God’s Word Translation
Philippians 3:5
5I was circumcised on the eighth day. I’m a descendant of Israel. I’m from the tribe of Benjamin. I’m a pure-blooded Hebrew. When it comes to following Jewish laws, I was a Pharisee.
Philippians 3:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
- New International Version (NIV)circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee;
- English Standard Version (ESV)circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;
- New King James Version (NKJV)circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;
Context of Philippians 3:5
3We are the ⌞true⌟ circumcised people ⌞of God⌟ because we serve God’s Spirit and take pride in Christ Jesus. We don’t place any confidence in physical things, 4although I could have confidence in my physical qualifications. If anyone else thinks that he can trust in something physical, I can claim even more. I was circumcised on the eighth day. I’m a descendant of Israel. I’m from the tribe of Benjamin. I’m a pure-blooded Hebrew. When it comes to following Jewish laws, I was a Pharisee. 6When it comes to being enthusiastic, I was a persecutor of the church. When it comes to winning God’s approval by obeying Jewish laws, I was perfect. 7These things that I once considered valuable, I now consider worthless for Christ.
Read all of Philippians 3Philippians 3:5 word by word
περιτομῇ ὀκταήμερος, ἐκ γένους Ἰσραήλ, φυλῆς Βενιαμίν, Ἑβραῖος ἐξ Ἑβραίων, κατὰ νόμον Φαρισαῖος,Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Circumcisedπεριτομήperitomē · circumcisionG4061
- the eighth dayὀκταήμεροςoktaēmeros · eighth dayG3637
- ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- the stockγένοςgenos · family: descendantG1085
- of IsraelἸσραήλIsraēl · IsraelG2474
- the tribeφυλήphulē · tribeG5443
- of BenjaminΒενιαμίνBeniamin · BenjaminG958
- an HebrewἙβραῖοςHebraios · HebrewG1445
- as touchingκατάkata · according toG2596
- the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
- a PhariseeΦαρισαῖοςPharisaios · PhariseeG5330
Cross-references for Philippians 3:5
- Genesis 17:12For generations to come every male child who is eight days old must be circumcised, whether he is born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner who’s not related to you.
- Luke 2:21Eight days after his birth, the child was circumcised and named Jesus. This was the name the angel had given him before his mother became pregnant.
- John 7:21Jesus answered them, “I performed one miracle, and all of you are surprised by it.
- Acts 22:3“I’m a Jew. I was born and raised in the city of Tarsus in Cilicia and received my education from Gamaliel here in Jerusalem. My education was in the strict laws handed down by our ancestors. I was as devoted to God as all of you are today.
- 2 Corinthians 11:22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I.
- Romans 11:1So I ask, “Has God rejected his people Israel?” That’s unthinkable! Consider this. I’m an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham from the tribe of Benjamin.
- Genesis 14:13Then a soldier who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew what had happened. He was living next to the oak trees belonging to Mamre the Amorite, a brother of Eshcol and Aner. (These men were Abram’s allies.)
- Genesis 40:15I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I’ve done nothing to deserve being put in this prison.”
- Genesis 41:12A young Hebrew, a slave of the captain of the guard, was with us. We told him our dreams, and he told each of us what they meant.
- 1 Samuel 4:6As the Philistines heard the noise, they asked, “What’s ⌞all⌟ this shouting in the Hebrew camp?” The Philistines found out that the Lord’s ark had come into the camp.
- Jonah 1:9Jonah answered them, “I’m a Hebrew. I worship the Lord, the God of heaven. He is the God who made the sea and the land.”
- Acts 6:1At that time, as the number of disciples grew, Greek-speaking Jews complained about the Hebrew-speaking Jews. The Greek-speaking Jews claimed that the widows among them were neglected every day when food and other assistance was distributed.
- Acts 23:6When Paul saw that some of them were Sadducees and others were Pharisees, he shouted in the council, “Brothers, I’m a Pharisee and a descendant of Pharisees. I’m on trial because I expect that the dead will come back to life.”
- Acts 26:4“All the Jews know how I lived the earliest days of my youth with my own people and in Jerusalem.
Commentaries on Philippians 3:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Circumcised the eighth day - This was the time that the law required the males to be circumcised; and we find, from Genesis 17:14, both in the Samaritan Pentateuch and in the Septuagint, though the clause is now lost out of the common Hebrew text, that the male child, which is not circumcised the eighth day, shall be cut off from among his people: this precept was literally observed in the case of St. Paul. Of the stock of Israel - Regularly descended…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Circumcised the eighth day - That is, he was circumcised in exact compliance with the law. If there was any ground confidence from such compliance with the law, he had it. The law required that circumcision should be performed on the eighth day Genesis 17:12; Leviticus 12:3; Luke 1:59; but it is probable that, in some cases, this was delayed on account of sickness, or from some other cause; and, in the case of proselytes, it was not performed until adult…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5circumcised on the eighth day: This followed Jewish law, which required boys to be circumcised on the eighth day (See Genesis 17:12; Leviticus 12:3; Luke 1:59; Luke 2:21). Paul belonged to the Pharisees, a Jewish group known for strictly following the law (see Acts 23:6; Acts 26:5).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. In three particulars he shows how he "might have confidence in the flesh" (Php 3:4): (1) His pure Jewish blood. (2) His legal preciseness and high status as such. (3) His zeal for the law. The Greek is literally, "Being in circumcision an eighth day person," that is, not one circumcised in later life as a proselyte, but on the eighth day after birth, as the law directed in the case of Jew-born infants. of the tribe of Benjamin--son of Rachel, not of…Read the comment
Topics related to Philippians 3:5
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Philippians 3
- 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
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- 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
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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