{Which things contain an allegory} (hatina estin
all(8867)oroumena). Literally, "Which things are allegorized"
(periphrastic present passive indicative of all(8867)ore(935c)). Late
word (Strabo, Plutarch, Philo, Josephus, ecclesiastical writers),
only here in N.T. The ancient writers used ainittomai to speak
in riddles. It is compounded of allo, another, and agoreu(935c),
to speak, and so means speaking something else than what the
language means, what Philo, the past-master in the use of
allegory, calls the deeper spiritual sense. Paul does not deny
the actual historical narrative, but he simply uses it in an
allegorical sense to illustrate his point for the benefit of his
readers who are tempted to go under the burden of the law. He
puts a secondary meaning on the narrative just as he uses
	upik(9373) in  1Co 10:11  of the narrative. We need not press
unduly the difference between allegory and type, for each is used
in a variety of ways. The allegory in one sense is a speaking
parable like Bunyan's _Pilgrim's Progress_, the Prodigal Son in
 Lu 15 , the Good Shepherd in  Joh 10 . But allegory was also
used by Philo and by Paul here for a secret meaning not obvious
at first, one not in the mind of the writer, like our
illustration which throws light on the point. Paul was familiar
with this rabbinical method of exegesis (Rabbi Akiba, for
instance, who found a mystical sense in every hook and crook of
the Hebrew letters) and makes skilful use of that knowledge here.
Christian preachers in Alexandria early fell victims to Philo's
allegorical method and carried it to excess without regard to the
plain sense of the narrative. That startling style of preaching
survives yet to the discredit of sound preaching. Please observe
that Paul says here that he is using allegory, not ordinary
interpretation. It is not necessary to say that Paul intended his
readers to believe that this allegory was designed by the
narrative. He illustrates his point by it. {For these are}
(hautai gar eisin). Allegorically interpreted, he means. {From
Mount Sinai} (apo orous Sin(835c)). Spoken from Mount Sinai.
{Bearing} (genn(9373)a). Present active participle of genna(935c), to
beget of the male ( Mt 1:1-16 ), more rarely as here to bear of
the female ( Lu 1:13,57 ). {Which is Hagar} (h(8874)is estin
Hagar). Allegorically interpreted.