# 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](./21.md) represent two covenants.

# Mount Sinai

"Mount Sinai" here is a synecdoche for the law that Moses gave to the Israelites there. AT: "Mount Sinai, where Moses gave the law to Israel" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche]])

# she gives birth to children who are slaves

Paul treats the law as if it were a person. AT: "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]])

# represents

"is a picture of"

# she is in slavery with her children

Hagar is a slave and her children are slaves with her. AT: "Jerusalem, like Hagar, is a slave, and her children are slaves with her" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# translationWords

* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/covenant]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/names/sinai]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/names/hagar]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/names/arabia]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/names/jerusalem]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/enslave]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/children]]