SEV Biblia, Chapter 3:5
Circuncidado al octavo día, del linaje de Israel, de la tribu de Benjamín, hebreo de hebreos; en cuanto a la ley, fariseo;
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Philippians 3:5
Verse 5. Circumcised the eighth day] This was the time that the law required the males to be circumcised; and we find, from Gen. xvii. 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 from the patriarch Jacob.
Of the tribe of Benjamin] The most favourite son of that patriarch and a tribe that did not revolt with Jeroboam, 1 Kings xii. 21, nor pollute the worship of God by idolatry.
A Hebrew of the Hebrews] Though born in a heathen country, Tarsus, yet both my parents were Hebrews; nor has there ever been any strange blood mixed with that of our family.
Touching the law, a Pharisee] One that not only received the law and the prophets as coming from God; but belonged to that sect which, of all others, was most scrupulously attached to it.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 5. Circumcised the eighth day , etc.] Circumcision was an appointment of God to Abraham, and his male issue; to him and them God gave the covenant of circumcision: this to Abraham personally was a sign and seal, that the righteousness of faith, which he had while he was an uncircumcised person, should come upon the uncircumcised Gentiles in the times or the Messiah, when the Gospel should come among them; and it was a distinguishing character of the Jews from the Gentiles, until the coming of Christ; it was typical of the effusion of his blood to cleanse from all the impurity of original and actual sin, and represented the circumcision of the heart. The Jews valued themselves much upon it, and treated the Gentiles with contempt for the want of it; and would neither converse with them in a civil or religious way, because they were uncircumcised: but the apostle was no Gentile, or an uncircumcised person; he had this mark in his flesh to glory in as well as others, if it had been lawful to trust in it; he was the subject of this ordinance while it was a standing one, and before it was abolished by Christ; and it was performed on him at the precise time fixed in the original institution of it, which was not always observed; for not to take notice of Jewish proselytes; who were circumcised at any age, when they became such, whether in youth, manhood, or old age; and which by the way shows, that the apostle was no proselyte, but a natural Jew; Gershom, the son of Moses, was not circumcised till some years after his birth; and all the while the children of Israel were in the wilderness this ordinance was neglected, till Joshua had led them into Canaan's land, and then he circumcised all that generation that was born in the wilderness, some of whom must be near forty years of age; and in after times it was usual with the Jews, for one reason or another, to put off circumcision to a longer time. Take the following story as an illustration of this : it is a tradition of R. Nathan; once, says he, I went to the cities of the sea, and a woman came to me who had circumcised her first son, and he died; the second, and he died; the third she brought to me; I saw him that he was red, I said unto her, my daughter, wait a while for him till his blood is swallowed up in him; she waited for him a while, and circumcised him, and he lived; and they called him Nathan the Babylonian, after my name. And again another time I went to the province of Cappadocia (the Jerusalem Talmud has it Caesarea of Cappadocia), a certain woman came to me, who had circumcised her first son, and he died; the second, and he died; the third, (the above Talmud adds, and he died, the fourth,) she brought to me, I saw that he was green, I inspected him, and the blood of the covenant was not in him, I said unto her, my daughter, wnytmh , tarry a while for him; (the Jerusalem Talmud has it, mz rjal whwjynh , let him alone to another time;) till his blood fall in him, she waited for him, and circumcised him, and he lived; and they called him Nathan the Babylonian, after my name.
The Jewish canon, with regard to the time of circumcision, runs thus : an infant may be circumcised at eight days, or at nine, or at ten, or at eleven, or at twelve, neither less nor more (not less than eight, nor more than twelve), how? according to its course at eight. If it is born between the two evenings, it is circumcised on the ninth day; if between the two evenings of the sabbath eve, it is circumcised on the tenth day; if on a feast day after the sabbath, it is circumcised on the eleventh; if on the two days of the beginning of the year, it is circumcised on the twelfth. An infant that is sick, they do not circumcise him until he is recovered.
And in the last case, they reckon seven days from the time of the recovery of the child, as Maimonides observes; with whom may be read other cases, in which circumcision was not always performed on the eighth day, but sometimes was deferred, and sometimes it was done the same day the child was born. But circumcision on the eighth day was reckoned most valid and authentic, and according to rule; and therefore it is not without reason, that the apostle mentions the time of his circumcision, and puts an emphasis upon it. Of the stock of Israel ; this is said to distinguish him from an Ishmaelite, or an Edomite, who were circumcised, and from the son of a proselyte, who might be circumcised on the eighth day; but he was a natural Israelite, to whom the various privileges belonged, mentioned in ( Romans 9:4,5); and therefore had as much reason to trust in the flesh as any Israelite whatever. [Of] the tribe of Benjamin ; who was a genuine and legitimate son of Jacob, whom he had by his lawful and beloved wife Rachel. Of which tribe was the first king of Israel, whose name was Saul, ( 1 Samuel 9:1,2), and which was the apostle's first and Jewish name, and which perhaps was common in that tribe on that account. In this tribe stood the city of Jerusalem, and the temple of the Lord; this tribe retained the true worship of God with Judah, when the ten tribes revolted and worshipped the calves at Dan and Bethel, and returned with Judah from captivity, when the others did not. And the apostle was not only able to make himself appear to be of the stock Israel, but could name the tribe to which he belonged, which many of the Jews, that were of one, or rather of the ten tribes, were not able to do, and may be his chief reason for mentioning this circumstance. An Hebrew of the Hebrews ; not so called only because he could trace his pedigree from Abraham the Hebrew, or understood, and could speak the Hebrew language, which the Hellenistic Jews could not, or was an illustrious one among them, but because both his parents were Hebrews; he was an Hebrew by the father and mother's side both; he was a genuine Hebrew. The Arabians have the same way of speaking; and with them a genuine Arab is called an Arab of the Arabs as here. Some there were whose mothers were Hebrews, and their fathers Gentiles; such an one was Timothy, ( Acts 16:1); and there were others whose fathers were Hebrews, and their mothers Gentiles; and these are thought by some to be the same the Talmudists call, yllj , profane: they not being reckoned so holy as such whose fathers and mothers were both Hebrews; of which the latter gloried over the other. As touching the law, a Pharisee : with respect to the interpretation and observance of the law, which was according to the traditions of the elders, and not the literal and genuine sense of it, he followed; and was of the sect of the Pharisees, which was strictest sect among the Jews, and in the greatest esteem among the people: and though they had put many false glosses on the Scripture, and held many erroneous principles, and were very tenacious of human traditions, yet they were preferable to the Sadducees, who denied the resurrection of the dead, and other things; and were more zealous in their devotion and religion, and more strict in their morals, and external holiness of life and conversation. They separated and distinguished themselves hereby from other people, and hence they had their name; (see Gill on Matthew 3:7). Now the apostle was not only a Pharisee, but the son of one; he was always brought up in that strict sect and severe way, ( Acts 23:6).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-11 - Sincere Christians rejoice in Christ Jesus. The prophet calls the fals prophets dumb dogs, Isa 56:10; to which the apostle seems to refer Dogs, for their malice against faithful professors of the gospel of Christ, barking at them and biting them. They urged human works i opposition to the faith of Christ; but Paul calls them evil-workers. He calls them the concision; as they rent the church of Christ, and cut it to pieces. The work of religion is to no purpose, unless the heart is in it, and we must worship God in the strength and grace of the Divin Spirit. They rejoice in Christ Jesus, not in mere outward enjoyment and performances. Nor can we too earnestly guard against those wh oppose or abuse the doctrine of free salvation. If the apostle woul have gloried and trusted in the flesh, he had as much cause as any man But the things which he counted gain while a Pharisee, and had reckone up, those he counted loss for Christ. The apostle did not persuade the to do any thing but what he himself did; or to venture on any thing but that on which he himself ventured his never-dying soul. He deemed all these things to be but loss, compared with the knowledge of Christ, by faith in his person and salvation. He speaks of all worldly enjoyment and outward privileges which sought a place with Christ in his heart or could pretend to any merit and desert, and counted them but loss but it might be said, It is easy to say so; but what would he do when he came to the trial? He had suffered the loss of all for the privileges of a Christian. Nay, he not only counted them loss, but the vilest refuse, offals thrown to dogs; not only less valuable tha Christ, but in the highest degree contemptible, when set up as agains him. True knowledge of Christ alters and changes men, their judgment and manners, and makes them as if made again anew. The believer prefer Christ, knowing that it is better for us to be without all worldl riches, than without Christ and his word. Let us see what the apostl resolved to cleave to, and that was Christ and heaven. We are undone without righteousness wherein to appear before God, for we are guilty There is a righteousness provided for us in Jesus Christ, and it is complete and perfect righteousness. None can have benefit by it, wh trust in themselves. Faith is the appointed means of applying the saving benefit. It is by faith in Christ's blood. We are mad conformable to Christ's death, when we die to sin, as he died for sin and the world is crucified to us, and we to the world, by the cross of Christ. The apostle was willing to do or to suffer any thing, to attai the glorious resurrection of saints. This hope and prospect carried his through all difficulties in his work. He did not hope to attain it through his own merit and righteousness, but through the merit an righteousness of Jesus Christ. (Php 3:12-21)
Greek Textus Receptus
περιτομη 4061 4061 οκταημερος 3637 εκ 1537 γενους 1085 ισραηλ 2474 φυλης 5443 βενιαμιν 958 εβραιος 1445 εξ 1537 εβραιων 1445 κατα 2596 νομον 3551 φαρισαιος 5330
Vincent's NT Word Studies
5. Circumcised the eighth day (peritomh oktahmerov). Lit., eight days old in circumcision; or passing the eighth day. For the idiom, see on John xi. 39, and compare Acts xxviii. 13. Converts to Judaism were circumcised in maturity: Ishmaelites in their thirteenth year. He was thus shown to be neither a heathen nor an Ishmaelite.
Of the stock of Israel. Not a proselyte, but of the original stock (genouv); not grafted into the covenant race. A descendant of Jacob, not an Idumaean nor an Ishmaelite. For Israel, see on Acts iii. 12, and compare Rom. ix. 4; xi. 1; John i. 47. Descended not from Jacob, the supplanter, but from Israel, the prince of God. See Gen. xxxii. 28.
Of the tribe of Benjamin. Not from one of the lost tribes, but from that which gave to Israel its first king; which alone was faithful to Judah at the separation under Rehoboam, and which had always held the post of honor in the army. See Judg. v. 14; Hos. v. 8. Benjamin only of the twelve patriarchs was born in the land of promise. Mordecai, the deliverer of the Jews from Haman was a Benjamite. Paul's own original name, Saul, was probably derived from Saul the son of Kish, the Benjamite.
A Hebrew of the Hebrews (Ebraiov ex Ebraiwn). The (Hebrews) of the A.V. gives a wrong coloring to the phrase, as if Paul were claiming to be preeminently a Hebrew among other Hebrews He means a Hebrew from (ex) Hebrew parents. Rev., a Hebrew of Hebrews, which is no special improvement. The expression implies characteristics of language and manners. He might be an Israelite and yet a child of Greek-speaking Jews: but his parents had retained their native tongue and customs, and he himself, while understanding and speaking Greek, also spoke in Hebrew on occasion. See Acts xxi. 40; xxii. 2.
The law. The Mosaic law. See on Rom. ii. 12. The validity of that law was the principle upheld by the Judaizers.
A Pharisee. See Acts xxiii. 6; Gal. i. 14. Compare on the whole verse, 2 Corinthians xi. 22.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
3:5 {Thinketh to have confidence} (dokei pepoithenai). Second perfect active infinitive. Old idiom, "seems to himself to have confidence." Later idiom like #Mt 3:9 "think not to say" and #1Co 11:16, "thinks that he has ground of confidence in himself." {I yet more} (eg" mallon). "I have more ground for boasting than he" and Paul proceeds to prove it in the rest of verses #5,6. {Circumcised the eighth day} (peritomi oktameros). "In circumcision (locative case) an eighth day man." Use of the ordinal with persons like tetartaios (#Joh 11:39). Ishmaelites were circumcised in the thirteenth year, convert from Gentiles in mature age, Jews on the eighth day (#Lu 2:21). {Of the stock of Israel} (ek genous Isral). Of the original stock, not a proselyte. {Benjamin} (Beniamin). Son of the right hand (that is, left-handed), son of Rachel. The first King, Saul (Paul's own Hebrew name) was from this little tribe. The battle cry of Israel was "After thee, O Benjamin" (#Jud 5:14). {A Hebrew of the Hebrews} (Ebraios ex Ebrai"n). Of Hebrew parents who retained the characteristic qualities in language and custom as distinct from the Hellenistic Jews (#Ac 6:1). Paul was from Tarsus and knew Greek as well as Aramaic (#Ac 21:40; 22:2) and Hebrew, but he had not become Hellenized. {A Pharisee} (Pharisaios). In distinction from the Sadducees (#Ga 1:14) and he continued a Pharisee in many essential matters like the doctrine of the resurrection (#Ac 23:6). Cf. #2Co 11:22.
