Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Galatians: Chapter 4].
his heart into his voice. The pen stands between them. He knew
the power of his voice on their hearts. He had tried it before.
{I am perplexed} (\aporoumai\). I am at a loss and know not what
to do. \Apore•\ is from \a\ privative and \poros\, way. I am lost
at this distance from you. {About you} (\en humin\). In your
cases. For this use of \en\ see 2Co 7:16; Ga 1:24.
4:21 {That desire to be under the law} (\hoi hupo nomon thelontes
einai\). "Under law" (no article), as in 3:23; 4:4, legalistic
system. Paul views them as on the point of surrender to legalism,
as "wanting" (\thelontes\) to do it (1:6; 3:3; 4:11,17). Paul
makes direct reference to these so disposed to "hear the law." He
makes a surprising turn, but a legitimate one for the legalists
by an allegorical use of Scripture.
4:22 {By the handmaid} (\ek t•s paidisk•s\). From Ge 16:1.
Feminine diminutive of \pais\, boy or slave. Common word for
damsel which came to be used for female slave or maidservant (Lu
12:45) or doorkeeper like Mt 26:29. So in the papyri.
4:23 {Is born} (\gegenn•tai\). Perfect passive indicative of
\genna•\, stand on record so. {Through promise} (\di'
epaggelias\). In addition to being "after the flesh" (\kata
sarka\).
4:24 {Which things contain an allegory} (\hatina estin
all•goroumena\). Literally, "Which things are allegorized"
(periphrastic present passive indicative of \all•gore•\). Late
word (Strabo, Plutarch, Philo, Josephus, ecclesiastical writers),
only here in N.T. The ancient writers used \ainittomai\ to speak
in riddles. It is compounded of \allo\, another, and \agoreu•\,
to speak, and so means speaking something else than what the
language means, what Philo, the past-master in the use of
allegory, calls the deeper spiritual sense. Paul does not deny
the actual historical narrative, but he simply uses it in an
allegorical sense to illustrate his point for the benefit of his
readers who are tempted to go under the burden of the law. He
puts a secondary meaning on the narrative just as he uses
\tupik•s\ in 1Co 10:11 of the narrative. We need not press
unduly the difference between allegory and type, for each is used
in a variety of ways. The allegory in one sense is a speaking
parable like Bunyan's _Pilgrim's Progress_, the Prodigal Son in
Lu 15, the Good Shepherd in Joh 10. But allegory was also
used by Philo and by Paul here for a secret meaning not obvious
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