But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman and born under the law,
4:4 But when the fullness of time came, — The time indicated by the prophets (Gen 49:10; Mic 5:2; 2Sa 7:12; Ac 3:24). “In the dispensation of the fulness of times” (Eph 1:10). The promise to Abraham (Gen 12:3) was fulfilled. The kingdom announced by the prophets, by John and by Jesus was established. “Today this scripture is fulfilled before you” (Luke 4:21). “Everything is arranged; come to the weddings” (Matt 22:4). “In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you. Here is now the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2Co 6:2). The gospel dispensation is the last time, the last dispensation. From the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-47) we are living in “the last days” (Acts 2:16-17; Hebrews 1:1-2; 1Pe 1:20; 1Jn 2:18). — God sent his Son, — With this Paul affirms the Deity of Christ; by saying that God “sent his Son” affirms his pre-existence (Joh 1:1-2; Joh 1:14; Phil 2:6). — born of woman — Affirms the humanity of Christ. Gen 3:15, Christ is the seed of the woman who came to strike the serpent on the head. He was a true descendant of Abraham (3:16) and David (Romans 1:3). He partook of our nature (Hebrews 2:14-16) to destroy the one who has the rule of death and to free us from the fear of death. — And born under the law, — he Was circumcised on the eighth day (Luke 2:21), and presented in the temple (Luke 2:22-24), attended the synagogue and participated in studies (Luke 4:16), taught the Jews that they should keep the whole law, even the smallest commandments (Matt 7:18-19; Matt 23:3-4). He was born under the law to take the place of those born under the law, subjecting himself to the same position as them. He bore the unbearable yoke of the law (Ac 15:10).
Source: Commentary on the New Testament by Partain
when the fulfillment came. Gen 49:10; Dan 9:24-26; evil 3:1; Tue 1:15; Acts 1:7; Eph 1:10; Hebrews 9:10.
God sent his Son. Isaiah 48:16; Zech 2:8-11; Joh 3:16; Joh 6:38; Joh 8:42; Joh 10:36; 1Jn 4:9, 1Jn 4:10, 1Jn 4:14.
born. Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 9:7; Mic 5:2; Zech 6:12; Luke 2:10, Luke 2:11; Joh 1:14; Romans 1:3; Romans 9:5; Phil 2:6-8; 1Ti 3:16; Hebrews 2:14; Hebrews 10:5-7; 1Jn 4:2.
of woman. Gen 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; Jer 31:22; Mic 5:3; Matt 1:23; Luke 1:31, Luke 1:35; Luke 2:7.
born under the law Matt 3:15; Matt 5:17; Luke 2:21-27; Romans 15:8; Col 2:14.
Source: The Treasury of Biblical Knowledge
the fulfillment of time is “the perfect time” in history, the “right time” for God the father (vv. Gal 4:2) for your son born, and then died for the sins of the world.
born of woman refers to the humanity of Christ and perhaps alludes to his role as the fundamental “seed” of woman (Gal 3:16; Gen 3:15).
born under the law means that Christ was governed by Jewish law (Matt 5:17-19), also establishes their identification with all the people who are subject to the Law.
redeem means “buy in the slave market”, this word is used only by Paul in the NT. (Gal 3:13; Eph 5:16; Col 4:5). The verb describes Christ’s supreme and final payment for the sins of mankind (Romans 3:23-25). This payment, his death on the cross, frees those who believe in Him from the curse of the Law and from slavery to sin. The decisive payment and the freedom obtained open the way for Christians to become sons of God. Although there was only one natural son in the family of God, Jesus Christ (vv. Gal 4:4, Gal 4:6), God generously adopts all believers as his children. We are no longer slaves of sin, nor children under the guardianship of the Law.
Source: New Illustrated Caribbean Bible Commentary
the fulfillment of time. In God’s time, when the exact conditions on a religious, cultural and political scale required the fulfillment of that aspect of his perfect plan, Jesus came into the world. God sent his Son. Like a father who determines the date on which his son’s coming-of-age ceremony will take place so that he can be freed from guardians, custodians and tutors, God sent his Son at the right time to free all who believe of their servitude to the law. This is a truth that Jesus repeatedly affirmed (Joh 5:30; Joh 5:36-37; Joh 6:39; Joh 6:44; Joh 6:57; Joh 8:16; Joh 8:18; Joh 8:42; Joh 12:49; Joh 17:21; Joh 17:25; Joh 20:21). The fact that the Father sent Jesus into the world demonstrates his previous and external existence as the second member of the Trinity. See notes on Phil 2:6-7; Hebrews 1:3-5; zip Romans 8:3-4. born of woman This demonstrates the full humanity of Jesus and not just his virgin birth (Isaiah 7:14; Matt 1:20-25). Jesus had to be fully God for his sacrifice to have the infinite value required to atone for sin, but He also had to be fully man so that he could shoulder the punishment for sin as a substitute for sin. human being. see Luke 1:32; Luke 1:35; Joh 1:1; Joh 1:14; Joh 1:18. Under the law. Like all men, Jesus had an obligation to obey God’s law. Unlike all others, however, He maintained perfect obedience to that law (Joh 8:46; 2Co 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; Hebrews 7:26; 1Pe 2:22; 1Jn 3:5). His sinless and spotless nature made Him the perfect sacrifice for sins, and He fulfilled all righteousness because He had perfect obedience to God in everything. That perfect justice is what is imputed to those who believe in Him.
Source: MacArthur Study Bible
4:4 But when the fullness of time came, — The time indicated by the prophets (Gen 49:10; Mic 5:2; 2Sa 7:12; Acts 3:24). “In the dispensation of the fulness of times” (Eph 1:10). The promise to Abraham (Gen 12:3) was fulfilled. The kingdom announced by the prophets, by John and by Jesus was established. “Today this scripture has been fulfilled before you” (Luke 4:21). “Everything is arranged; come to the wedding” (Matt 22:4). “In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you. Here is now the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2Co 6:2).
The gospel dispensation is the last time, the last dispensation. Since the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-47) we are living in “the last days” (Acts 2:16-17; Heb 1:1-2; 1Pe 1:20; 1Jn 2:18).
— God sent his Son, — With this Paul affirms the Deity of Christ; by saying that God “sent his Son” it affirms his pre-existence (Joh 1:1-2; Joh 1:14; Phil 2:6).
— born of woman — Affirms the humanity of Christ. Gen 3:15, Christ is the seed of the woman who came to strike the serpent on her head. He was a true descendant of Abraham (3:16) and David (Rom 1:3). He participated in our nature (Heb 2: 14-16) to destroy the one who has the empire of death and to free us from the fear of death.
— and born under the law, — He was circumcised on the eighth day (Luke 2:21), and presented in the temple (Luke 2:22-24), attended the synagogue and participated in studies (Luke 4:16), taught the Jews that they should keep the whole law, even the smallest commandments (Matt 7:18-19; Mat 23:3-4). He was born under the law to take the place of those born under the law, subjecting himself to the same position as them. He bore the unbearable yoke of the law (Acts 15:10).
Source: Reeves-Partain Notes
It is very likely that a literal translation of the phrase when the fullness of time came may not be clearly understood in some contexts. In effect, the original text says: “But when the fullness of time came.” The Jews of the time of Jesus and Paul awaited the arrival of a specific time in which God would act in favor of the Jewish people. It is possible that Jesus conceived that the irruption of this time was happening with his own arrival. Paul, surely, understood it that way, only that for him the arrival of this time of fullness brought as a distinctive characteristic the incorporation of non-Jews into the people of God. The versions translate this expression as follows: “When the time was fulfilled” (DHH96), “when the fullness of time came” (BA), “when the term was fulfilled” (NBE), “when the day came appointed by God» (TLA).
The conviction of the early Christians is expressed in the formula God sent his Son (cf. Romans 8:3-4; Joh 3:16-17 Y 1Jn 4:9). This idea was scandalous for most of the Jews, because it was very difficult to conceive that God could beget children. However, it became a fundamental element of the Christian faith.
The expression born of woman is a Jewish phrase that is used as an indication of a human birth or, simply, as a synonym for “human being”. The expression born under the law It is a Pauline formulation, developed in the context of Paul’s polemics with the Jewish teachers and with the Judeo-Christian teachers (cf. Job 14:1; Matt 11:11). The Greek construction of this expression suggests the idea of ”subject to the law”, “imprisoned by the regulations of the law”.
Paul is saying, then, that the Son of God himself took on human form and was subject to all the requirements of Jewish law: Born of woman and born under law, “was born of a woman, submitted to the law of Moses” (DHH96), “was born of a woman and submitted to the law of the Jews” (TLA). It is important that the translation gives the same weight to the two expressions, since the original presents them as parallel instances and in balance. It may be made clearer as follows: “And Christ was born like any human being and lived in a society regulated by Jewish law”, “and Christ had a human mother like any of us and lived according to the ordinances of the law of his village”.
Source: Commentary for Exegesis and Translation
Eph 1:10; (watch Tue 1:15).
Source: Hispano-American Interdenominational Translation
— the culminating moment of history: Lit. when the fullness of time arrived. Expression taken from Jewish apocalyptic literature.
— born of a woman: The only place in the Pauline letters where the mother of Jesus is alluded to.
Source: Hispano-American Interdenominational Translation
CROSS-REFERENCES
d 177 Gen 3:15; Gen 49:10
e 178 Matt 3:17; Joh 8:42
f 179 Joh 1:14; 1Ti 3:16; Hebrews 2:14
g 180 Mat 5:17
Source: New World Translation
the fullness of time. That is, the time fixed by the Father for the arrival of his Son to redeem those who were under the law (verse 5).
Source: The Bible of the Americas
4 (1) The culmination of the times of the Old Testament, which happened at the time appointed by the Father (v.2).
4 (two) The Virgin Mary (Luc_1:27-35). The Son of God was born of her in order to be the seed of the woman, as promised in Gén_3:15.
4 (3) Christ was born under the law, as revealed in Luc_2:21-24 , Luc_2:27 , and kept the law, as revealed in all four gospels.
Source: New Testament Commentary Recovery Version
born under the law Christ was raised in accordance with the Mosaic law.
Source: Ryrie Annotated Study Bible
R820 The agent expresses himself by means of ἐκ: of a woman.
M66 Both in v. 4 as in v. 5, ὑπὸ νόμον…