Tutors. The word tutor, with us, properly means instructor. But this is not quite the sense of the original. The word epitropov properly means steward, manager, agent, Mt 20:8; Lu 8:3. As used here, it refers to one -- usually a slave or a freedman -- to whose care the boys of a family were committed, who trained them up, accompanied them to school, or sometimes instructed them at home. Comp. See Barnes "Ga 3:24".

Such a one would have the control of them.

And governors. This word oikonomov means a house-manager, an overseer, a steward. It properly refers to one who had authority over the slaves or servants of a family, to assign them their tasks and portions. They generally also had the management of the affairs of the household, and of the accounts. They were commonly slaves, who were intrusted with this office as a reward for fidelity; though sometimes free persons were employed, Lu 16:1,3,8.

These persons had also charge of the sons of a family, probably in respect to their pecuniary matters, and thus differed from those called tutors. It is not necessary, however, to mark the difference in the words with great accuracy. The general meaning of the apostle is, that the heir was under government and restraint.

Until the time appointed of the father. The time fixed for his entering on the inheritance. The time when he chose to give him his portion of the property. The law with us fixes the age at twenty-one when a son shall be at liberty to manage for himself. Other countries have affixed other times. But still the time when the son shall inherit the father's property must be fixed by the father himself, if he is living, or may be fixed by his will if he is deceased. The son cannot claim the property when he comes of age. {+} "governors" "guardians"