Thomas Aquinas Commentary Galatians 4:21-24

"Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, one by the handmaid, and one by the freewoman. Howbeit the [son] by the handmaid is born after the flesh; but the [son] by the freewoman [is born] through promise. Which things contain an allegory: for these [women] are two covenants; one from mount Sinai, bearing children unto bondage, which is Hagar." — Galatians 4:21-24 (ASV)

Previously, the Apostle showed the preeminence of grace using a human example; here, he proves it on the authority of Scripture.

First, he proposes a fact. Second, he expounds its mystery (Galatians 4:24). Third, he concludes his proposition (Galatians 4:31).

As to the first point, he does two things:

1. He captures their attention.
2. He presents his intention (Galatians 4:22).

He says therefore: Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? It is as if to say: If you are wise, consider my objections; if you cannot answer them, then yield. Answer, I implore you, without contention; and speaking what is just, answer me (Job 6:29). Now, I raise this objection to you: you have either read the Law or you have not. If you have read it, you should know what is written in it—and those things prove that the Law should be abandoned. If you have not read it, you ought not accept what you do not know. Let your eyelids go before your steps (Proverbs 4:25).

He says "under the law," meaning under the burden of the Law. For carrying something light is no great feat, but to take on a heavy burden like that of the Law seems to be a mark of extreme foolishness. This is a yoke that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear (Acts 15:10). This should be understood as referring to those who wish to live according to the flesh while under the Law.

Then, when he says, For it is written that Abraham had two sons, he presents his intention. He is saying, "The reason I ask whether you have read the Law is that it contains certain things which clearly indicate that the Law must not be retained." The Apostle then specifically mentions the two sons of Abraham. First, he states one point in which they are alike; second, two points in which they differ.

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They are alike in having the same father. Hence he says, It is written that Abraham had two sons. In fact, Abraham had more than two, because after Sarah’s death, he fathered other sons by Keturah, as is stated in Genesis 25. But the Apostle does not mention them because they have no role in this allegory.

These two sons—the son of the bondwoman and the son of the free woman—can signify two peoples: the Jews and the Gentiles. The other sons by Keturah can signify schismatics and heretics. These two peoples, Jews and Gentiles, are alike in having one father. The Jews are the children of Abraham according to the flesh, while the Gentiles are his children by imitating his faith. Or, they are both sons of Abraham in the sense that they are sons of God, who is the Father of all: Have we not all one father? (Malachi 2:10); Is he the God of the Jews only? (Romans 3:29).

But they differ in two respects: first, in the status of their mother, and second, in the manner of their conception. One was from a bondwoman, as is said in Genesis 21. (Abraham did not sin by lying with her, because he approached her with conjugal affection and under God’s ordinance.) The other, Isaac, whom Sarah his wife bore to him, was born of a free woman: I will return and come to you at this time, life accompanying, and Sarah your wife shall have a son (Genesis 18:10). They also differ in their manner of procreation, because the son of the bondwoman, Ishmael, was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman, Isaac, was born according to the promise.

Here, a twofold misinterpretation must be avoided. The first is that we should not understand "born according to the flesh" as if "flesh" here refers to an act of sin, as it does in Romans 8:13: If you live according to the flesh, you will die, and 2 Corinthians 10:3: For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. This would wrongly imply that Abraham sinned in begetting Ishmael.

The second misinterpretation to avoid is supposing that when it says Isaac was born "by promise," it means he was not born according to the flesh—that is, through a physical union—but was conceived by the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, it must be said that Ishmael was born "according to the flesh," meaning according to the course of nature. It is natural for a son to be born from a fertile young woman like Hagar and a man advanced in years. But for Isaac to be born "according to promise" is beyond the course of nature. Nature cannot bring it about that a son be born of an old man and a barren old woman, as Sarah was.

Ishmael signifies the Jewish people, who were born according to the flesh. Isaac signifies the Gentiles, who were born according to the promise, in which Abraham was promised that he would be the father of many nations: In your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed (Genesis 22:18).

Then the Apostle discloses the mystery when he says, Now this may be interpreted allegorically. He first states what sort of mystery it is, and then he explains it (Galatians 4:24).

He says, therefore: These things written about the two sons are said by an allegory, which means understanding one thing under the image of another. An allegory is a figure of speech or a way of narrating in which one thing is said and something else is understood. Hence, "allegory" is derived from the Greek alos (alien) and goge (a leading), as if leading to a different understanding.

Here it should be noted that "allegory" is sometimes taken to mean any mystical interpretation. At other times, it refers to only one of the four senses of Sacred Scripture: the historical, allegorical, moral, and anagogical. All of these differ in their type of meaning, or signification.

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For signification is twofold: one is through words, and the other is through the things signified by the words. This second type is unique to the sacred writings, since their author is God, in whose power it is to use not only words to signify (which humans can also do), but also the things themselves. Consequently, in other sciences developed by humans, where only words can be used to signify, the words alone carry meaning.

It is unique to Scripture, however, that both the words and the very things they signify can, in turn, signify something else. As a result, this science can have many senses. The meaning derived from what the words themselves signify pertains to the literal or historical sense. But the meaning derived from what the things signified by the words also signify pertains to the mystical sense.

Something can be signified by the literal sense in two ways: either according to its plain meaning, as when I say, "the man smiles," or according to a likeness or metaphor, as when I say, "the meadow smiles." Both are used in Sacred Scripture. For example, we speak literally when we say that Jesus ascended, and we speak metaphorically when we say that He sits at the right hand of God. Therefore, the parabolic or metaphorical sense is included under the literal sense.

However, the mystical or spiritual sense is divided into three types. First, the Old Law is a figure of the New Law; therefore, insofar as the events of the Old Law signify the events of the New Law, this is the allegorical sense. Second, according to Dionysius in his book On the Heavenly Hierarchy, the New Law is a figure of future glory; accordingly, insofar as events in the New Law and in Christ signify things that are in heaven, this is the anagogical sense. Third, in the New Law, the things performed by the Head (Christ) are examples of what we ought to do. Because whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction (Romans 15:4), accordingly, insofar as the things done in Christ and in that which signifies Christ are signs of what we ought to do, this is the moral sense.

Examples will clarify each of these. When I say, Let there be light, referring literally to physical light, it is the literal sense. If it is taken to mean, "Let Christ be born in the Church," it pertains to the allegorical sense. If one says, Let there be light, meaning, "Let us be led to glory through Christ," it pertains to the anagogical sense. Finally, if it is said, Let there be light, meaning, "Let us be illuminated in mind and ignited in heart through Christ," it pertains to the moral sense.