I was reading Gal 1 and happened to click on the superscript letter next to “womb” in verse 15. This took me to Isa 49. Clearly Paul’s referring to the Isaiah passage (at least the NIV superscript thinks so), but I think he’s talking about himself. I cannot be the first to think this, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard this discussed. What do you think? — R.S.
For anyone not immediately familiar with the passages, they are:
- And when he set me apart from my mother’s womb and called [me] through his grace… (Gal 1:15)
- … The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name. (Isa 49:1)
I think the NIV is only noting the parallel. You are right, Paul is speaking of himself. And Isa 49 is a Messianic text— one of the four Servant Songs of Isaiah. Being “called from the womb” means that the Lord has always had a plan for our life. I don’t mean the “plan” or “dream” modern prosperity prophets and visionaries promise. The plan for Paul, as for many others, entailed adventure and danger and suffering. See Acts 9:15-16; 26:16-18 (also 1 Cor 4:9-13; 2 Cor 6:2-10).
Although the word “womb” doesn’t always show up in the looser translations (like the NIV), an interesting study is to search for the word “womb” in a stricter translation (like the ESV). In all cases the one for whose life God had a plan still has free will. He or she can choose to live according to the calling—or not.
