SEV Biblia, Chapter 4:3
Así también nosotros, cuando éramos niños, éramos siervos bajo los elementos del mundo.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Galatians 4:3
Verse 3. Even so we] The whole Jewish people were in a state of nonage while under the law. The elements of the world] A mere Jewish phrase, hzh µlw[ ydwsy yesodey olam hazzeh, "the principles of this world;" that is, the rudiments or principles of the Jewish religion. The apostle intimates that the law was not the science of salvation, it was only the elements or alphabet of it; and in the Gospel this alphabet is composed into a most glorious system of Divine knowledge: but as the alphabet is nothing of itself, unless compounded into syllables, words, sentences, and discourses; so the law, taken by itself, gives no salvation; it contains indeed the outlines of the Gospel, but it is the Gospel alone that fills up these outlines.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 3. Even so we , etc..] Jews, for of such the apostle is only speaking, and to whom he applies the above case of heirs in minority; it was to the Jews he had spoken of the law, as being a military guard, a prison, and a schoolmaster to them; and then having addressed the Gentiles, as being the children of God, baptized into Christ, one in him, interested in him, the spiritual seed of Abraham, and heirs of all the blessings of grace and glory; he returns to the Jews, and represents their estate and condition under the law by the above simile, which he here makes an application of: when we were children ; not in age, but in knowledge of divine, spiritual, and evangelical things; which must be understood not of every individual person among them, for there were some grown men, men of great faith, light, knowledge, and experience; but of the bulk and generality of the people of the Jews, and that also in comparison of the clear understanding of the saints under the Gospel dispensation. The Jews were like children, peevish, froward, and perverse, and often stood in need of correction and chastisement; and as children are pleased with pictures, shows, sights, and gaudy amusements, so they were taken with an external pompous form of worship, and which they had, and was suited to their infant state; and which infant state of the Jewish church commenced from the time of their coming up out of Egypt, and lasted until the times of the Messiah; (see Hosea 11:1,3). Were in bondage under the elements of the world ; by which are meant, not the four elements of fire, water, earth, and air; nor the angels, who by some are thought to preside over them; nor the sun and moon, according to whose revolutions the festivals of the Jews were regulated; but the several institutions of the Mosaic economy, which were to the Jews what an A B C, or an alphabet of letters, is to one that is beginning to learn; or what an accidence and grammar be to such who are learning any language, and which contain the rudiments of it; as the physical elements are the first principles of nature, and the general rules of speech and language are the rudiments thereof, so the Mosaic institutions were the elements, rudiments, or first principles of the Jewish religion, taught them by the law, as their schoolmaster, and by which they were used as children: these are called “elements”, in allusion to the first principles of nature and learning; and the elements “of the world”, because they lay in outward worldly and earthly things, as meats, drinks, divers washings, etc.. and because that hereby God instructed the world, at least a part of it, the world of the Jews: or as the word kosmov may be rendered “beauty”, or “elegancy”, these were elegant elements, which in a most beautiful manner taught the people of the Jews the first principles of the doctrine of Christ: but nevertheless, whilst they were under the instructions and discipline of the law as a schoolmaster, “they were in bondage”; referring not to their bondage in Egypt, nor in the several captivities into which they were carried by their neighbours; nor to the bondage of sin and Satan, common to all men in a state of nature; but to the bondage which the law naturally gendered, led them to, induced upon them, and kept them in, through its sanctions and penalties; for, through fear of death, they were under a servile disposition, and were all their lifetime subject to bondage; they carried a yoke of bondage upon their necks, and were under a spirit of bondage unto fear; they were like children closely kept to school to learn their letters, say their lessons, and perform their tasks; and, if not, receive due correction, which kept them in continual fear and bondage.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-7 - The apostle deals plainly with those who urged the law of Mose together with the gospel of Christ, and endeavoured to bring believer under its bondage. They could not fully understand the meaning of the law as given by Moses. And as that was a dispensation of darkness, s of bondage; they were tied to many burdensome rites and observances, by which they were taught and kept subject like a child under tutors an governors. We learn the happier state of Christians under the gospe dispensation. From these verses see the wonders of Divine love an mercy; particularly of God the Father, in sending his Son into the world to redeem and save us; of the Son of God, in submitting so low and suffering so much for us; and of the Holy Spirit, in condescendin to dwell in the hearts of believers, for such gracious purposes. Also the advantages Christians enjoy under the gospel. Although by natur children of wrath and disobedience, they become by grace children of love, and partake of the nature of the children of God; for he wil have all his children resemble him. Among men the eldest son is heir but all God's children shall have the inheritance of eldest sons. Ma the temper and conduct of sons ever show our adoption; and may the Holy Spirit witness with our spirits that we are children and heirs of God.
Greek Textus Receptus
ουτως 3779 και 2532 ημεις 2249 οτε 3753 ημεν 1510 5713 νηπιοι 3516 υπο 5259 τα 3588 στοιχεια 4747 του 3588 κοσμου 2889 ημεν 1510 5713 δεδουλωμενοι 1402 5772
Vincent's NT Word Studies
3. We. Not Jewish Christians only, but all Christians. For in verse 5, Jewish Christians are distinctly characterized as those under the law, while the following we, subjects of Christian adoption, points back to the we in this verse. Again, elements of the world is too wide a conception to suit the law, which was given to Israel only.
Elements of the world (ta stoiceia tou kosmou). For the word stoiceia in N.T. see Col. ii. 8, 20; Hebrew v. 12; 2 Pet. iii. 10, 12
