Barnes New Testament Notes

Verse 23. But he who was of the bond-woman was born after the flesh. In the ordinary course of nature, without any special promise, or any unusual Divine interposition, as in the case of Isaac.

But he of the free-woman, etc. The birth of Isaac was in accordance with a special promise, and by a remarkable Divine interposition. See Ge 18:10; 21:1,2; Heb 11:11,12.

Comp. See Barnes "Ro 4:19-21".

The idea here of Paul is, that the son of the slave was in a humble and inferior condition from his very birth. There was no special promise attending him. He was born into a state of inferiority and servitude, which attended him through his whole life. Isaac, however, was met with promises as soon as he was born, and was under the benefit of those promises as long as he lived. The object of Paul is to state the truth in regard to a condition of servitude and slavery. It is attended with evils from beginning to end; from the birth to the grave. By this illustration he means to show them the folly of beaming the voluntary slaves of the law after they had once been made free. {e} "bond woman" Ro 9:7,8