Study Desk

Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not ^(aa)listen to the law?

For it is written that Abraham had two sons, ^(ab)one by the bondwoman and ^(ac)one by the free woman.

But ^(ad)the son by the bondwoman ^[r]was born according to the flesh, and ^(ae)the son by the free woman through the promise.

^[s](af)This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from ^(ag)Mount Sinai bearing children ^[t]who are to be ^(ah)slaves; ^[u]she is Hagar.

Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.

But ^(ai)the Jerusalem above is free; ^[v]she is our mother.

For it is written, "^(aj) Rejoice, barren woman who does not bear ; Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor ; For more numerous are the children of the desolate Than of the one who has a husband ."

And you brethren, ^(ak)like Isaac, are ^(al)children of promise.

But as at that time ^(am)he who was born according to the flesh ^(an)persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, ^(ao)so it is now also.

But what does the Scripture say? "^(ap) Cast out the bondwoman and her son , For ^(aq) the son of the bondwoman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman ."

So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, ^[w]but of the free woman.