OrthJBC - Galatians - 4

4:1  Now I say this: for however much time as the yoresh (heir) has not attained his majority (the state or time of being of full legal age), he differs nothing from an eved, though being Ba'al Bayit of all the nachalah (inheritance).

4:2  And he is under shomrim (guardians) and omnot (governesses) until the time previously appointed by the Ba'al Bayit.

4:3  So also we, when we were immature, had been enslaved under the yesodot (rudiments) of Olam Hazeh.

4:4  But when the fullness of time had come, Hashem sent forth his Ben haElohim [Moshiach, SHMUEL BAIS 7:14; TEHILLIM 2:7; 89:27f], born of an isha (BERESHIS 3:15; YESHAYEH 7:14; MICHOH 5:2), under the Torah,

4:5  that Moshiach might bring the Geulah (redemption) to the ones under the Torah, that we might receive the ma'amad haBanim (the standing as Sons), the bechirah adoption.

4:6  And because you are banim, Hashem sent forth the Ruach of His Ben haElohim into your levavot, crying "Abba, Avinu!" THE SHLIACH SHA'UL DEALS WITH THE GALATIAN GOYIM AS A MASHGIACH RUCHANI (SPIRITUAL OVERSEER), SAYING THAT GOYIM WHO ONCE WERE AVADIM SERVING THE SHEDIM BEHIND AVODAH ZARAH NOW FOOLISHLY WANT TO RENEW THEIR SERVICE OF THE WEAK AND BEGGARLY YESODOT OF OLAM HAZEH, AS IF THE TURNING OF THE AGES IN MOSHIACH HAD NOT OCCURRED, ALL BECAUSE THEY ARE HOODWINKED BY THE MOHALIM OF GOYIM; DO YOU GOYIM THINK YOU CAN EARN SALVATION BY ADOPTING THE JEWISH CALENDAR?

4:7  So you are no longer an eved but a ben; and if a ben, also a yoresh through Hashem.

4:8  But, formerly, when you did not have da'as (knowledge) of Hashem, you were avadim serving that which is by nature not haEl ha'Amiti (the true G-d).

4:9  But, now, having known Hashem, or rather having been known by Hashem, how is it that you are returning to the weak and beggarly yesodot (rudiments) of Olam Hazeh to which again you want to renew your service as avadim?

4:10  You observe yamim (days) and chodashim (moons) and mo'adim (fixed times/festivals) and shanim (years).

4:11  I fear for you, lest somehow efsher (perhaps) I have labored for you lashav (in vain). I IDENTIFIED WITH YOU TO BRING YOU TO MOSHIACH; WHY WILL YOU NOT IDENTIFY WITH ME? DON'T JOIN THE CULT OF THE MOHALIM HAGOYIM OR FOCUS YOUR ZEAL ON THEM! AND DON'T BE TWO-FACED TOWARD ME!

4:12  Become as I am, because I also became as you are, Achim B'Moshiach. I implore you. You did me no wrong.

4:13  And you know that it was due to chulshat habasar (weakness of the flesh) that I first preached the Besuras HaGeulah to you,

4:14  and your nissayon (trial) in my basar you did not despise nor did you loathe but as a malach Hashem you received me, as Moshiach Yehoshua.

4:15  Where then is your birkat Shomayim (blessedness)? For I testify to you that if possible, having torn out your eynayeem (eyes), you would have made a mattanah (gift) of them to me.

4:16  So, then, have I become your oyev (enemy) by telling you haEmes?

4:17  They (the mohalim haGoyim) are zealously courting you but not in a good way; rather, they desire to cut you off and shut you out, in order that you may be zealous of them.

4:18  Now it is tov ma'od to be zealous in a good thing all the time, and not only during my presence with you.

4:19  My yeladim, for whom again I suffer chevlei (birth pains) until Moshiach is formed in you,

4:20  would that I were present with you just now and could change my tone, because I am baffled with you. RAV SHA'UL IS MEDAMEH (DRAWING AN ANALOGY); A MIDRASH ON THE SHNEI BANIM OF AVRAHAM AVINU WARNING THE GALATIANS THAT THEY MUST BE BORN FREE, BORN OF THE YERUSHALAYIM ABOVE, BORN ACCORDING TO THE RUACH HAKODESH, NOT MERELY BORN ACCORDING TO THE FLESH, BUT THEY MUST BE BORN ACCORDING TO THE PROMISE, IF THEY ARE TO SHARE THE NACHALAH (INHERITANCE) OF THE BERIT (COVENANT) OF AVRAHAM AVINU AND THE COMMUNITY OF THE CITY OF THE BRIT CHADASHA, THE YERUSHALAYIM ABOVE--BUT DO YOU GOYIM UNDERSTAND THE BAT CHORIN, THE YERUSHALAYIM ABOVE, AND DEROR IN MOSHIACH?

4:21  Tell me, you Goyim who wish to be under the Torah, do you not possess "shema" hearing of the Torah?

4:22  For the Torah says that Avraham Avinu had shnei banim (two sons), one of haAmah (the slave woman) and one of the hofshiyah (free woman).

4:23  But the one of the slave woman has been born according to the basar, and the one of the free woman has been born through the havtachah (promise).

4:24  Now these things can be taken derech mashal (figuratively); for these are two beritot (covenants--see 3:17), one from Mount Sinai bearing banim for avdut (slavery, bondage): this is Hagar.

4:25  Now, Hagar is the Mount Sinai in Arabia; and corresponds to the Yerushalayim of now, for she is in avdut with her banim.

4:26  But the Yerushalayim above is a bat chorin (daughter of freedom), haEm lechulanu (the Mother of us all--TEHILLIM 87:5-6; SHEMOT 25:40; YESHAYEH 49:20f; 54:1-13).

4:27  For it has been written, RANNI AKARAH LO YALADAH PITZCHI RINNAH V'TZAHALI LO CHALAH KI RABBIM BENEI SHOMEMAH MIB'NEI VE'ULAH ("Sing/rejoice, O barren, the one not giving birth, break forth into song and shout for joy, the one not suffering birth pains; because more are the children of the desolate woman than the one having the husband" YESHAYEH 54:1).

4:28  But you, Achim b'Moshiach, are Bnei haHavtacha (Sons of the Promise), like Yitzchak.

4:29  But just as at that time the one born according to the basar was bringing redifah (persecution) on the one born according to the Ruach haKodesh, so it is now also.

4:30  But what does the Kitvei haKodesh say? GARESH HA'AMAH HAZOT V'ES B'NAH KI LO YIRASH BEN-HA'AMAH HAZOT IM BENI ("Cast out the slave woman and her son, for never will the son of the slave woman inherit with my son, the son of the free woman" BERESHIS 21:10)

4:31  Therefore, Achim B'Moshiach, we are not Bnei haAmah (Sons of the Slave Woman) but Bnei haHofshiyah (Sons of the Free Woman).