¹tn Grk “a small child.” The Greek term nhvpio" (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.

²tn Grk “master” or “lord” (kuvrio", kurios).

³tn The Greek term translated “guardians” here is ejpivtropo" (epitropo"), whose semantic domain overlaps with that of paidagwgov" (paidagwgo") according to L&N 36.5.

⁴tn Grk “the,” but the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun (D. B. Wallace, Exegetical Syntax, 215).

⁵tn See the note on the word “minor” in 4:1.

⁶tn Or “basic principles,” “elemental things,” or “elemental spirits.” Some interpreters take this as a reference to supernatural powers who controlled nature and/or human fate.

⁷tn Grk “the fullness of time” (an idiom for the totality of a period of time, with the implication of proper completion; see L&N 67.69).

⁸tn Grk “that we might receive the adoption.” The Greek term uiJoqesiva (Juioqesia) was originally a legal technical term for adoption as a son with full rights of inheritance. Cf. also Eph 1:5.

⁹tn Grk “calling.” The participle is neuter indicating that the Spirit is the one who calls.

¹⁰tn The term “Abba” is the Greek transliteration of the Aramaic aBa, literally meaning “my father” but taken over simply as “father,” used in prayer and in the family circle, and later taken over by the early Greek-speaking Christians (BAGD 1 s.v. ajbbav).

¹¹tn Grk “and if a son, then also an heir.” The words “you are” have been supplied twice to clarify the statement.

¹²tn Grk “those that by nature…” with the word “beings” implied. BAGD 869 s.v. fuvsi" 2 sees this as referring to pagan worship: “The heathen worship…beings that are by nature no gods at all Gal 4:8.”

¹³tn Or “useless.” See L&N 65.16.

¹⁴tn See the note on the phrase “basic forces” in 4:3.

¹⁵tn Grk “basic forces, to which you want to be enslaved…” Verse 9 is a single sentence in the Greek text, but has been divided into two in the translation because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence.

¹⁶tn The adjective “religious” has been supplied in the translation to make clear that the problem concerns observing certain days, etc. in a religious sense (cf. NIV, NRSV “special days”). In light of the polemic in this letter against the Judaizers (those who tried to force observance of the Mosaic law on Gentile converts to Christianity) this may well be a reference to the observance of Jewish Sabbaths, feasts, and other religious days.

¹⁷tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:11.

¹⁸tn Grk “your trial in my flesh you did not despise or reject.”

¹⁹tn Or “the angel of God.” Linguistically, “angel of God” is the same in both testaments (and thus, he is either “an angel of God” or “the angel of God” in both testaments). For arguments and implications, see D. B. Wallace, Exegetical Syntax, 252; M. J. Davidson, “Angels,” DJG, 9; W. G. MacDonald argues for “an angel” in both testaments: “Christology and ‘The Angel of the Lord’,” Current Issues in Biblical and Patristic Interpretation, 324-35.

²⁰tn Grk “as an angel of God…as Christ Jesus.” This could be understood to mean either “you welcomed me like an angel of God would,” or “you welcomed me as though I were an angel of God.” In context only the second is accurate, so the translation has been phrased to indicate this.

²¹tn Or “blessedness.”

²²tn Or “have I become your enemy because I am telling you the truth?” The participle ajlhqeuvwn (alhqeuwn) can be translated as a causal circumstantial participle or a circumstantial participle of means (as in the translation).

²³tn Or “They are zealous for you.”

²⁴tn Or “but not commendably,” BAGD 401 s.v. kalw'" 2.

²⁵tn Or “so that you would be zealous.”

²⁶tn Or “commendable.”

²⁷tn Or “to be zealous.”

²⁸tn Grk “But it is always good to be zealous in good.”

²⁹tn Grk “My children, for whom I am again undergoing birth pains until Christ is formed in you.” The relative clauses in English do not pick up the emotional force of Paul’s language here (note “tone of voice” in v. 20, indicating that he is passionately concerned for them); hence, the translation has been altered slightly to capture the connotative power of Paul’s plea.

sn That is, until Christ’s nature or character is formed in them (see L&N 58.4).

³⁰tn Grk “voice” or “tone.” The contemporary English expression “tone of voice” is a good approximation to the meaning here.

³¹tn Or “will you not hear what the law says?” The Greek verb ajkouvw (akouw) means “hear, listen to,” but by figurative extension it can also mean “obey.” It can also refer to the process of comprehension that follows hearing, and that sense fits the context well here.

³²tn 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 D. B. Wallace, Exegetical Syntax, 225.

³³tn Grk “born according to the flesh”; BAGD 743 s.v. savrx 4 has “Of natural descent taV tevkna th'" sarkov" children by natural descent Ro 9:8 (opp. taV tevkna th'" ejpaggeliva"). oJ meVn ejk th'" paidivskh" kataV savrka gegevnnhtai Gal 4:23; cf. vs. 29.”

³⁴tn Grk “which things are spoken about allegorically.” Paul is not saying the OT account is an allegory, but rather that he is constructing an allegory based on the OT account.

³⁵sn The meaning of the statement the Jerusalem above is free is that the other woman represents the second covenant (cf. v. 24); she corresponds to the Jerusalem above that is free. Paul’s argument is very condensed at this point.

³⁶tn The direct object “children” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied for clarity. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

³⁷tn Grk “because more are the children of the barren one than of the one having a husband.”

sn A quotation from Isa 54:1.

³⁸tc Some mss (Í A C D² Y 062 Byz lat) read “we” here. The reading “you” is found in Ì46 B D* F G 0261^vid 33 1739 al. It is more likely that a copyist, noticing the first person pronouns in vv. 26 and 31, changed a second person pronoun here to first person for consistency.

³⁹tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:11.

⁴⁰tn Grk “according to the flesh”; see the note on the phrase “by natural descent” in 4:23.

⁴¹tn Or “the one born by the Spirit’s [power].”

⁴²sn A quotation from Gen 21:10. The phrase of the free woman does not occur in Gen 21:10.

⁴³tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:11.