{"id":29075,"date":"2022-09-24T13:06:34","date_gmt":"2022-09-24T18:06:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/exegetical-and-hermeneutical-commentary-of-galatians-42\/"},"modified":"2022-09-24T13:06:34","modified_gmt":"2022-09-24T18:06:34","slug":"exegetical-and-hermeneutical-commentary-of-galatians-42","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/exegetical-and-hermeneutical-commentary-of-galatians-42\/","title":{"rendered":"Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Galatians 4:2"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3 align='center'><b><i> But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. <\/i><\/b><\/h3>\n<p> <strong> 2<\/strong>. <em> tutors and governors<\/em> ] <strong> guardians and stewards<\/strong>, the one having the charge of his person, the other the management of his estate.<\/p>\n<p><em> the time appointed of the father<\/em> ] the time fixed before by his father for the coming of age. It is not necessary, as has been stated already, to refer this to any special law or custom. It is clearly what might have often happened; and it is mentioned because of its typical import. The &lsquo;fulness of the time&rsquo; is the antitype to &lsquo;the time appointed&rsquo;, and &lsquo;the father&rsquo; of the minor has his counterpart in Him to whom we cry, &lsquo;Abba, Father&rsquo;.<\/p>\n<h4 align='right'><i><b>Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n<p><P STYLE=\"text-indent: 0.75em\"><B>But is under &#8211; <\/B>Is subject to their control and direction.<\/P> <P STYLE=\"text-indent: 0.75em\"><B>Tutors &#8211; <\/B>The word tutor with us properly means instructor. But this is not quite the sense of the original. The word (<span class='_800000'><SPAN LANG=\"el-GR\"><\/SPAN><\/span> epitropos); properly means a steward, manager, agent; <span class='bible'>Mat 20:8<\/span>; <span class='bible'>Luk 8:3<\/span>. As used here, it refers to one &#8211; usually a slave or a freedman &#8211; to whose care the boys of a family were committed, who trained them up, accompanied them to school, or sometimes instructed them at home; compare the note at <span class='bible'>Gal 3:24<\/span>. Such a one would have the control of them.<\/P> <P STYLE=\"text-indent: 0.75em\"><B>And governors &#8211; <\/B>This word (<span class='_800000'><SPAN LANG=\"el-GR\"><\/SPAN><\/span> oikonomos) means a house-manager, an overseer, a steward. It properly refers to one who had authority over the slaves or servants of a family, to assign them their tasks and portions. They generally, also, had the management of the affairs of the household, and of the accounts. They were commonly slaves, who were entrusted with this office as a reward for fidelity; though sometimes free persons were employed; <span class='bible'>Luk 16:1<\/span>, <span class='bible'>Luk 16:3<\/span>,<span class='bible'>Luk 16:8<\/span>. These persons had also charge of the sons of a family, probably in respect to their pecuniary matters, and thus differed from those called tutors. It is not necessary, however, to mark the difference in the words with great accuracy. The general meaning of the apostle is, that the heir was under government and restraint.<B>Until the time appointed of the father &#8211; <\/B>The time fixed for his entering on the inheritance. The time when he chose to give him his portion of the property. The law with us fixes the age at twenty-one when a son shall be at liberty to manage for himself. Other countries have affixed other times. But still, the time when the son shall inherit the fathers property must be fixed by the father himself if he is living, or may be fixed by his will if he is deceased. The son cannot claim the property when he comes of age.<\/P> <\/p>\n<h4 align='right'><i><b>Fuente: Albert Barnes&#8217; Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n<p><P>  Verse <span class='bible'>2<\/span>. <I><B>But is under tutors<\/B><\/I>] .  <I>Guardians<\/I> and <I>governors<\/I>; . those who have the <I>charge<\/I> of the <I>family.<\/I> These words are nearly similar; but we may consider the first as <I>executor<\/I>, the last as the person who <I>superintends the concerns of<\/I> <I>the family and estate<\/I> till the heir become of age; such as we call trustee.<\/P> <P> <\/P> <P>  <I><B>Until the time appointed of the father.<\/B><\/I>] The time mentioned in the father&#8217;s will or testament.<\/P><\/p>\n<h4 align='right'><i><b>Fuente: Adam Clarke&#8217;s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n<p><P> The heir, (mentioned in the former verse), though he be an heir of a great estate, yet is not presently possessed of it; but he is by his father kept under tutors and governors, until the time which he hath appointed when he will be pleased to release him from his pupillage, and settle some part of his inheritance upon him. <\/P> <\/p>\n<h4 align='right'><i><b>Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n<p><P><B>2. tutors and governors<\/B>rather,&#8221;guardians (of the person) and stewards (of the property).&#8221;Answering to &#8220;the law was our schoolmaster&#8221; or &#8220;tutor&#8221;(<span class='bible'>Ga 3:24<\/span>). <\/P><P>       <B>until the time appointed ofthe father<\/B>in His eternal purposes (<span class='bible'>Eph1:9-11<\/span>). The <I>Greek<\/I> is a legal term, expressing <I>a timedefined<\/I> by law, or testamentary disposition.<\/P><\/p>\n<h4 align='right'><i><b>Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown&#8217;s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n<p><strong>But is under tutors and governors<\/strong>,&#8230;. The word rendered &#8220;tutors&#8221;, is adopted by the Jewish Targumists and Rabbins into their language; and by the former is used x for any ruler and governor, civil or domestic; and by the latter, for such as are guardians of infants, fatherless children, and such as are under age, as it is here used; and who were either appointed by the will of the deceased, or by the sanhedrim, of whom they say y,    , &#8220;we do not appoint a tutor or guardian for a bearded person&#8221;; that is, an adult person, one that is grown up to man&#8217;s estate; but<\/p>\n<p>   , &#8220;we appoint a guardian for an infant&#8221;; and they had not used to appoint women or servants, or such as were minors themselves, or any of the common people; but men of substance, integrity, and wisdom z; a fatherless child had two tutors a; the power that guardians so appointed had, is at large described by Maimonides b. Governors were such as acted under the tutors or guardians, and were employed by them for the improvement of their estates and minds, as stewards, schoolmasters, c. until the time appointed of the father by his last will and testament, which might be sooner or later, as he pleased; but if he died intestate, the time of minority, and so the duration of tutors and guardians, were according to the laws of the nation; which with the Romans was until a man was twenty five years of age; and with the Jews, for a male, was until he was thirteen years of age and one day; and for a female, until she was twelve years of age and one day, if the signs of ripeness of age appeared; but if they did not, the time was protracted until they were twenty, and even sometimes till they were thirty five years of age, before the matter was determined c.<\/p>\n<p>x Targum Jon. ben Uzziel in Gen. xxxix. 4. &amp; xli 34, 35. &amp; xliii 15. Targum in Esther i. 8. &amp; 2. 3. y T. Bab. Bava Metzia, fol. 39. 1, 2. z Maimon. Hilch. Necabot, c. 10. sect. 6. a Bartenora in Misn. Pesachim, c. 8. sect. 1. b Hilch. Nechalot, c. 11. c Ib. Hilch. Ishot, c. 2. sect. 1, 2.<\/p>\n<h4 align='right'><i><b>Fuente: John Gill&#8217;s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n<p><P> <B>Under guardians <\/B> (<span class='_800000'><SPAN LANG=\"el-GR\"> <\/SPAN><\/span>). Old word from <span class='_800000'><SPAN LANG=\"el-GR\"><\/SPAN><\/span>, to commit, to intrust. So either an overseer (<span class='bible'>Mt 20:8<\/span>) or one in charge of children as here. It is common as the guardian of an orphan minor. Frequent in the papyri as guardian of minors.<\/P> <P><B>Stewards <\/B> (<span class='_800000'><SPAN LANG=\"el-GR\"><\/SPAN><\/span>). Old word for manager of a household whether freeborn or slave. See <span class='bible'>Luke 12:42<\/span>; <span class='bible'>1Cor 4:2<\/span>. Papyri show it as manager of an estate and also as treasurer like <span class='bible'>Ro 16:23<\/span>. No example is known where this word is used of one in charge of a minor and no other where both occur together.<\/P> <P><B>Until the time appointed of the father <\/B> (<span class='_800000'><SPAN LANG=\"el-GR\">    <\/SPAN><\/span>). Supply <span class='_800000'><SPAN LANG=\"el-GR\"><\/SPAN><\/span> (day), for <span class='_800000'><SPAN LANG=\"el-GR\"><\/SPAN><\/span> is an old adjective &#8220;appointed beforehand&#8221; (<span class='_800000'><SPAN LANG=\"el-GR\">, <\/SPAN><\/span>, from <span class='_800000'><SPAN LANG=\"el-GR\"><\/SPAN><\/span>). Under Roman law the <I>tutor<\/I> had charge of the child till he was fourteen when the curator took charge of him till he was twenty-five. Ramsay notes that in Graeco-Phrygia cities the same law existed except that the father in Syria appointed both tutor and curator whereas the Roman father appointed only the tutor. Burton argues plausibly that no such legal distinction is meant by Paul, but that the terms here designate two functions of one person. The point does not disturb Paul&#8217;s illustration at all. <\/P> <\/p>\n<h4 align='right'><i><b>Fuente: Robertson&#8217;s Word Pictures in the New Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n<p><P>Tutors [<span class='_800000'><SPAN LANG=\"el-GR\">] <\/SPAN><\/span>. Better, guardians. See on <span class='bible'>Luk 8:3<\/span>. Only here in Paul. A general term, covering all to whom supervision of the child is intrusted, and should not be limited to paidagwgov (chapter <span class='bible'>Gal 3:24<\/span>). See 2 Macc. 11 1; 13 2; 14 2. <\/P> <P>Govenors [<span class='_800000'><SPAN LANG=\"el-GR\"><\/SPAN><\/span>] Better stewards. Lat. dispensatores. More special than guardians, signifying those who had charge of the heir&#8217;s property. See on <span class='bible'>Luk 16:1<\/span>. In later Greek it was used in two special senses : <\/P> <P>1. The slave whose duty it was to distribute the rations to the other slaves : so <span class='bible'>Luk 12:42<\/span>. <\/P> <P>2. The land &#8211; steward : so <span class='bible'>Luk 16:1<\/span>. Comp. <span class='bible'>Rom 16:23<\/span>, oJ oijkonomov thv polewv, commonly rendered city &#8211; treasurer : A. V. chamberlain. 66 In Lucian, Alex. 39, the Roman procurators, or fiscal administrators, are called Kaisarov oijkonomoi; comp. <span class='bible'>Esra 4 49<\/span>; <span class='bible'>Est 8:9<\/span>. The dispensator in the Roman household had charge of the accounts and made the payments (see Cicero, ad Att 11 1; Juv. <span class='bible'>Sat 1 91<\/span>). He was commonly a slave. Christian teachers are called &#8220;stewards of the mysteries of God&#8221; and &#8220;of the grace of God&#8221; (<span class='bible'>1Co 4:1<\/span>; <span class='bible'>1Pe 4:10<\/span>), as those who have received the counsels of God and impart them to men. A bishop or overseer is also called &#8220;a steward of God&#8221; (<span class='bible'>Tit 1:7<\/span>). <\/P> <P>The time appointed [<span class='_800000'><SPAN LANG=\"el-GR\">] <\/SPAN><\/span>. N. T. o. o LXX In Athenian law the term limited for bringing actions and prosecutions. Proqesmiav nomov a statute of limitations. It was also applied to the time allowed a defendant for paying damages, after the expiration of which, if he had not paid, he was called uJperhmerov, or ejkproqesmov, or uJperproqesmov one who had gone over his day of payment. Whether Paul &#8216;s figure assumes that the father is dead or living is a point which does not affect his argument. It is not easy to decide. As Alford justly remarks : &#8220;the antitype breaks through the type and disturbs it, as is the case wherever the idea of inheritance is spiritualised.&#8221; Proqesmia an appointed time for the termination of the minority, would seem to imply that the father is conceived as living; since, if he were dead, that matter would be regulated by statute. 67<\/P> <\/p>\n<h4 align='right'><i><b>Fuente: Vincent&#8217;s Word Studies in the New Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n<p><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1) <strong>&#8220;But is under tutors and governors,&#8221;<\/strong> (Alla hupo epitropous estin kai oikonomous) &#8220;but he is under guardians and house rules or house rulers, stewards,&#8221; who superintend, guide, help, provide for, and protect the child in his childhood minority. Tutors were teachers and stewards were managers of material things needed and provided for the child.<\/p>\n<p>2) <strong>&#8220;Until the time appointed of the fathers,&#8221;<\/strong> (achri tes prothesmias tou patros) &#8220;Until the time previously appointed of the fathers,&#8221; as prescribed in a will, <span class='bible'>Joh 4:23<\/span>. At this point of time, as prescribed or appointed by the Father, the father&#8217;s life possessions passed by law, according to the father&#8217;s testamentary will, to the heir&#8217;s sole possession and administration, at age 14 under Roman Law and 18 or 25, at different times, under Greek Law.<\/p>\n<h4 align='right'><i><b>Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n<p>(2) <strong>Under tutors and governors.<\/strong>The distinction between these two terms is that between guardians of the person and stewards of the property. It would be better to translate, <em>guardians and stewards.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Until the time appointed of the father.<\/strong>From this it would appear that the length of the minority was determined by the father. This, however, was not the case either in Greek or Roman law; and the suggestion that the father may have had larger powers in Galatia than elsewhere, though supported by some remote indications, seems to be one of those subtleties in which learning sometimes overreaches itself; it being unlikely that the short sojourn of the Apostle in Galatia would have been enough to make him acquainted with the technicalities of the Galatian code. It is more probable that the application of the analogy has here come in to modify the statement of the analogy itself. The minority of the human race <em>is<\/em> fixed by the heavenly Father, though the earthly father, in disposing of his children, has to conform to another law than his own will.<\/p>\n<h4 align='right'><i><b>Fuente: Ellicott&#8217;s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n<p> <strong> 2<\/strong>. <strong> <\/strong> <strong> But<\/strong> The items of his servile external conditions. <\/p>\n<p><strong> Under tutors<\/strong> The guardians of his person. <\/p>\n<p><strong> And governors<\/strong> The trustees of his property. He is thus a prisoner in his own domains, a servant in his own lordship. <\/p>\n<p><strong> Time appointed<\/strong> His close of twenty-five years&rsquo; minority the <strong> time appointed <\/strong> by law. <\/p>\n<p><strong> Of the father<\/strong> This does not mean that the <strong> father <\/strong> appoints the time; but it is the time by which the father is limited, and grants him the rights of majority.<\/p>\n<h4 align='right'><i><b>Fuente: Whedon&#8217;s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n<p> <span class='bible'>Gal 4:2<\/span> .  means here not <em> guardian<\/em> (   , Plat. <em> Legg<\/em> . p. 766 C; Dem. 988. 2; Xen. <em> Mem<\/em> . i. 2. 40; 2Ma 11:1 ; 2Ma 13:2 ; 2Ma 14:2 ; comp. also the rabbinical  in Schoettgen, Hor. p. 743 f.), as it is explained by all who look upon the father as dead (see, however, on <span class='bible'>Gal 4:1<\/span> ), but overseer, governor, and that without any more special definition (Herod. i. 108; Pind. Ol. i. 171; Dem. 819. 17; Xen. Oec. 21. 9; and very frequently in classical authors); it is neither therefore to be taken (as in <span class='bible'>Mat 20:8<\/span> ; <span class='bible'>Luk 8:3<\/span> ) as synonymous with  (which would give a double designation without ground for it), nor as equivalent to  (which would be an arbitrary limitation). The term denotes any one, to whose governorship the boy is assigned by the father in the arrangement which has been made of the family affairs; and from this category are then specially singled out the  , the superior slaves appointed as managers of the household and property (<span class='bible'>Luk 16:1<\/span> ), on whom the  was dependent in respect to money and other outward wants.<\/p>\n<p>     ] Until the appointed time of the father, until the term, which the father has fixed upon for releasing his son from this state of dependence.   , tempus praestitutum, does not occur elsewhere in the N.T., but is frequent in classical authors. See Wetstein; also Jacobs, Ach. Tat. p. 440.<\/p>\n<h4 align='right'><i><b>Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer&#8217;s New Testament Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n<p> 2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. <strong> <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><\/strong><\/p>\n<p> Ver. 2. <strong> But is under tutors<\/strong> ] Those under the law were but alphabetaries (rudimentaries) in comparison of those under the gospel. <em> a<\/em> The sea about the altar was brazen,<span class='bible'>1Ki 7:23<\/span><span class='bible'>1Ki 7:23<\/span> , and what eyes could pierce through it? Now our sea about the throne is glassy, <span class='bible'>Rev 4:6<\/span> , like to crystal, clearly conveying the light and sight of God to our eyes.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><em> a<\/em>      . Aristophanes. <\/p>\n<h4 align='right'><i><b>Fuente: John Trapp&#8217;s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n<p> <strong> 2<\/strong> .] <strong> <\/strong> , overseers of the person; <strong> guardians: <\/strong> <strong> <\/strong> , overseers of the property, <strong> stewards<\/strong> . See Ellicott&rsquo;s and Bagge&rsquo;s notes.<\/p>\n<p><strong> <\/strong> , <strong> the time<\/strong> (previously) <strong> appointed<\/strong> . The word (an adjective used substantively: scil.  or  . See for the classical meaning, &lsquo;the time allowed to elapse before bringing an action,&rsquo; Smith&rsquo;s Dict. of Antt. sub voce) is a common one: Wetst. gives many examples. The following clearly explain it:   ,      , Polyn. p. 597:                .    , Plut. ad Apollon. p. 113 e. It is no objection to the view that the father is dead, that the time was <em> fixed by law<\/em> (Hebrew as well as Greek and Roman): nor on the other hand any proof of it, that <strong> <\/strong>  will hardly apply to a living man&rsquo;s arrangement: see on the whole, above.<\/p>\n<h4 align='right'><i><b>Fuente: Henry Alford&#8217;s Greek Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n<p>under. Greek. hupo. App-104. <\/p>\n<p>tutors. Greek. epitropos. Elsewhere, Mat 20:8. Luk 8:3 (steward). <\/p>\n<p>governors. Greek. oikonomos. See Luk 16:1 (steward). <\/p>\n<p>time appointed. Greek. prothesmios. Only here. An adjective in feminine agreeing with &#8220;day&#8221; (understood). <\/p>\n<h4 align='right'><i><b>Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n<p>2.] , overseers of the person; guardians: , overseers of the property, stewards. See Ellicotts and Bagges notes.<\/p>\n<p>, the time (previously) appointed. The word (an adjective used substantively: scil.  or . See for the classical meaning, the time allowed to elapse before bringing an action, Smiths Dict. of Antt. sub voce) is a common one: Wetst. gives many examples. The following clearly explain it:  ,     , Polyn. p. 597:-              .   , Plut. ad Apollon. p. 113 e. It is no objection to the view that the father is dead, that the time was fixed by law (Hebrew as well as Greek and Roman): nor on the other hand any proof of it, that  will hardly apply to a living mans arrangement: see on the whole, above.<\/p>\n<h4 align='right'><i><b>Fuente: The Greek Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n<p>Gal 4:2. ) tutors of an heir.-) curators of goods. [Engl. Ver. not so well, governors].<\/p>\n<h4 align='right'><i><b>Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n<p>Gal 4:2<\/p>\n<p>Gal 4:2<\/p>\n<p>but is under guardians and stewards until the day appointed of the father.-Children look to present gratification and not to future good. Just as the child, though heir of great riches, is kept under tutors and governors until he is qualified to freely follow right, and to manage his possessions looking to future good, and walking by principles of right rather than the present gratifications.<\/p>\n<h4 align='right'><i><b>Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n<p>Reciprocal: Dan 11:29 &#8211; time Hab 2:3 &#8211; the vision Joh 15:7 &#8211; ye shall Gal 3:24 &#8211; the law Gal 4:7 &#8211; thou<\/p>\n<h4 align='right'><i><b>Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n<p>Gal 4:2.      ,     -But is under guardians and stewards, until the term appointed of the father. The Vulgate has sub tutoribus et actoribus; Augustine, procuratores et actores; Wycliffe, kepers and tutores,-actores = to doers in old Scottish statute. The  literally is one on whom charge is devolved, or he might be the guardian of orphan children- , Plato, Leg. p. 766, C; Plutarch, Lycurgus,  3, p. 66, Vitae, vol. i. ed. Bekker. He is not to be identified with the  (Elsner), but the heir is under his charge-he has the control of his person. On the other hand, the  is entrusted with his property, as indeed the name implies-who provides for him and manages his possessions. Luk 16:1; Gen 15:2; Xen. Mem. 2.10, 4. The word has been disguised into a rabbinical one. Schoettgen, in loc. et in Luk 8:3; Selden as above. In ordinary New Testament use it means overseer, as in Mat 20:8, Luk 8:3; Herod. 1.108; Joseph. Antiq. 18.6, 6. But it is here employed in a more restricted meaning as a guardian or legal representative, called in Attic process . Xen. Mem. 1.2, 40; Ael. Var. Hist. 3.26. Compare what is said of Moses in Heb 3:5. Neither the person nor property of the heir are therefore at his own disposal during his minority-the first is under guardians, and the second under stewards. But the period of subjection is limited, yea, defined- <\/p>\n<p>     -until the term appointed of the father. The term , meaning appointed before&#8211;prearranged, occurs only here in the New Testament. It is used substantively, though  may be supplied. The word is a legal term found often in classical writers, as meaning the time defined for bringing actions or prosecutions (Statute of limitations), and it also denotes the period allowed to a defendant for paying damages. Sometimes it signifies any time pre-fixed-  , Joseph. Antiq. 12.4, 7; but here it denotes the period fixed when the tutorship comes to an end. See Wetstein, in loc. <\/p>\n<p>The general meaning of the apostle is quite plain; but some points in the analogy, though they are not essential to the argument, are involved in difficulty. The apostle is not to be supposed to treat the subject with forensic accuracy in minutiae, but only to bring out the general conception, so that his meaning could be easily apprehended. One question is, Is the father of the heir described supposed to be dead or alive? Commentators are divided. That the father is supposed to be dead is the opinion of Theodoret, Rckert, De Wette, Baumgarten-Crusius, Hilgenfeld, Windischmann, and Hofmann. The other opinion, that the father is supposed to be alive, is held by Cameron, Neubour, Wolf, Winer, Schott, Wieseler, Matthies, and Meyer. The question is of little importance in itself, and the settlement of it is not essential to the illustration. It may be argued, on the one hand, that the father is supposed to be dead, because the word  so often refers to a guardian of orphans, and the present participle  describes a claim or right scarce compatible with the idea of the father&#8217;s being alive. There is little force in the opposite argument, urged by Dr. Brown and others, that the supposition of a dead father would not be in harmony with the antitype, the living God of Israel; for the supposed death of the father would only symbolize some change of relation on the part of His children to God. On the other hand, it is in favour of the supposition that the father is alive, that the termination of the minority is said to be fore-appointed by him, whereas were he deceased the interval of minority would be regulated by statute. It may, however, be replied, that the father might fix the period which the law itself had ordained, or that there might be exceptional cases of power granted to a father, or that in Galatia the will of the father was more prominent in such arrangements than in other provinces. To decide either way dogmatically is impossible, though the second view has some probability. The ingenuity of Grotius in saying that the father is supposed to be absent, is parallel to that of Jatho in saying that the child-heir is an adopted child. The apostle simply states a common case-states it as it must have often occurred, and as it was best suited to illustrate his argument, in which the sovereign will of the father has a prominent place. He does not say-and it was not essential to his illustration to say-why the heir was thus placed under tutors and stewards. He merely records the common custom, that the heir for a definite period limited by the father&#8217;s will, was usually so placed, and the occurrence was no rare or abnormal arrangement. Nor, in speaking of the spiritual truth so pictured out under a form of domestic administration, need we be curious or careful to distinguish the respective spheres of the tutors and trustees, as if the first referred to the Jews and the second to the Gentiles (Baumgarten-Crusius), or to inquire who they were, as if the  were the law and the  the Aaronic priesthood (Windischmann). It is needless to track out points of analogy so minutely, for the apostle himself gives his meaning in the following verse- <\/p>\n<h4 align='right'><i><b>Fuente: Commentary on the Greek Text of Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians and Phillipians<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n<p>Verse 2. Continuing the line of comparison started in the preceding verse, the world of mankind is considered as minors, and hence under tutors and governors (see comments at chapter 3:24), waiting for the time appointed of the father. As far as the disposal of an estate is concerned, a child is a minor until such time as the father has designated, when his child should be released from the rule of these tutors, and his share of the estate be turned over to his full use.<\/p>\n<h4 align='right'><i><b>Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n<p>Gal 4:2. Under guardians (including the tutor or pedagogue) and stewards, who control the person and the property of the minor till he becomes of age, which the Hebrew law fixed at thirteen years and one day, the Roman law at the twenty-fifth year.<\/p>\n<p>Until the day pre-appointed, or day fixed beforehand. A legal term (one word in Greek, prothesmia) signifying the time allowed to elapse before bringing an action, the time fixed by the statute of limitations (Tag der Verjh-rung); then any pre-appointed time or day; here the time when the office of the guardian terminates.<\/p>\n<p>By the father. Among the Hebrews, Greeks, and Romans, the period of pupilage or nonage was fixed by law, and not dependent upon the arbitrary will of the parent. But this makes no difference in the argument, the divine will being the fountain of all law, and having foreordained from eternity the time of Christs coming. Paul speaks theologically rather than juridically. It is not necessary therefore to suppose that he referred to the Keltic custom, which gave the father a more unlimited power over his children.<\/p>\n<h4 align='right'><i><b>Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n<p>but is under guardians and stewards until the day appointed of the father. <\/p>\n<h4 align='right'><i><b>Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n<p>4:2 But is under tutors and governors {a} until the time appointed of the father.<\/p>\n<p>(a) This is added because he that is always under a tutor or governor may hardly be considered a freeman.<\/p>\n<h4 align='right'><i><b>Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. 2. tutors and governors ] guardians and stewards, the one having the charge of his person, the other the management of his estate. the time appointed of the father ] the time fixed before by his father for the coming of age. &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/exegetical-and-hermeneutical-commentary-of-galatians-42\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Galatians 4:2&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29075","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29075","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29075"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29075\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29075"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29075"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29075"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}