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Gal_4:29-30. Nevertheless, notwithstanding this their higher state of sonship, these spiritual children of Abraham are persecuted by the bodily children of Abraham, as was formerly the case with Isaac and Ishmael; but (Gal_4:30) how wholly without ultimate success is, and, according to the Scripture, must be, this persecution! This is not a collateral trait (Holsten), but the consolatory practical result in which the allegory terminates—its triumphantly joyful conclusion. Comp. on Gal_4:31.
τότε ] then, namely, at that time when the allegorically-significant history came to pass.
ὁ κατὰ σάρκα γεννηθείς ] see Gal_4:23.
ἐδίωκε ] persecuted. It is true that in Gen_21:9 Ishmael is designated only as a mocker (of Isaac).[223] But Paul follows the tradition, which, starting from the basis of that statement, went further. See Beresch. R. liii. 15: “Dixit Ismael Isaaco: eamus et videamus portionem nostram in agro; et tulit Ismael arcum et sagittas, et jaculatus est Isaacum et prae se tulit ac si luderet.” According to Hofmann, Paul in the word διώκειν probably intends a running after Isaac wantonly to annoy him (just as the partisans of the law followed after the believing Gentiles in order to annoy them, Gal_5:10; Gal_5:12). Quite unsupported by any historical evidence, and very inappropriate to the ταράσσειν of the Judaists (of which there is no mention here at all); comp. Gal_1:7.
ΤῸΝ ΚΑΤᾺ ΠΝΕῦΜΑ ] him that is born according to the Spirit, that is, him who was born in consequence of the intervening agency of the Holy Spirit (for the divine πνεῦμα , as the principle of the divine promise, is instrumental in the efficacy of the latter). By means of the vis carnis Isaac could not have been born, but only by means of the vis Spiritus divini, which, operative in the divine promise, furnished at his procreation (Rom_4:17 ff.) the capacity of generation and conception. In fact, therefore, τὸν κατὰ πνεῦμα conveys the same idea as ΤῸΝ ΔΙᾺ Τῆς ἘΠΑΓΓΕΛΊΑς ΓΕΝΝΗΘΈΝΤΑ , Gal_4:23. The explanation: per singularem efficacitatem Dei (Schott), compares things which are in their nature different (Luk_1:35), and is not verbally accurate. And Hilgenfeld unnecessarily assumes (comp. Bengel) that the expression is to be explained by a blending together of the ideal reference of the allegory to the Christians, and of its historical basis.
οὕτω καὶ νῦν ] So also now the children of Abraham according to the flesh (the Jews) persecute those who are Abraham’s children ΚΑΤᾺ ΠΝΕῦΜΑ (Christians, ἘΠΑΓΓΕΛΊΑς ΤΈΚΝΑ , Gal_4:28). Comp. 1Th_2:15. This ΟὝΤΩ ΚΑῚ ΝῦΝ does not exclude any kind of persecution which the Christians suffered at the hands of the Jews; but that which is intended must have been actual persecutions, such as those to which the Christians as a body were so generally at that time subjected by the Jews, and not the ταράσσειν on the part of the Judaists (Hofmann; see on ἘΔΊΩΚΕ ).
ἈΛΛᾺ ΤΊ ΛΈΓΕΙ Ἡ ΓΡΑΦΉ ;] triumphantly introduces the divine certainty of the want of success, which will attend this ΔΙΏΚΕΙΝ , to the destruction of the persecutors themselves. Observe how the importance of the utterance is brought out more vividly by the interrogative announcement. Comp. Rom_4:3; Rom_10:8; Rom_11:2; Rom_11:4; Dissen, ad Dem. de cor. p. 186, 347; Blomfield, Gloss. ad Aesch. Pers. 1013. The quotation is from Gen_21:10, almost exactly following the LXX. Instead of μετὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ μου Ἰσαάκ in the LXX. (which therefore D* E? F G, codd. of the Itala, and some Fathers read also here), Paul has written ΜΕΤᾺ ΤΟῦ ΥἹΟῦ Τῆς ἘΛΕΥΘΈΡΑς , not accidentally, but in order to give prominence to the contrast, which significantly refers back to the chief point of the allegory (comp. Gal_4:22).
ἜΚΒΑΛΕ Κ . Τ . Λ .] The words of Sarah to Abraham (which, however, in Gen_21:12 are expressly approved by God and confirmed with a view to fulfilment), requiring the expulsion of Hagar and her son from the house. From this, looking to the scope of the allegory, the Galatians are to infer the exclusion of the non-free Jews, who were now persecuting the free Christians, from the people of God. This exclusion already actually exists even in the present αἰών , in so far as the true Israel which is free from the law (the ἸΣΡΑῊΛ ΤΟῦ ΘΕΟῦ , Gal_6:16) has taken the place of the ancient people of God, and will attain its perfect realization at the ΠΑΡΟΥΣΊΑ , when none but the free Christian family of God will share in the ΚΛΗΡΟΝΟΜΊΑ of eternal Messianic salvation. Comp. Gal_3:18; Gal_3:29. According to Hofmann (comp. also his Schriftbew. II. 2, p. 71), the meaning is, that as Abraham separated Ishmael from Isaac, so also the readers are to dismiss from among them, as unentitled to share in their inheritance, those who desired to force upon them their own legalism; the Christian body ought to remain undisturbed by such persons. This weakening of the idea is impossible with a correct conception of διώκειν in Gal_4:29; the sure divine Nemesis against the persecutors must be meant—the divine ἐκδίκησις (Luk_18:7 f.; comp. 2Th_1:6; 2Th_1:8).
Οὐ ΓᾺΡ ΜῊ ΚΛΗΡΟΝ .] prefixed with great emphasis; the son of the bond-woman shall assuredly not inherit. Comp. Gen_25:5 f. As to the exclusion, according to the Israelite law, of the children of a concubine from the right of inheritance, see Selden, de success, ad leg. Hebr. p. 28; Saalschütz, M. R. p. 831; Ewald, Alterth. p. 266.
[223] The idea that Paul, in using ἐδίωκε , really intended nothing more than this mocking (“nulla enim persecutio tam molesta esse nobis debet, quam dum impiorum ludibriis videmus labefactari nostram vocationem,” Calvin), is not in harmony with the comprehensive sense of the word.