EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Acts 16:3
3Paul wanted Timothy to travel with him to different places. All the Jews in that region knew that Timothy's father was a Gentile. So Paul circumcised Timothy, so that the Jews would accept him.
Acts 16:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.
- New International Version (NIV)Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek.
Context of Acts 16:3
1Paul travelled to Derbe and then he arrived in Lystra. A man called Timothy lived in Lystra. He was a believer. His mother was a Jew who had become a believer in Jesus. But Timothy's father was a Gentile who came from Greece. 2All the believers in Lystra and Iconium said good things about Timothy. Paul wanted Timothy to travel with him to different places. All the Jews in that region knew that Timothy's father was a Gentile. So Paul circumcised Timothy, so that the Jews would accept him. 4Paul, Silas and Timothy travelled through many towns. In each place, they told the believers the things that the apostles and the other leaders in Jerusalem had decided. They told the believers to obey those rules. 5In this way, the groups of believers in those towns became stronger. They trusted Jesus more. More and more people joined the groups of believers every day.
Read all of Acts 16Acts 16:3 word by word
τοῦτον ἠθέλησεν ὁ Παῦλος σὺν αὐτῷ ἐξελθεῖν, καὶ λαβὼν περιέτεμεν αὐτὸν διὰ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους τοὺς ὄντας ἐν τοῖς τόποις ἐκείνοις· ᾔδεισαν γὰρ ἅπαντες ὅτι Ἕλλην ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ ὑπῆρχεν.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Himοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- wouldθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
- PaulΠαῦλοςPaulos · PaulG3972
- have to go forthἐξέρχομαιexerchomai · to go outG1831
- withσύνsun · withG4862
- himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- tookλαμβάνωlambanō · to takeG2983
- and circumcisedπεριτέμνωperitemnō · to circumciseG4059
- becauseδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
- of the JewsἸουδαῖοςIoudaios · JewG2453
- which wereεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- thoseἐκεῖνοςekeinos · thatG1565
- quartersτόποςtopos · placeG5117
- forγάρgar · forG1063
- they knewεἴδωeidō · to perceive: knowG1492
- allἅπαςhapas · allG537
- thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
- fatherπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
- wasὑπάρχωhuparchō · be alreadyG5225
- a GreekἝλλην=ἝλληνHellēn · Greek, GentileG1672
Cross-references for Acts 16:3
- Acts 15:37Barnabas agreed and he wanted to take John Mark with them.
- Acts 15:20Instead of that, we should write a letter to tell them how to live as believers. We should say to them, “Do not eat any food which people have given to their idols. That food has become unclean. Do not have sex with anyone that you are not married to. If people have strangled an animal to kill it, do not eat its meat. Do not eat anything that still has blood in it.”
- 1 Corinthians 7:19It is not important whether someone has circumcised you or not. The important thing is this: Obey what God says.
- 1 Corinthians 9:20When I was among Jews, I lived like they do, because I wanted to bring Jews to Christ. The Law that God gave to Moses no longer has authority over me. But I chose to obey that Law when I was among Jewish people who obey it. I did that so that I could help them to believe in Christ.
- Galatians 2:3Titus was with me then. He is a Greek person and nobody had circumcised him. But the leaders in Jerusalem did not say that we must circumcise him.
- Galatians 5:1Christ has made us free so that we can be really free! So be strong and do not turn back. Do not let yourselves become slaves to the Jewish rules again.
Commentaries on Acts 16:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Took and circumcised him - For this simple reason, that the Jews would neither have heard him preach, nor would have any connection with him, had he been otherwise. Besides, St. Paul himself could have had no access to the Jews in any place, had they known that he associated with a person who was uncircumcised: they would have considered both to be unclean. The circumcision of Timothy was a merely prudential regulation; one rendered imperiously necessary…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Him would Paul have - This was an instance of Paul‘s selecting young men of piety for the holy ministry. It shows: (1) That he was disposed to look up and call forth the talent in the church that might be usefully employed. It is quite evident that Timothy would not have thought of this had it not been suggested by Paul. The same thing education societies are attempting now to accomplish. (2) that Paul sought proper qualifications, and valued them…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3Paul had Timothy circumcised to enhance Timothy’s acceptance and effectiveness as a Jew in Jewish circles. This was not the same as Titus, who was a full Gentile ("Greek"; Galatians 2:3). Elsewhere Paul clarified that it makes no difference to God whether one is circumcised or not circumcised (Romans 2:25–29; Galatians 5:6; 6:15). Paul was prepared to use any legitimate means to communicate the good news about Jesus to different audiences (1 Corinthians…Read the comment
Topics related to Acts 16:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Acts 16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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