Lexical Summary allégoreó: To speak allegorically, to interpret allegorically Original Word: ἀλληγορέω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance to allegorizeFrom allos and agoreo (to harangue (compare agora)); to allegorize -- be an allegory (the Greek word itself). see GREEK allos see GREEK agora NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom allos and agoreuó (to speak in an assembly) Definition to speak allegorically NASB Translation allegorically speaking (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 238: ἀλληγορέωἀλληγορέω, (ῶ: (present passive participle ἀλληγοροὺμενος); i. e., ἄλλο μέν ἀγορεύω, ἄλλο δέ νοέω, "aliud verbis, aliud sensu ostendo (Quintilian instt. 8, 6, 44), to speak allegorically or in a figure: Galatians 4:24 (Philo, Josephus, Plutarch, and grammatical writers; (cf. Meyer on Galatians, the passage cited).) Topical Lexicon Definition and Scope of Usage Strong’s Greek 238 denotes the act of treating a narrative figuratively so as to draw out a spiritual lesson. The verb appears once in the New Testament, in Galatians 4:24, where Paul identifies his handling of the Genesis account of Hagar and Sarah as an “allegory.” Canonical Context: Galatians 4:21-31 Paul addresses believers tempted to submit to the Mosaic Law. He juxtaposes Hagar and Ishmael (Mount Sinai, slavery) with Sarah and Isaac (Jerusalem above, freedom). “These things are being taken figuratively” (Galatians 4:24) announces that the patriarchal narrative, without losing its historical reality, also conveys covenantal truth: law produces bondage, promise produces liberty. The apostle’s Spirit-guided use of allegory therefore safeguards two convictions simultaneously—Scripture’s historical reliability and its inexhaustible spiritual depth. Old Testament Foundations Genesis 16–21 records Abraham’s two sons. Paul’s allegorical treatment rests on the narrative’s divinely intended typology. From the start, Ishmael is “born according to the flesh” (Galatians 4:29), whereas Isaac is the child of promise (Genesis 17:19). Paul does not impose foreign meaning; he unveils what the Old Testament itself anticipates (compare Isaiah 54:1, cited in Galatians 4:27). Theological Implications 1. Two Covenants: Sinai and the new covenant in Christ (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:6-13). Thus the single occurrence of ἀλληγορέω serves Pauline soteriology, ecclesiology, and eschatology. Historical Reception in the Church Early Christian writers such as Irenaeus and Augustine cited Galatians 4 to defend Christ-centered readings of the Old Testament. Medieval exegesis sometimes overextended allegory, prompting Reformers to contend for grammatical-historical controls. Nonetheless, mainstream orthodoxy has continued to accept Spirit-led allegorical insight when rooted in the text’s own redemptive trajectory. Pastoral and Homiletical Value • Affirms believers’ freedom: “So then, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman” (Galatians 4:31). Guidelines for Contemporary Ministry 1. Maintain historical grounding: biblical events happened in space-time history. In sum, the lone New Testament use of Strong’s 238 models a reverent, text-honoring allegorical approach that illuminates covenantal grace without undermining the literal truthfulness of God’s Word. Forms and Transliterations αλληγορουμενα αλληγορούμενα ἀλληγορούμενα allegoroumena allegoroúmena allēgoroumena allēgoroúmenaLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Galatians 4:24 V-PPM/P-NNPGRK: ἅτινά ἐστιν ἀλληγορούμενα αὗται γάρ NAS: This is allegorically speaking, for these KJV: are an allegory: for INT: Which things are allegorized these indeed |
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