The connective but at the beginning of this verse marks Paul’s alternative to the persecution mentioned in the previous verse (compare Phillips “yet”).

For languages in which one cannot speak of the scripture or “the Hebrew Scriptures” (equivalent to the Old Testament) saying something, it may be possible, as in many other contexts, to read “But what does one read in the Scriptures?” or “… the Holy Writings?”

The quotation itself is from Genesis 21.10 and consists of the words of Sarah to Abraham, asking him to do something either because of Ishmael’s hostility towards Isaac or because of his inheriting along with Isaac. Paul quotes from the Septuagint, as is his usual practice, but he makes certain innovations. While the Septuagint ends with “will not inherit with my son Isaac,” Paul changes this to “will not inherit with the son of the free woman.” This should not bother us, for biblical writers frequently made adaptations in their quotations to suit their particular purposes. One should also remember that at that time very few copies of Scripture were available, and most quotations were made from memory, thus allowing a certain degree of freedom in rendering the meaning of a quotation rather than a strictly literal repetition of its words.

In place of Send the slave woman and her son away, it may be more appropriate in a number of languages to translate as “Banish the slave woman and her son,” or “Make the slave woman and her son go away.”

The phrase will not have a part of the father’s property is literally “will not inherit.” As employed by Paul in this context, “inherit” is used in the sense of receiving what God has promised. For translating this word, see the comments on Galatians 3.18,29; 4.1, 7. One must translate in some languages “the son of the slave woman must not have any of the father’s property; it is to go to the son of the free woman,” or “… the son of the father’s wife who is not a slave.”

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .