Who is the desolate one with many more children in Galatians 4:27?
The desolate one is Hagar, and the verse speaks of Ishmael as being spiritually desolate. She has many more children than the one with a husband. The Arab world descended from Ishmael outnumbers the Jews today 50 to 1, illustrating the desolate woman’s greater progeny.
Les teaches that the desolate one in Galatians 4:27 is Hagar. He reads the last half of the verse as speaking of Ishmael as being spiritually desolate, for the desolate hath many more children than she who hath a husband. In the real world, Ishmael’s offspring, the Arab world, outnumbers the Jews today 50 to 1, while she who had a husband—identified in the context as Saraiah and Isaac—had far fewer. Les then says believers, as Isaac was, are children of promise.
For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
More Questions
Who does 'the desolate hath many more children than she who hath a husband' refer to in Galatians 4:27?
The second half of Galatians 4:27 — 'the desolate hath many more children than she who hath a husband' — is a reference to Hagar and speaks of Ishmael as being spiritually desolate.
Did Ishmael or Isaac end up with more descendants, and how does that fit Galatians 4:27?
Ishmael's offspring ended up with far more progeny than Isaac's — the Arab world outnumbers the Jews today 50 to 1 — so she who had a husband (Sarah and Isaac) had far fewer in number than she who did not.