Ministry of Grace Church

 

Galatians 4:25

for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children—

Truth to Learn

We have been set free from the slavery which is produced by trying to live by the Law, and we want to remain free.

Behind the Words

“This Hagar” is translated from the Greek to hagar. Since Hagar is a feminine name it is normally accompanied with feminine articles when used in reference to Sarai’s handmaid. But the article used here, to, is a neuter article indicating that Paul is not referring to Hagar the person but Hagar the thing. The proper name Hagar in Arabic signifies “wanderer or fugitive” from the Arabic word hadschar. There is a very similar Arabic word, chadschar, which means “a rock or a stone.”

The word translated “corresponds” is the Greek word sustoicheō, which is made up of sun, meaning “together” and stoicheō, which means “to advance or proceed in order.” It is a military term used in reference to soldiers in the same column or phalanx who must advance together without breaking ranks. Figuratively, however, sustoicheo is used to express when one thing corresponds to or logically parallels another.

Meaning Explained

There has been much discussion over the centuries as to what Paul meant when he said, “this Hagar is Mount Sinai.” He is not saying that Sarai’s handmaid, Hagar, is a great mountain called Sinai. As noted above, he uses a neuter article in reference to Hagar so as to refer to Hagar as a thing, not a person. This grammatical construction is often used when one thing is being used as representing something else. An example of this type of usage is in the familiar communion passage:

And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” (Luke 22:19)

In this verse in Luke, “This” is a neuter article whereas “bread” is masculine. Christ was saying “This thing is,” or “This bread represents.” Similarly, in the current verse Paul is saying “this Hagar represents Mount Sinai, that is, the Law.” The point Paul is making is that as Hagar represents the Law, her son (Ishmael) is born of the covenant of the Law and as Sarai represents the promise, her son (Isaac) is born of the covenant of promise.

Also, Paul is going to be making a comparison between the Jerusalem which is now (the city of Jerusalem which currently exists physically) and New Jerusalem, the heavenly Jerusalem which will appear as part of the new heavens and the new earth revealed in Revelation 21:1, 2. By making the comparative reference to Hagar and the Law corresponding to the current Jerusalem, Paul is saying that they are all part of the covenant of bondage, whereas faith in Christ is part of the covenant of freedom.

Application

Freedom and slavery can be looked at from many different angles, both physically and spiritually. Once freed from slavery, however, no one wants to voluntarily return to slavery.

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2008 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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