See in Reader
1002 B
Connecting Statement:
Paul begins a story to illustrate a truth—that law and grace cannot exist together.
These things may be interpreted as an allegory
"This story of the two sons is like a picture of what I will tell you now"
as an allegory
An "allegory" is a story in which the people and things in it represent other things. In Paul's allegory, the two women referred to in Galatians 4:22 represent two covenants.
women represent
"women are a picture of"
Mount Sinai
"Mount Sinai" here is a synecdoche for the law that Moses gave to the Israelites there. Alternate translation: "Mount Sinai, where Moses gave the law to Israel" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche)
she bears children into slavery
Paul treats the law as if it were a person. Alternate translation: "the people under this covenant are like slaves who have to obey the law" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor and rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-personification)