Galatians 4:2
But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
Galatians 4:2 in other translations
| BSB | He is subject to guardians and trustees until the date set by his father. |
|---|---|
| WEB | but is under guardians and stewards until the day appointed by the father. |
| ASV | but is under guardians and stewards until the day appointed of the father. |
| YLT | but is under tutors and stewards till the time appointed of the father, |
| DARBY | but he is under guardians and stewards until the period fixed by the father. |
| BBE | But is under keepers and managers till the time fixed by the father. |
| Webster | But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed by the father. |
What does Galatians 4:2 mean?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Galatians 4:1-7
Ga 4:1-31. The Same Subject Continued: Illustration of Our Subjection to the Law Only till Christ Came, from the Subjection of an Heir to His Guardian till He Is of Age. Peter's Good Will to the Galatians Should Lead Them to the Same Good Will to Him as They Had at First Shown. Their Desire to Be under the Law Shown by the Allegory of Isaac and Ishmael to Be Inconsistent with Their Gospel Liberty. 1-7. The fact of…
Barnes' Notes
Tutors. The word tutor, with us, properly means instructor. But this is not quite the sense of the original. The word επιτροπος properly means steward, manager, agent, Mt 20:8, Lk 8:3. As used here, it refers to one--usually a slave or a freedman--to whose care the boys of a family were committed, who trained them up, accompanied them to school, or sometimes instructed them at home. Comp. Gal 3:24. Such a one would have the control of them.
And governors. This word οικονομος means a house-manager, an overseer, a steward. It properly refers to one who had authority over the slaves or servants of a family, to assign them their tasks and portions. They generally also had the management of the affairs of the household, and of the accounts. They were commonly slaves, who were intrusted with this office as a reward for fidelity; though sometimes free persons were employed, Lk 16:1,3,8. These persons had also charge of the sons of a family, probably in respect to their pecuniary matters, and thus differed from those called tutors. It is not necessary, however, to mark the difference in the words with great accuracy. The general meaning of the apostle is, that the heir was under government and restraint.
Until the time appointed of the father. The time fixed for his entering on the inheritance. The time when he chose to give him his portion of the property. The law with us fixes the age at twenty-one when a son shall be at liberty to manage for himself. Other countries have affixed other times. But still the time when the son shall inherit the father's property must be fixed by the father himself, if he is living, or may be fixed by his will if he is deceased. The son cannot claim the property when he comes of age. (+) "governors" "guardians"
Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain
Adam Clarke's Commentary
Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Galatians 4:1-7
The apostle deals plainly with those who urged the law of Moses together with the gospel of Christ, and endeavoured to bring believers under its bondage. They could not fully understand the meaning of the law as given by Moses. And as that was a dispensation of darkness, so of bondage; they were tied to many burdensome rites and observances, by which they were taught and kept subject like a child under tutors and…
Galatians 4:2 in the original Greek
Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.
Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).
Context
- Galatians 4:1
Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
- Galatians 4:2
But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
- Galatians 4:3
Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
Galatians 4:2 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | Mas está debajo de tutores y curadores hasta el tiempo señalado por el padre. |
|---|---|
| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | mais il est sous des tuteurs et des curateurs jusqu’à l’époque fixée par le père. |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | sondern er ist unter Vormündern und Verwaltern bis zu der vom Vater festgesetzten Frist. |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | sed sub tutoribus et actoribus est usque ad præfinitum tempus a patre: |