SEV Biblia, Chapter 18:3
y porque era de su oficio, pos con ellos, y trabajaba; porque el oficio de ellos era hacer tiendas.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 18:3
Verse 3. He abode with them, and wrought] Bp. Pearce observes that it was a custom among the Jews, even of such as had a better education than ordinary, which was Paul's case, chap. xxii. 3, to learn a trade, that, wherever they were, they might provide for themselves in case of necessity. And though Paul, in some cases, lived on the bounty of his converts, yet he chose not to do so at Ephesus, chap. xx. 34; nor at Corinth or other places, 1 Corinthians iv. 12; 2 Cor. ix. 8, 9; 1 Thess. iii. 8; and this Paul did for a reason which he gives in 2 Cor. xi. 9-12. While he was at Corinth he was supplied, when his own labour did not procure him enough, "by the brethren which came to him there from Macedonia." It appears that the apostle had his lodging with Aquila and Priscilla; and probably a portion of the profits of the business, after his board was deducted. It was evidently no reproach for a man, at that time, to unite public teaching with an honest useful trade. And why should it be so now? May not a man who has acquired a thorough knowledge of the Gospel way of salvation, explain that way to his less informed neighbours, though he be a tent-maker, (what perhaps we would call a house-carpenter,) or a shoemaker, or any thing else? Even many of those who consider it a cardinal sin for a mechanic to preach the Gospel, are providing for themselves and their families in the same way. How many of the clergy, and other ministers, are farmers, graziers, schoolmasters, and sleeping partners in different trades and commercial concerns! A tent-maker, in his place, is as useful as any of these. Do not ridicule the mechanic because he preaches the Gospel to the salvation of his neighbours, lest some one should say, in a language which you glory to have learned, and which the mechanic has not, Mutato nomine, de TE fabula narrator. There are different opinions concerning that is meant here by the skhnopoiov, which we translate tent-maker. Some think it means a maker of those small portable tents, formed of skins, which soldiers and travelers usually carried with them on their journeys; others suppose that these tents mere made of linen cloth. Some think that the trade of St. Paul was making hangings or curtains, such as were used at the theatres; others think the skhnopoiov was a sort of umbrella-maker; others, a weaver, &c., &c.
In short, we know not what the trade was. I have generally preferred the notion of a carpenter, or faber lignarius. Whatever it was, it was an honest, useful calling, and Paul got his bread by it.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 3. And because he was of the same craft , Art, occupation, or trade: he abode with them ; in the same house in which they were: and wrought ; with his own hands, to support himself, for he was a stranger in this place; and as yet here was no church to minister to him; and when there was, he would take nothing of them, that the false teachers, who rose up among them, might not make any handle of it against him, and to the prejudice of the Gospel; though otherwise he thought it his just due to receive a maintenance from the churches; and insisted upon it as an ordination of Christ. He learned a trade whilst among the Jews, with whom it was common for their greatest doctors to be brought up to some trade or another; (see Gill on Mark 6:3). for by their occupation they were tent makers ; either for the soldiers, and which were made of sack cloth of hair, or of leather, and of the skins of various animals f919 , sewed together; hence the phrase, sub pellibus, under the skins, is used for to lie in tents f920 : or those tents they made, were canopies made of linen, and other things, which were erected in the summer season to shade and screen from the heat of the sun; though others take them for a sort of tapestry, or hangings, which they made for theatres, palaces, and stately rooms; and according to the Syriac version, they were horses trappings which they made: perhaps they were of the same occupation with Menedemus the philosopher, who was skhnorrafov , a sewer of tents f921 .
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-6 - Though Paul was entitled to support from the churches he planted, an from the people to whom he preached, yet he worked at his calling. A honest trade, by which a man may get his bread, is not to be looke upon with contempt by any. It was the custom of the Jews to bring u their children to some trade, though they gave them learning of estates. Paul was careful to prevent prejudices, even the mos unreasonable. The love of Christ is the best bond of the saints; an the communings of the saints with each other, sweeten labour, contempt and even persecution. Most of the Jews persisted in contradicting the gospel of Christ, and blasphemed. They would not believe themselves and did all they could to keep others from believing. Paul hereupo left them. He did not give over his work; for though Israel be no gathered, Christ and his gospel shall be glorious. The Jews could no complain, for they had the first offer. When some oppose the gospel, we must turn to others. Grief that many persist in unbelief should no prevent gratitude for the conversion of some to Christ.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ δια 1223 PREP το 3588 T-ASN ομοτεχνον 3673 A-ASM ειναι 1511 5750 V-PXN εμενεν 3306 5707 V-IAI-3S παρ 3844 PREP αυτοις 846 P-DPM και 2532 CONJ ειργαζετο 2038 5711 V-INI-3S ησαν 2258 5713 V-IXI-3P γαρ 1063 CONJ σκηνοποιοι 4635 N-NPM την 3588 T-ASF τεχνην 5078 N-ASF
Vincent's NT Word Studies
3. Of the same craft (omotecnon) It was a Rabbinical principle that whoever does not teach his son a trade is as if he brought him up to be a robber. All the Rabbinical authorities in Christ's time, and later; were working at some trade. Hillel, Paul's teacher, was a wood-cutter, and his rival, Shammai, a carpenter. It is recorded of one of the celebrated Rabbis that he was in the habit of discoursing to his students from the top of a cask of his own making, which he carried every day to the academy.Tent-makers (skhnopoioi). Not weavers of the goat's-hair cloth of which tents were made, which could easily be procured at every large town in the Levant, but makers of tents used by shepherds and travelers. It was a trade lightly esteemed and poorly paid.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
18:3 {Because he was of the same trade} (dia to homotecnon einai). Same construction with dia as above. homotecnon is an old word (homos, tecne), though here alone in N.T. Rabbi Judah says: "He that teacheth not his son a trade, doth the same as if he taught him to be a thief." So it was easy for Paul to find a home with these "tentmakers by trade" (skenoipoioi tei tecnei). Late word from skene and poiew, here only in the N.T. They made portable tents of leather or of cloth of goat's hair. So Paul lived in this home with this noble man and his wife, all the more congenial if already Christians which they soon became at any rate. They worked as partners in the common trade. Paul worked for his support elsewhere, already in Thessalonica (#1Th 2:9; 2Th 3:8) and later at Ephesus with Aquila and Priscilla (#Ac 18:18,26; 20:34; 1Co 16:19). They moved again to Rome (#Ro 16:3) and were evidently a couple of considerable wealth and generosity. It was a blessing to Paul to find himself with these people. So he "abode" (emenen, imperfect active) with them and "they wrought" (ergazonto, imperfect middle), happy and busy during week days.
