3:5a

In 3:5–6 Paul listed the reasons why he could have trusted in human tradition and his own efforts, if such a thing had been important. His comments fit into two groups. First he listed four things that showed that he was a true Jew (3:5a–c), things that were true about him from the time he was born, not relating to anything he did. Then he listed three things that were the result of what he himself did (3:5d–3:6b). These seven things could have given him reason to be proud of what he was as a Jew. But he chose not to depend on these things.

In your translation you might put a comment at the beginning of 3:5 to show that Paul was giving a list in 3:5–6 of the reasons why he could trust in earthly things. See the second Meaning Line in the Display for 3:5a.

circumcised on the eighth day: One reason Paul could claim to be a true Jew was that he had been circumcised. God’s law, given through Moses, required this of all Jewish males; it said that they were to be circumcised on the eighth day. This was a sign that they were born as members of God’s chosen people. So Paul was saying that he had been circumcised, just as the law commanded.

circumcised: See notes on 3:3a for the meaning of circumcised. If your language does not use passive verbs, you will need to say who circumcised Paul. Normally it was Jewish religious leaders who performed this ceremony.

on the eighth day: By the Jewish method of counting, the day a baby was born was his first day. So on the eighth day means when he was seven days or one week old. Make sure you use the method of counting used by your culture.

Notice that the first meaning line in the Display says “just as God commanded our (excl.) ancestors.” The exclusive form of “our” here means that since the Philippians were Gentiles, they did not have the same ancestors as the Jews. See also the meaning lines for 3:5d, 3:6a and 3:6b.

3:5b

of the people of Israel: Paul was a descendant of Jacob. God changed Jacob’s name to Israel and his descendants were known as the people of Israel. So Paul could say he was related to all the Israelites.

of the tribe of Benjamin: Only a few Jews were able to list the names of their ancestors going back to the beginning of one of the tribes of Israel. But Paul knew that he was a descendant of Benjamin. This means that he belonged to the tribe of Benjamin, who was one of the twelve sons of Jacob. Two ideas for translation are:

I belong to the tribe of Benjamin.
-or-
I ⌊even⌋ come from the family of Benjamin.

tribe: The sons of Jacob were the leaders of their own families, which in time became clans because each son had many descendants. They also called each clan a tribe, even though all the clans or tribes spoke the same language, Hebrew.

3:5c

a Hebrew of Hebrews: Paul was saying that he was a true Jew and so were his parents. You could restate this as:

I am a true Hebrew, born of true Hebrews.

Hebrew: Some commentators say that the word Hebrew refers to those who were racially pure as Jews, with no Gentile blood in them. Others say it refers to Jews who followed the traditional customs, who still spoke the Hebrew language, and who considered themselves to be religious Jews. Still others say the word Hebrew has both of the above meanings. Paul was born outside Palestine, in Tarsus, but he insisted that he was a true Hebrew.

3:5d

After listing the things that were true of him since he was born, Paul here listed the three things he had done of which he could have been proud.

as to the law, a Pharisee: If anyone questioned whether Paul followed the Jewish laws, his answer was that he was (or had been) a Pharisee. In some languages it will be necessary to use the verb “to be” here. If so, it is necessary to decide which tense to use. Most likely Paul was thinking, as with 3:6a–b, of what he had been, before he became a Christian and so it is better to use a past tense: “in regard to the law I was a Pharisee.” Most English versions which supply a verb here follow this (Good News Translation, NET Bible, New Living Translation (2004), God’s Word, New Jerusalem Bible) and it also has good commentary support.

as to: This phrase in 3:5d and the next two phrases in 3:6 start with the same word in Greek: kata. This preposition can be translated in several ways, including, as in the New International Version, in regard to. In some languages it is possible to translate it the same way each time, but in other languages it may be necessary to vary the expression.

the law: This refers to the Jewish religious laws in general and to the laws of Moses in particular, on which the religious laws were based.

Pharisee: The Pharisees were a group within Judaism who were particularly strict about obeying the Jewish laws. They were very concerned about each point in the law. Before he became a Christian, Paul had faithfully followed the teachings and practices of this group.

You could translate the word Pharisee as “the Pharisee group.” This is an important word that should be in your glossary if you have one. See “Pharisee” in Key Biblical Terms. Many readers know the name Pharisee because they have read the gospels. In some languages it may be necessary to explain in this context who the Pharisees were. If this is so in your language, you could use a footnote, or include some implicit information in your translation. For example:

I was a Pharisee, ⌊which meant that I carefully obeyed the law.⌋
-or-
I was a member of the Pharisee group, ⌊who thoroughly follow the law.⌋

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