About This Tag
Many biblical and derivative texts interpret their authoritative traditions allegorically, finding deeper spiritual, moral, or theological meanings beneath the literal narratives and details. This approach is evident in Jewish, Christian, and derivative traditions. Such interpretive strategies enabled these traditions to adapt their scriptures to new historical and theological contexts while maintaining their authority.
Note: Dates shown in this timeline are approximate and based on scholarly estimates.
Back to TagGenesis 16:15 / Galatians 4:24
750–400 BCE
Genesis 16:15
Hebrew Bible
13 So Hagar named the Lord who spoke to her, “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “Here I have seen one who sees me!” 14 That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi. (It is located between Kadesh and Bered.) 15 So Hagar gave birth to Abram’s son, whom Abram named Ishmael. 16 (Now Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.)
54–55 CE
Galatians 4:24
New Testament
23 But one, the son by the slave woman, was born by natural descent, while the other, the son by the free woman, was born through the promise. 24 These things may be treated as an allegory, for these women represent two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai bearing children for slavery; this is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar represents Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.
750–400 BCE
Leviticus 4:8
Hebrew Bible
6 The priest must dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of it seven times before the Lord toward the front of the special curtain of the sanctuary. 7 The priest must put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is before the Lord in the Meeting Tent, and all the rest of the bull’s blood he must pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the entrance of the Meeting Tent. 8 “‘Then he must take up all the fat from the sin-offering bull: the fat covering the entrails and all the fat surrounding the entrails, 9 the two kidneys with the fat on their sinews, and the protruding lobe on the liver (which he is to remove along with the kidneys) 10 —just as it is taken from the ox of the peace-offering sacrifice—and the priest must offer them up in smoke on the altar of burnt offering.
195–180 BCE
Sirach 47:2
Deuterocanon
1 After him, Nathan rose up to prophesy in the days of David. 2 As is the fat when it is separated from the peace offering, so was David separated from the children of Israel. 3 He played with lions as with kids, and with bears as with lambs of the flock. 4 In his youth didn’t he kill a giant, and take away reproach from the people when he lifted up his hand with a sling stone, and beat down the boasting Goliath?
300–201 BCE
LXX Deuteronomy 25:4
Septuagint
3 And they shall scourge him with forty stripes, they shall not inflict more; for if you should scourge him with more stripes beyond these stripes, your brother will be disgraced before you. 4 You shall not muzzle the ox that treads out the grain. 5 And if brothers should live together, and one of them should die, and should not have seed, the wife of the deceased shall not marry out of the family to a man not related: her husband's brother shall go in to her, and shall take her to himself for a wife, and shall dwell with her.
55–57 CE
1 Corinthians 9:9
New Testament
7 Who ever serves in the army at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Who tends a flock and does not consume its milk? 8 Am I saying these things only on the basis of common sense, or does the law not say this as well? 9 For it is written in the law of Moses, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” God is not concerned here about oxen, is he? 10 Or is he not surely speaking for our benefit? It was written for us, because the one plowing and threshing ought to work in hope of enjoying the harvest. 11 If we sowed spiritual blessings among you, is it too much to reap material things from you?
54–55 CE
Galatians 4:29
New Testament
27 For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren woman who does not bear children; break forth and shout, you who have no birth pains, because the children of the desolate woman are more numerousthan those of the woman who has a husband.” 28 But you, brothers and sisters, are children of the promise like Isaac. 29 But just as at that time the one born by natural descent persecuted the one born according to the Spirit, so it is now. 30 But what does the scripture say? “Throw out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the inheritance with the son” of the free woman. 31 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman but of the free woman.
300–1200 CE
Pseudo Jonathan Genesis 21:9
Targum
7 And she said, 'How trustworthy was the messenger who made an announcement to Abraham, saying “Sarah is destined to suckle children.” For she has borne him a son at the time of his old age.' 8 The child grew and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast the day he weaned Isaac. 9 Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she bore to Abraham, sporting with an idol and bowing down to it. 10 And she said to Abraham, 'Cast out this maidservant and her son; for it is not possible that the son of this maidservant should inherit with my son and then make war with Isaac.'
70–132 CE
4 Ezra 10:7
Pseudepigrapha
5 Then I left the reflections I was engaged in, and answered her in anger, 6 “You most foolish woman, don’t you see our mourning, and what has happened to us? 7 For Zion the mother of us all is full of sorrow, and much humbled. 8 It is right now to mourn deeply, since we all mourn, and to be sorrowful, since we are all in sorrow, but you are mourning for one son. 9 Ask the earth, and she will tell you that it is she which ought to mourn for so many that grow upon her.
54–55 CE
Galatians 4:26
New Testament
22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. 23 But one, the son by the slave woman, was born by natural descent, while the other, the son by the free woman, was born through the promise. 24 These things may be treated as an allegory, for these women represent two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai bearing children for slavery; this is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar represents Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren woman who does not bear children; break forth and shout, you who have no birth pains, because the children of the desolate woman are more numerousthan those of the woman who has a husband.” 28 But you, brothers and sisters, are children of the promise like Isaac.