kind of argument strange. Not only had they in all probability heard it employed by Pauline teachers, and also by the false teachers, both of Jewish origin, but also as heathen they will have been accustomed to deduce lessons from what we should call unimportant parts of oracles or other utterances deemed inspired.

λέγετέ μοι. Tell me; will you not listen to that very Law under which you desire to be?

οἱ ὑπὸ νόμον θέλοντες εἶναι, cf. Galatians 4:9. In itself and apart from other examples we should naturally take ὑπὸ νόμον to mean “under law” as a principle, to which τὸν νόμον forms a contrast. But in view of the many cases where νόμος, anarthrous, means the Jewish Law, it is better to understand it so here. See Galatians 2:16 note.

τὸν νόμον. The article is resumptive: cf. Galatians 3:23. The argument of the following verses put briefly is this: the Law itself tells us that natural birth is no proof of spiritual privileges. The story of Abraham himself shows this. For he had a son who was eventually driven out. All blessings are for him who was by promise.

οὐκ�; This may mean: (a) hear in public reading. You act as though you had never heard Abraham’s history read out loud: cf. Acts 15:21; 2 Corinthians 3:14; (b) hear and obey. Will ye not listen to, and act upon, the lessons of the history of Abraham? This interpretation is the simpler. For this use of ἀκούειν see Matthew 13:13. For a similar appeal to Scripture see Matthew 12:5.