Galatians 4:5 (KJV)

What does Galatians 4:5 mean?

Galatians 4:5 says that Jesus came to set free those who were under the law so that people could be adopted as God’s children. The verse explains that the purpose of Jesus’ coming was both to rescue and to bring people into a new relationship with God as sons and daughters.

Paul is writing to the churches in Galatia, reminding them that before Jesus, people were bound by the requirements of the Jewish law. By using the language of “redemption” and “adoption,” Paul highlights both a release from an old system and the gift of a new status within God’s family. This verse is part of a larger argument showing that faith in Christ, not law-keeping, is what brings people into God’s family.

The Greek behind Galatians 4:5

• “Redeem” (ἐξαγοράζω, exagorazō): This word means to buy back or set free, often used for freeing slaves. Here, it emphasizes that Jesus’ work was to liberate people from being under the law’s control.
• “Under” (ὑπό, hypo): This word means being beneath or subject to something. In this verse, it stresses that people were in a position of being ruled or controlled by the law.
• “Law” (νόμος, nomos): Refers to the Jewish law, the set of rules given to Israel. Paul uses it to describe the old way of relating to God, which Jesus came to fulfill and move people beyond.
• “Receive” (ἀπολάβωμεν, apolabōmen): This word means to take or get something that is given. It shows that adoption as sons is not earned but received as a gift.
• “Sons” (υἱοθεσία, huiothesia): This word means adoption as children, specifically as sons with full rights. It underlines the idea that believers are given the same status and privileges as natural-born children in God’s family.

Why Galatians 4:5 matters

• Galatians 4:5 clarifies that belonging to God’s family is not about following religious rules but about what Jesus has done to bring people in.
• The verse highlights the shift from being under the law’s demands to being welcomed as children with full rights, which is a major theme in Paul’s letter.
• By using the image of adoption, Paul connects the experience of believers to a familiar legal process in the ancient world, making the spiritual reality more concrete and personal.