3Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and had him circumcised because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
“Timothy” is the anglicized form of Timotheus, meaning “honoring God,” “honored of God,” “worshiping God,” “valued of God.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )
It is translated in American Sign Language with a sign that combines the signs for the letter T and “young,” referring to 1 Timothy 4:12 et al. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“Timothy” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor
The term that is transliterated as “Paul” in English is translated in American Sign Language with a sign that signifies the many letters he wrote. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“Paul” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor
In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with a sign depicting putting away a sword, referring to his conversion from a persecutor of Christians to a Christian leader. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
Orthodox Icons are not drawings or creations of imagination. They are in fact writings of things not of this world. Icons can represent our Lord Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Saints. They can also represent the Holy Trinity, Angels, the Heavenly hosts, and even events. Orthodox icons, unlike Western pictures, change the perspective and form of the image so that it is not naturalistic. This is done so that we can look beyond appearances of the world, and instead look to the spiritual truth of the holy person or event. (Source )
The following is a contemporary stained glass window from the Messiah Episcopal Church in St. Paul, Minnesota by Peter Dohmen. Individual glass pieces were made in Germany in accordance with Dohmen’s design, using a technique first developed by Irish monks in the 9th and 10th centuries.
“This window is dedicated to St. Paul, the great apostle and missionary, for whom our city is named. At the top of the window is a ship which symbolizes the many missionary journeys of Paul — the Church is our ship, which carries us over the way of life. In the lower section we see Paul on the road to Damascus when he saw a great light and heard our Lord’s voice, which called him to discipleship.”
Stained glass is not just highly decorative, it’s a medium which has been used to express important religious messages for centuries. Literacy was not widespread in the medieval and Renaissance periods and the Church used stained glass and other artworks to teach the central beliefs of Christianity. In Gothic churches, the windows were filled with extensive narrative scenes in stained glass — like huge and colorful picture storybooks — in which worshipers could ‘read’ the stories of Christ and the saints and learn what was required for their religious salvation. (Source: Victoria and Albert Museum )
The Hebrew and Greek terms that are translated as “circumcise” or “circumcision” in English (originally meaning of English term: “to cut around”) are (back-) translated in various ways:
Tetelcingo Nahuatl: “put the mark in the body showing that they belong to God” (or: “that they have a covenant with God”)
Indonesian: disunat — “undergo sunat” (sunat is derived from Arabic “sunnah (سنة)” — “(religious) way (of life)”)
Ekari: “cut the end of the member for which one fears shame” (in Gen. 17:10) (but typically: “the cutting custom”) (source for this and above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
Hiri Motu: “cut the skin” (source: Deibler / Taylor 1977, p. 1079)
Garifuna: “cut off part of that which covers where one urinates”
Bribri: “cut the soft” (source for this and the one above: Ronald Ross)
Amele: deweg cagu qoc — “cut the body” (source: John Roberts)
Eastern Highland Otomi: “cut the flesh of the sons like Moses taught” (source: Ronald D. Olson in Notes on Translation January, 1968, p. 15ff.)
Newari: “put the sign in one’s body” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 16:3:
Uma: “It was Paulus’s desire that Timotius go with him on his journey to carry the Good News. That is why he circumcised him first according to the Law of Musa. His intention in circumcising him was so that the Yahudi would receive him, because all the Yahudi people in that land knew that his father was Yunani.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Paul wanted to take Timoteo along as his travelling companion. But all the Yahudi in those places knew that Timoteo’s father was a Girik therefore Paul first circumcised Timoteo so that he would be respected by the Yahudi.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Paul wanted to take Timothy along with them, so he circumcized him. The reason he circumcized Timothy was so that the Jews there in the villages where they travelled would not be disgusted with Timothy, because all the Jews there, they knew that Timothy’s father was a Greek.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “and Pablo wanted to take-him -along. But because all the people there knew that his father was a Gentile, Pablo had-him -circumcised first so that the feelings (lit. thoughts) of their fellow Jews in the various-towns where-they -would-go would not be injured.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Pablo wanted to cause him to go along on that journey of theirs, therefore he asked him. But before they set out, he circumcized him so that the minds/thinking of the Jews there wouldn’t be agitated. For everyone knew that Timoteo’s father was a Griego, and as for the Griego, circumcizing wasn’t their custom.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Apinayé: “Paul arrived and saw him, and wanted to take him along with them. But Timothy was a mixed breed. His mother was an Israel but his father was a non-Israel. Thus Timothy was a mixed breed. Because the Israel ones knew it, Paul circumcised Timothy.” (Source: Callow 1972, p. 47f.)
The Greek text says that he (Paul) circumcised him (Timothy). This is taken by some to mean that Paul himself actually circumcised Timothy, but most scholars understand it to mean that Paul had him circumcised (that is, by someone else). The reason for Paul’s action is given in this verse: since the Jews knew that Timothy’s father was a Gentile, and Timothy had therefore not been circumcised, it would presumably have been difficult for Paul to use him to take the Christian message to the Jewish people. It may be necessary in some instances to add a marginal note at this point to indicate that, since Timothy’s father was a Gentile, Timothy had not been circumcised in his infancy.
Some understand the clause Timothy’s father was Greek to indicate that Timothy’s father was dead, and so translate “Timothy’s father had been a Greek” (see Moffatt and Barclay).
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Acts of the Apostles. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
he took him and circumcised him on account of the Jews in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek: This explains why Paul circumcised Timothy. Timothy’s father was a Greek and Greeks did not circumcise their sons. But Timothy’s mother was a Jew, and the Jews therefore considered Timothy a Jew as well. But Jews considered uncircumcised Jews to be very bad Jews because circumcision was a mark of their covenant with God. Paul did not want the Jews to think of Timothy in that way. If Timothy was circumcised, the Jews would accept him. This would be particularly helpful for speaking to Jews who did not believe in Jesus.
In some languages a literal translation would not clearly explain why Paul circumcised Timothy. If that is true in your language, you may want to:
• Translate literally and explain it further in a footnote. Two example footnotes are:
Timothy’s father was a Greek and Greeks thought circumcision was disgusting. But Timothy’s mother was a Jew, and the Jews therefore considered Timothy a Jew as well. But Jews considered uncircumcised Jews to be very bad Jews because circumcision was a mark of their covenant with God. Paul did not want the Jews to think of Timothy in that way. As an adult Timothy could choose to be circumcised. If he was circumcised, the Jews would accept him. -or-
Timothy’s Greek father probably prevented anyone from circumcising Timothy when he was born. But the Jews considered Timothy a Jew because of his Jewish mother. Paul had Timothy circumcised to make him acceptable to Jews.
• Explain the meaning in your translation. For example:
but all the Jews living in that area knew that Timothy’s father was Greek. So Paul circumcised Timothy ⌊because his/Timothy’s mother was a Jew⌋ ⌊and the Jews considered Timothy a Jew⌋
16:3a
circumcised him: Paul probably had someone circumcise Timothy for him. For example:
had him circumcised (New Revised Standard Version)
circumcised: See how you translated this word in 15:5.
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
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