Galatians 4:21
New International Version
Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says?

New Living Translation
Tell me, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually says?

English Standard Version
Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law?

Berean Standard Bible
Tell me, you who want to be under the law, do you not understand what the law says?

Berean Literal Bible
Tell me, those wishing to be under the Law, do you do not listen to the Law?

King James Bible
Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

New King James Version
Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?

New American Standard Bible
Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the Law?

NASB 1995
Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the law?

NASB 1977
Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the law?

Legacy Standard Bible
Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the Law?

Amplified Bible
Tell me, you who are bent on being under the Law, do you not listen to [what] the Law [really says]?

Christian Standard Bible
Tell me, you who want to be under the law, don’t you hear the law?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Tell me, those of you who want to be under the law, don’t you hear the law?

American Standard Version
Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Tell me, you who wish to be under The Written Law, do you not hear The Written Law?

Contemporary English Version
Some of you would like to be under the rule of the Law of Moses. But do you know what the Law says?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, have you not read the law?

English Revised Version
Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Those who want to be controlled by Moses' laws should tell me something. Are you really listening to what Moses' Teachings say?

Good News Translation
Let me ask those of you who want to be subject to the Law: do you not hear what the Law says?

International Standard Version
Tell me, those of you who want to live under the Law: Are you really listening to what the Law says?

Literal Standard Version
Tell me, you who are willing to be under law, do you not hear the Law?

Majority Standard Bible
Tell me, you who want to be under the law, do you not understand what the law says?

New American Bible
Tell me, you who want to be under the law, do you not listen to the law?

NET Bible
Tell me, you who want to be under the law, do you not understand the law?

New Revised Standard Version
Tell me, you who desire to be subject to the law, will you not listen to the law?

New Heart English Bible
Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law?

Webster's Bible Translation
Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

Weymouth New Testament
Tell me--you who want to continue to be subject to Law--will you not listen to the Law?

World English Bible
Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, don’t you listen to the law?

Young's Literal Translation
Tell me, ye who are willing to be under law, the law do ye not hear?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Hagar and Sarah
20how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you. 21Tell me, you who want to be under the law, do you not understand what the law says? 22For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.…

Cross References
Luke 16:29
But Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let your brothers listen to them.'

Romans 6:14
For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.


Treasury of Scripture

Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?

ye that.

Galatians 4:9
But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?

Galatians 3:10,23,24
For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them…

Romans 6:14
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

do.

Matthew 21:42-44
Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? …

Matthew 22:29-32
Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God…

John 5:46,47
For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me…

the law.

John 10:34
Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?

John 12:34
The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man?

John 15:25
But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.

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Galatians 4
1. We were under the law till Christ came, as the heir is under the guardian till he be of age.
5. But Christ freed us from the law;
7. therefore we are servants no longer to it.
14. Paul remembers the Galatians' good will to him, and his to them;
22. and shows that we are the sons of Abraham by the freewoman.














(21-31) The next eleven verses contain an elaborate argument from the history of the two sons of Abraham, as types of the two covenants, in further proof that freedom is the essential character of the Christian dispensation.

We have seen that St. Paul applies the history of the natural Israel allegorically to the spiritual Israel; and not only does he do this with reference to the history of the formed theocracy, but he goes back to its origin in the time of the patriarchs, and traces there the first beginnings of the separation between the Law and the promise. The same history had been already allegorically treated by Philo. The treatment of it by St. Paul is, however, quite different, and in keeping with the line of argument followed in the context.

The points of parallelism, which are drawn out in much detail, may be exhibited thus:--

Jewish Church.

Christian Church.

The bondwoman, Hagar.

The freewoman, Sarah.

Son of the bondwoman, Ishmael.

Son of the freewoman, Isaac.

Natural birth (the flesh).

Supernatural birth (the promise).

Mount Sinai. . . .

Verse 21. - Tell me, ye that desire to be under the Law (λέγετέ μοι οἱ ὑπὸ νόμον θέλοντες εϊναι). After the outburst of affectionate earnestness expressed in the last four verses, the apostle seems to have paused, reflecting in what way he could the most effectually convince these Galatian legalists of their error. At length, a consideration occurs to him, which he impetuously so to speak hastens to abruptly sot before them. He has before (Galatians 3:29) shown to the Galatian believers that they were "Abraham's seed." He now means to show that, as children of Abraham through faith in Christ, they stood on a far higher footing than the children of the Sinai covenant did - a position which, by subjecting themselves afresh to the Law, they would forego. The verb "desire" (θέλοντες), as here introduced, intimates that this aspiration of theirs was a mere freak of self-will, there being nothing in the circumstances to prompt it. So in ver. 9, "Ye desire to be in bondage." In consequence of there being no article with νόμον, some would render ὑπὸ νόμον "under Law," that is, Law viewed in genere, as in Romans 4:15. But the whole scope of the Epistle resists this view. The apostle's contention with the Galatian perverters of the truth is not concerning Christians being subject to Law absolutely, but concerning their being subject to a Law of outward ceremonial observance; that is, to the Law of Moses; for there was no other system of positive ordinances by which, as of Divine authority, they could imagine themselves to be bound. The noun νόμος is used without the article, like other monadic nouns with an understood specific reference (for examples, Θεός, Κύριος Ξριστός Πνεῦμα διάβολος κόσμος); as it is also Romans 2:23; Romans 3:31; Romans 4:13, 14; Romans 5:13; 1 Corinthians 9:20; Galatians 2:21; Galatians 4:5; Philippians 3:5, 6. Do ye not hear the Law? (to\n no/mon οὐκ ἀκούετε;); to that Law give ye no heed? The article is here prefixed to νόμον to make the repetition of the noun the more telling; just as it is in Romans 2:23, Ος ἐν νόμῳ καυχᾶσαι διὰ τῆς παραβάσεως τοῦ νόμου τὸν Θεὸν ἀτιμάζεις; The verb ἀκούετε, hear, like our "listen to," means "take to heart what it says;" as in Matthew 10:14; Luke 16:29, 31. There is no reason for attributing to the verb such a sense of listening to an oral utterance as should warrant us in supposing, that the apostle is thinking in particular of the Galatian Christians as in the habit of "hearing" the Pentateuch and ether Old Testament Scriptures read, whether in Jewish synagogues (cf. 2 Corinthians 3:14, 15; Acts 15:21) or in Christian assemblages. That such Scriptures in the Septuagint Version were customarily read aloud when Christians assembled for united worship, especially in the absence or dearth of other inspired writings, is more than probable: we know from Justin Martyr ('Apol.,' 1. p. 83) that such was the custom from Sunday to Sunday in his days, when there were ἀποστολικὰ ὑπμνημονεύματα also available for such use. Moreover, the existence of such a custom helps us to understand how it was that the apostle could here, as in Romans 7:1, presuppose with Christian believers an acquaintance with the contents of the Pentateuch. But we require more here than the thought, "Are ye not wont to hear the Law read?" It is rather an acquaintance with its contents, and taking due account of them, that he demands of his readers. Some uncial manuscripts have ἀναγινώσκετε, read, instead of ἀκούετε. This reading of the text would only imply, not without a touch of sarcasm, the sense which the more accredited reading, ἀκούετε, may be understood as directly denoting. The use of the word "Law" to denote at once the system of Mosaic legislation and the historical record in which it is embedded, is remarkable. The Jews were accustomed to designate the Pentateuch by this term (comp. Matthew 5:17; Luke 16:16; Luke 24:44); and whoever would fain subject themselves to the positive enactments of the Mosaic Law as possessing Divine authority, would of course feel themselves bound also to accept the teaching of the historical record as clothed with the like authority. The apostle himself also accepted both as alike coming from God; only he required that the Divine purpose in both should be clearly understood and be suitably complied with.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Tell
Λέγετέ (Legete)
Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.

me,
μοι (moi)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

[you] who
οἱ (hoi)
Article - Vocative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

want
θέλοντες (thelontes)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Vocative Masculine Plural
Strong's 2309: To will, wish, desire, be willing, intend, design.

to be
εἶναι (einai)
Verb - Present Infinitive Active
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

under
ὑπὸ (hypo)
Preposition
Strong's 5259: A primary preposition; under, i.e. of place, or with verbs; of place (underneath) or where (below) or time (when).

[the] Law,
νόμον (nomon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3551: From a primary nemo; law, genitive case, specially, (including the volume); also of the Gospel), or figuratively.

do you not understand [what]
ἀκούετε (akouete)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 191: To hear, listen, comprehend by hearing; pass: is heard, reported. A primary verb; to hear.

the
τὸν (ton)
Article - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Law [says]?
νόμον (nomon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3551: From a primary nemo; law, genitive case, specially, (including the volume); also of the Gospel), or figuratively.


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NT Letters: Galatians 4:21 Tell me you that desire to be (Gal. Ga)
Galatians 4:20
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