SEV Biblia, Chapter 16:3
Pablo quiso que ste fuese con l; y tomndole, le circuncid por causa de los judíos que estaban en aquellos lugares; porque todos sabían que su padre era griego.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 16:3
Verse 3. Took 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 by the circumstances in which they were then placed; and, as it was done merely in reference to this, Timothy was lain under no necessity to observe the Mosaic ritual, nor could it prejudice his spiritual state, because he did not do it in order to seek justification by the law, for this he had before, through the faith of Christ. In Gal. ii. 3-5, we read that Paul refuses to circumcise Titus, who was a Greek, and his parents Gentiles, notwithstanding the entreaties of some zealous Judaizing Christians, as their object was to bring him under the yoke of the law: here, the case was widely different, and the necessity of the measure indisputable.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 3. Him would Paul have to go forth with him , etc.] Perceiving that he was a young man, that not only had the grace of God, but very considerable gifts, and abilities for ministerial service; and having a good testimony of his agreeable life and conversation, the apostle was very desirous he should go along with him, and be his companion in his travels, and be an assistant to him in the work of the ministry; and accordingly he was, and is often spoken of in his epistles, as his fellowlabourer, and one that served with him in the Gospel of Christ, and who was very dear unto him: and took and circumcised him ; which may seem strange, when there had been so lately a controversy in the church at Antioch about circumcision, from whence the apostle was just come; and when this matter had been debated and determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem, where he was present, and he was now carrying about their decrees: but it is to be observed, that the apostle used circumcision not as a duty of the law, as what that required, and in obedience to it, which he knew was abrogated; much less as necessary to salvation, which the judaizing preachers urged; but as an indifferent thing, and in order to gain a point, and secure some valuable end, as follows because of the Jews which were in those quarters ; not the believing ones, for he brought along with him the decrees of the apostles and elders to satisfy them, that circumcision was not necessary; but the unbelieving ones, who he knew would not suffer an uncircumcised person to teach in their synagogues, nor would they hear him out of them; wherefore having a mind to take Timothy with him to be assisting to him in the preaching of the Gospel, in point of prudence he thought it proper to circumcise him, that he might be received by them, and be the more acceptable to them; who would otherwise have taken such an offence at him, as not to have heard him: thus the apostle to the Jews became a Jew, that he might gain and save some, ( 1 Corinthians 9:20) for they knew all that his father was a Greek; and that therefore he was not circumcised; for a woman might not circumcise, because she was not a fit subject of circumcision herself f764 ; though in case of necessity circumcision by women was allowed of f765 .
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-5 - Well may the church look for much service from youthful ministers wh set out in the same spirit as Timothy. But when men will submit i nothing, and oblige in nothing, the first elements of the Christia temper seem to be wanting; and there is great reason to believe tha the doctrines and precepts of the gospel will not be successfull taught. The design of the decree being to set aside the ceremonial law and its carnal ordinances, believers were confirmed in the Christia faith, because it set up a spiritual way of serving God, as suited to the nature both of God and man. Thus the church increased in number daily.
Greek Textus Receptus
τουτον 5126 D-ASM ηθελησεν 2309 5656 V-AAI-3S ο 3588 T-NSM παυλος 3972 N-NSM συν 4862 PREP αυτω 846 P-DSM εξελθειν 1831 5629 V-2AAN και 2532 CONJ λαβων 2983 5631 V-2AAP-NSM περιετεμεν 4059 5627 V-2AAI-3S αυτον 846 P-ASM δια 1223 PREP τους 3588 T-APM ιουδαιους 2453 A-APM τους 3588 T-APM οντας 5607 5752 V-PXP-APM εν 1722 PREP τοις 3588 T-DPM τοποις 5117 N-DPM εκεινοις 1565 D-DPM ηδεισαν 1492 5715 V-LAI-3P γαρ 1063 CONJ απαντες 537 A-NPM τον 3588 T-ASM πατερα 3962 N-ASM αυτου 846 P-GSM οτι 3754 CONJ ελλην 1672 N-NSM υπηρχεν 5225 5707 V-IAI-3S
Vincent's NT Word Studies
3. To go forth (exelqein). The word is used of going forth as a missionary in Luke ix. 6; 3 John 7.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
16:3 {Him would Paul have to go forth with him} (touton eqelesen ho paulos sun autwi exelqein). this one (note emphatic position) Paul wanted (first aorist active indicative of qelw with temporal augment as if from eqelw the old form). Here was a gifted young man who was both Jew and Greek. {He took and circumcised him} (labwn perietemen auton). Any one could perform this rite. Paul had stoutly resisted circumcision in the case of Titus, a pure Greek (#Ga 2:3,5), because the whole principle of Gentile liberty was at stake. But Timothy was both Jew and Greek and would continually give offence to the Jews with no advantage to the cause of Gentile freedom. So here for the sake of expediency, "because of the Jews" (dia tous ioudaious), Paul voluntarily removed this stumbling-block to the ministry of Timothy. Otherwise Timothy could not have been allowed to preach ln the synagogues. _Idem non est semper idem_. But Timothy's case was not the case of Titus. Here it was a question of efficient service, not an essential of salvation. Hovey notes that Timothy was circumcised because of Jewish unbelievers, not because of Jewish believers. {Was a Greek} (hellen hupercen). Imperfect active in indirect assertion where ordinarily the present huparcei would be retained, possibly indicating that his father was no longer living.
