PHP 3:2 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) Watch out for those dogs, those evil workers, those who say you must be circumcised,[fn]

3:2 Although it’s possible that Paul had three different groups of people in mind here, it’s much more likely that he used three different names to describe the one group of people.

Key: khaki:verbs, orange:accusative/object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

UST Guard yourselves against the ones who are like dirty dogs. Guard yourselves against the ones who teach what is false. Guard yourselves against the ones who cut their bodies.

BLB Beware of the dogs! Beware of the evil workers! Beware of the false circumcision!

AICNT Watch out for the dogs, watch out for the evil workers, watch out for those who mutilate the flesh.

OEB Beware of those dogs! Beware of those mischievous workers! Beware of the men who mutilate themselves!

WEBBE Beware of the dogs; beware of the evil workers; beware of the false circumcision.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh!

LSV Look out for the dogs! Look out for the evil-workers! Look out for the mutilation!

FBV Watch out for the wolves, those who do evil, those who insist on physical circumcision—

TCNT Watch out for the dogs, watch out for the evil workers, watch out for those who mutilate the flesh.

T4T Beware of those people who are dangerous [MET] like wild dogs. They are dangerous evildoers [DOU]. Beware of them since they are like people who cut other people’s bodies [MET]. They will harm you spiritually by insisting that you must let someone circumcise you in order for you to become God’s people [MTY, MET].

LEB Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the mutilation.[fn]

3:2 This term is a wordplay on the Greek word “circumcision”

BBE Be on the watch against dogs, against the workers of evil, against those of the circumcision:

Moff Beware of these dogs, these wicked workmen, the incision-party!

Wymth Beware of `the dogs,' the bad workmen, the self-mutilators.

ASV Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the concision:

DRA Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.

YLT look to the dogs, look to the evil-workers, look to the concision;

Drby See to dogs, see to evil workmen, see to the concision.

RV Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the concision:

SLT Look out for dogs, look out for evil workmen, look out for the incision.

Wbstr Beware of dogs, beware of evil-workers, beware of the concision.

KJB-1769 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.

KJB-1611 Beware of dogs, beware of euill workers: beware of the concision.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps Beware of dogges, beware of euyll workers, beware of concision.
(Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of concision.)

Gnva Beware of dogges: beware of euil workers: beware of the concision.
(Beware of dogs: beware of evil workers: beware of the concision. )

Cvdl Bewarre off dogges, bewarre of euell workers, bewarre off discension:
(Bewarre off dogs, beware of evil workers, beware off discension:)

TNT Beware of dogges beware of evyll workers. Beware of dissencion.
(Beware of dogs beware of evil workers. Beware of dissencion. )

Wycl Se ye houndis, se ye yuele werk men, se ye dyuysioun.
(See ye/you_all houndis, see ye/you_all evil work men, see ye/you_all dyuysioun.)

Luth Sehet auf die Hunde, sehet auf die bösen Arbeiter, sehet auf die Zerschneidung!
(Behold on/in/to the dogs, see on/in/to the evil work/jober, see on/in/to the Zerschneidung!)

ClVg Videte canes, videte malos operarios, videte concisionem.
(See dogs, see I_prefers to_workos, see concisionem. )

UGNT βλέπετε τοὺς κύνας; βλέπετε τοὺς κακοὺς ἐργάτας; βλέπετε τὴν κατατομήν.
(blepete tous kunas; blepete tous kakous ergatas; blepete taʸn katatomaʸn.)

SBL-GNT Βλέπετε τοὺς κύνας, βλέπετε τοὺς κακοὺς ἐργάτας, βλέπετε τὴν κατατομήν.
(Blepete tous kunas, blepete tous kakous ergatas, blepete taʸn katatomaʸn.)

RP-GNT Βλέπετε τοὺς κύνας, βλέπετε τοὺς κακοὺς ἐργάτας, βλέπετε τὴν κατατομήν·
(Blepete tous kunas, blepete tous kakous ergatas, blepete taʸn katatomaʸn;)

TC-GNT Βλέπετε τοὺς κύνας, βλέπετε τοὺς κακοὺς ἐργάτας, βλέπετε τὴν κατατομήν·
(Blepete tous kunas, blepete tous kakous ergatas, blepete taʸn katatomaʸn; )

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 3:1–4:1: The Philippians should follow Paul’s example and trust Christ to make them righteous

Paul told the believers to watch out for those who were teaching that believers must be circumcised. He also warned them against those who were proud of doing evil. He encouraged them to follow his example instead. Paul tried to be like Christ and depended on him alone in order to become righteous.

In both 3:1 and 4:1, Paul talked about being joyful. Therefore, it is possible to consider that 3:1 is an introduction to this section and 4:1 is a summary of this section. However, some English versions consider that 3:1a is the final statement in the previous section and so attach it to the end of chapter 2 (REB, NJB, NRSV). You may want to follow whatever the national language version in your area does here.

Paragraph 3:1b–4a

Paul told the Philippians to be on their guard against people who called themselves Christians but were teaching that Gentile Christians must become like Jews as well as trusting Christ. Paul made it clear that God saves people because of what Jesus has done for them, not because they obey the Jewish laws.

3:2

Most commentators agree that the three warnings in this verse all refer to the same group of people. These warnings are about “dogs,” “men who do evil,” and “mutilators.” These apparently were a group of Jews who had become Christians. They were called Judaizers. They were teaching that all Christians had to obey the Jewish laws in order to be true Christians. Paul strongly opposed this teaching and emphasized that people became members of God’s people through spiritual, not physical, change.

3:2a

Watch out for those dogs,

Look out for those evil people who are like dogs.
Do not be deceived by those who are like pagans,

Watch out for: This means “beware of.” It was a warning to not believe what the Judaizers taught. Some translations say: “do not be deceived by…” or “do not believe….”

those dogs: Jews often referred to Gentiles as dogs. This was because Jews considered dogs to be unclean animals, and they thought that Gentiles were also ritually unclean. See also Psalm 22:16 and Mark 7:24–30. In this verse Paul turned the idea around. He was saying that the Judaizers were evil and were like dogs. They were like pagans because their teaching was completely wrong.

In some languages, using the term dogs may give some other meaning that is not appropriate for this context. It may be possible to use a general term for “dangerous, dirty animal” or it may be best to translate the meaning without the metaphor. For example, it may be possible to translate the phrase those dogs as:

those who act like nonbelievers

3:2b

those workers of evil,

Beware of them because what they do is evil.
those people who do evil deeds.

those workers of evil: This makes it clear that the term “dogs” refers to people who are workers of evil. It does not refer to a second group of people.

General Comment on 3:2a–b

In some languages it may be helpful to change the order of these two phrases. For example:

beware of those who do evil things, who are like a pack of dirty dogs

3:2c

those mutilators of the flesh!

They wrongly insist that males who want to be Christians must be circumcised.
They are cutting up men’s bodies for nothing.

those mutilators of the flesh: This is a third description of the same group of people. They are described as mutilators, literally “the mutilation” or “the cutting up.” This is a play on the Greek word for “circumcision,” which literally means “the cutting around.”

“Circumcision” is the cutting off of a band of skin, called the foreskin, from around the end of the penis. One of the Jewish laws stated that all Jewish males and converts to Judaism had to be circumcised as a symbol that they belonged to God. The Judaizers were teaching that non-Jewish converts to Christianity must also be circumcised. Here in 3:2c Paul opposed this teaching. He said the Judaizers were like people who destroy something by cutting it up or chopping it into pieces. Paul was saying that circumcision was no longer necessary to become part of God’s people and so he used this forceful language to speak against these people by calling them mutilators of the flesh.

In some cultures where circumcision is not known, it would be helpful to explain the custom of circumcising people in a footnote or in a glossary. Make sure it is clear that they did not cut off the whole penis but only the small ring of skin around the end of it. If it is not proper in your culture to refer to sex organs, make sure you use acceptable terms here.

In most languages it will not be possible to keep Paul’s play on words in the translation. But look for some way to make a contrast between “circumcision” (or “cutting around”) and “mutilation” (or “cutting up”).

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / yousingular

(Occurrence -1) βλέπετε