Galatians 4:1

The heir. This chapter amplifies and illustrates the truth stated in ch. 3:17-29 by two analogies — the heir (ch. 4:1-9) and the two sons (vs. 21-31) — separated by a hortatory and biographical parenthesis (vs. 10-20). Here the heir (cf. ch. 3:29) represents all the spiritual seed of Abraham (see ch. 3:7-9, 26-29).

A child. An heir may be a child, but that makes him no less an heir. In due time he will receive custody of his father’s property. As a child, he has a right to it, but not authority over it. Whether Paul here represents the father of the heir as still living or as already deceased is not clear, nor does it matter. As the context makes evident (vs. 2-7), the childhood, or period of minority, represents the status of Israel as a people while living “under the law” (ch. 3:17-19, 23-25).

A servant. Literally, “a slave.” Until the heir comes of age he has no more authority over the inheritance he has received than as though he were one of his father’s slaves. He is placed under the supervision of a guardian (cf. ch. 3:24), whom he is required to obey. Lacking maturity of understanding and judgment, he does not enjoy the freedom that will be his upon reaching manhood. Thus it was with the Jews under the legal system.

Coming out of Egypt, the Israelites proved to be incredibly dull and foolish, and advanced but little throughout their history as a nation (see Ex. 32:9, 10; Ex. 33:3; Eze. 20:1-38; Mal. 1:6; 3:7; Matt. 21:33-43; 23:29-38; Vol. IV, pp. 30-33). “The law” (see on Gal. 2:16) God gave them when they came out of Egypt was adapted to their capacity to understand. The elementary provisions of the ceremonial system were designed to enable them to comprehend the fundamental principles of the plan of salvation and to lead them to appropriate its blessings (see on ch. 3:19, 24). It was God’s purpose that under such tutorship they should reach spiritual maturity (see Vol. IV, pp. 26-28) and inherit all the promises made to Abraham (pp. 28-30; see on ch. 3:6-8, 14).

Lord of all. Paul seems to imply that the heir is now approaching young manhood and is eager, perhaps impatient, to gain control of his inheritance. But he is still a minor and has no more jurisdiction over it than if he were his father’s slave.