Tell me, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually says?
Parallel translations
- WEB Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, don’t you listen to the law?
- KJV Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
- BSB Tell me, you who want to be under the law, do you not understand what the law says?
- NKJV Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?
- NASB Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the Law?
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Paul challenges those who want to be under the law to actually listen to what the law itself says. He prepares to show that Scripture testifies against legalism.
Overview
With pointed irony, Paul asks the would-be law-keepers whether they truly hear the law's own message. He is about to draw from the Genesis account of Abraham's sons to demonstrate that the law's narrative points beyond law-keeping to the freedom of promise. The verse turns the legalists' own authority against their error.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Gal 3:10For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse. For it is written, “Cursed is everyone who doesn’t continue in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them.”
- Rom 3:19Now we know that whatever things the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God.
- Matt 22:29–32But Jesus answered them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God.
- Gal 4:9But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, why do you turn back again to the weak and miserable elemental principles, to which you desire to be in bondage all over again?
- Gal 3:23–24But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, confined for the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
- John 15:25But this happened so that the word may be fulfilled which was written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’
- Rom 10:3–10For being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they didn’t subject themselves to the righteousness of God.
- Rom 7:5–6For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were through the law, worked in our members to bring out fruit to death.
- John 5:46–47For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote about me.
- Rom 6:14For sin will not have dominion over you. For you are not under law, but under grace.
- Rom 9:30–32What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who didn’t follow after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith;
- John 12:34The multitude answered him, “We have heard out of the law that the Christ remains forever. How do you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up?’ Who is this Son of Man?”
- Matt 21:42–44Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, the same was made the head of the corner. This was from the Lord. It is marvelous in our eyes?’
- John 10:34Jesus answered them, “Isn’t it written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods?’
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Christ became a curse for us to redeem us from the law's curse, that we might receive the Spirit and be sons — justified by faith in him, not by works.
How Galatians 4:21 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.