The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 241

(For the phrase, "after/' or "according to, ordination (Gen. XNi. 4). That both mother the Spirit," see note on ver. 23.) It mUBt be 11.n? son were very greatly in the wrong is conceded that the apostle somewhat strains evidenced by the sanction which Heaven the expression in o.pplying it to the case accord~ ~othe pnnishn:iE:nt with which they of Isao.c ; but he does it for the purpose of were v1s1ted. I'he cr1t1cs (see Wetatein) exhibiting the m1mner of his birth as homo- quote the following passage from the geneous with that of his antitypes ; fo1 rabbinical treatise, ' Bereshith rabb. ' 53 these are they of whom it is the more 15. "Rabbi Asaria ea.id: Ishmael s;id t~ characteristically. true ; for they are be- Isaac, 'Let us go and see our portion in the gotten through the Spirit's agency, into the field ; • and Ishmael took bow and arrows, Spirit's kingdom, to be to the uttermost and shot at Isaac, and pretended that he perfected by. tho Spirit. The imperfect was in ~port." St. Paul's view, therefore, iii/"'""• was persecuting, points to the scene of the import of the Hebrew participle presented to our view in .Gen. xxi. 9, in rendered "mocking" is corroborated by the the midst of which intervenes the injunc- rabbinical interpretation of the word-a tion, "Cast out," etc.; or possibly the apostle consideration which in such a. case is of no rego.rds what then took place as one among small weight. The particular word, "per- othei: incidents exhibiting the same animus secuted," with which the apostle describes on the part of Ishmael. We cannot doubt Ishmael's behaviour to his half-brother, was that St. Paul points to the word "mocking," no doubt, like the expression, " born afte; which occurs in the passage referred to. the Spirit," suggested by the antitypal At the feast held in honour of Isaac's being case to which he is comparing it. But the weaned, "Sarah saw the son of Hagar the features jWltifying its application to Ish- Egyptian, which she had born unto Abra- mael viewed as typical were these-spiteful ham, mocking." The same Hebrew verb is je1dousy ; disregard of the will of God ; used of insult and disrespect in Gen. mix. antipathy to one chosen of God to be 14, "He hath brought in an Hebrew unto Abraham's seed; abuse of superior power. us to mook us;" so again ver. 17. The Even so it is now ( oifrw 1eal viiv) ; ,n,en so he SeptuagiDt, a.a we now h,i.ve it, instead of does now. The fu 11 sentence represented by "mocking," has 1ral(ov-ra JA,E'r4 'lualJ,c -roii vloV this elliptic one is: "even so now does he a.v-r11s, "at play with Isaao her son;" which that is born after the flesh persecute him would indicate no unkindness on Ishmael'e that is bom after the Spirit." This was a part, but suggest the idea that SBrah's fact with which the apostle's experience was resentment was simply a movement of but too familiar. In Asia Minor itself, as jealous feeling, roused by her seeing Ish- the Acts abundo.ntly testifies, from city to mael assuming 11, ·position of equality with oity had he been dogged by the animosity a .child of hers. But the 11.postle disregards of the "children of Hagar." No doubt this interpretation, if indeed the words, something of this had been witnessed even " with Isa11.c her. son," had already then in the Ga.latian towns, of the evangelization been interpolated into the passage. As of which we have no equally full par- those words are not in the .Hebrew, the ticulars ; there, too, we may believe, St. po.rticiple, lacking any such explanatory Paul's converts had had to note the abhor- ndj unct, )VOUld fail of itself to express this rence with which their master w:i.s regarded idea. It is further rendered .improbable by by the adherents of the old religion; and the disparity in age between the two lads; it was natural that this should have a for Isaac, having been just weaned, would tendency to lessen his hold upon their be only two or three yea1:s old, whilst minds; for were not the Jews the ancient Ishmael would be sixteen or seventeen. It Israel of God, the depositaries of his reve- is much more likely that Ishmael, lmving lations? Moreover, the hostility which 11.1·rived at these years, participated in ho.russed him wouhl also o.ligut more or Hagar's feelings of jealousy and disap- less upon them as being disciples 01' his pointment that this child should have come (see eh. vi. 12, and note). All this might to supe1·sede him in the position which, hut muke some of them the more ready to listen for this, he might have held in the family; to J udu.izing suggestions. In this verse, and that, on the occasion of this " gre11.t therefore, St. Paul is not merely breathing feast," by which the aged pair were cele- out e. sorrow of his own but is fortifying brating their pious joy over this '' child of the Galstian believers against 11, temptu.tiou promise " a.a well 11.s very mo.rkedly sig- assaulting thernscl ves. nalizing his peculi11.r position as Abraham's Ver. 30.-Nevertheless what saith the heir, the elder-born indulged himself in ill- Soripture1 (ciMc't .,., A,-,,. ,;,-,p«r/>~). "Never- natured o.nd very possibly profane ridicule theless:" man is acting thus; hut, what doth of the circumstances under which Isnnc wu God say touching tho; Dll\tter? The similo.r born. Hagcn·'s feelings towards her wistress question in Rom. u. :I, '' But whcit saith the had of old been those of upsttut insub- o.nswer of God (o XP1J/J-a.T1cr1co,) Lo hiul,"  208 THE EPISTLE TO 'l'HE GALATIANS. [on. IV. 1-31.