The Greek that is translated as “free (woman)” in English is translated into Bunun as “the lady master” (a parallel to the “master” or “husband”). (“Bunun have no word ‘free’ — they claim that they were always free so have no concept of not being so!”)
inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Gal. 4:31)
Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)
The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).
For this verse, translators typically select the inclusive form (including the addressee).
Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.
brother (fellow believer)
The Greek that is translated in English as “brother” or “brother and sister” (in the sense of fellow believers), is translated with a specifically coined word in Kachin: “There are two terms for brother in Kachin. One is used to refer to a Christian brother. This term combines ‘older and younger brother.’ The other term is used specifically for addressing siblings. When one uses this term, one must specify if the older or younger person is involved. A parallel system exists for ‘sister’ as well. In [these verses], the term for ‘a Christian brother’ is used.” (Source: Gam Seng Shae)
In Matumbi is is translated as alongo aumini or “relative-believer.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
In Martu Wangka it is translated as “relative” (this is also the term that is used for “follower.”) (Source: Carl Gross)
In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is often translated as Mitchristen or “fellow Christians.”
See also brothers.
complete verse (Galatians 4:31)
Following are a number of back-translations of Galatians 4:31:
- Uma: “So we, relatives, we are not like the child of Hagar, who was a slave. We are like the child of Sara, who was not a slave. [implied information that we finally decided to delete (sigh!): For we do not submit to the Law of Musa, we believe in the Lord Yesus so that we become straight in God’s sight. ]” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “Therefore my brothers who trust in Isa Almasi, we (incl.) are not like the slave woman’s child but we (incl.) are like the child of the not slave woman.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Therefore, brothers, as for us (incl.) we are like the son of the woman who is not a slave. We are not like the son of a slave.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “Therefore brothers, the summary (lit. gathering) of what I’ve been saying is this: we are not counted as children of the slave but rather children of the non slave.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “Therefore, brethren, consider that we are not children of a slave. That’s the one who like gave birth to us, that one who was not a slave.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “Now, my dear brethren, we are not the children of the servant but we are the children of the woman of the house.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Translation commentary on Galatians 4:31
Paul now concludes his discussion with a statement of what he had been trying to say to the Galatians through this rather complicated and involved allegorical argument. Appropriately, he starts with so then, marking what follows as a conclusion of what has been said (Knox “you see, then”; New American Bible “therefore”).
Once more there is a shift in pronouns from the second person plural you of verse 28 to a first person plural we. This we should be understood as inclusive, referring to all members of the Christian community, including Paul himself.
Paul maintains the figure of sonship. He denies that we are … the children of a slave woman and affirms that we are children of a free woman. One should note that there is no definite article before slave woman, thus emphasizing that slavery is not a monopoly of the Jewish system. What Paul is saying is that we are not children of any slave woman, whether it be Judaistic legalism or any form of heathen ritual and practice. The statement we are not the children of a slave woman must be marked as a simile in some languages, for example, “we are not, so to speak, the children of a woman who was a slave.” In this context it may be necessary in certain languages to translate a free woman as “a wife who is free” or “a wife who is not a slave.” This is required since in this type of context a free woman could be misconstrued as a woman of “free morals.”
Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
SIL Translator’s Notes on Galatians 4:31
4:31a–b
Therefore, brothers: Verse 4:31 is the conclusion to this section. The Greek introduces this conclusion with a conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Therefore.
Some other ways to translate this conjunction are:
So, brothers, (English Standard Version)
-or-
In conclusion, fellow believers
we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman: In this clause, Paul concluded this section by repeating the main point of his illustration. His main point is the contrast between the two branches of Abraham’s family and who they are.
The slave woman and her slave children represent the Jewish law and those who are slaves to the law. The free woman represents righteousness by faith apart from the law. Her children are free through faith in Christ. The Galatian believers are children of the free woman.
In some languages, it may be necessary to make parts of this explicit. For example:
we are not children of the slave woman ?and slaves to the law? . We are children of the free woman, ?and sons of God by faith? .
-or-
we are not children of the slave woman, obligated to the law. We are children of the free woman, acceptable to God because of our faith. (New Living Translation (1996))
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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
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