complete verse (Philippians 3:4)

Following are a number of back-translations of Philippians 3:4:

  • Uma: “Actually, I also could trust-in those customs. If there are people who boast-about their keeping of mere visible customs, I [could] even more so!” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “I would be able to trust in doings/works like this. If there is a person who says that God accepts him because of his following his Yahudi religion, he will yet be defeated by me (I can surpass him).” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “If there is a person who thinks (mistakenly) that the trustworthy way of being saved is his obeying earthly (religious) observance, I have surpassed him in obedience of these.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “If there is a person who is able to trust-in/rely-on (things) like these, it’s none other than I. Even anyone who says that there is something he has done or for-which-he-should-be-recognized that he relies-on as the basis-for-his-being-saved, it’s-more-so for me.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “However supposing one could be saved because of the things he did and because of his blood lineage, I really would have something to boast about in that. If some think that they have what they can boast about regarding these things, I have more.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Now if there should be some who say that it is possible for one to hunt how to clear himself, then even more I would be able to do so. Because even more would come out well what I have done.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Philippians 3:4

Paul now takes great pains in giving a brief account of his past religious life. The purpose is to let his readers understand why he has warned them in such blunt terms, and to refute the claims of his opponents. For the purpose of argument he deliberately places himself in the position of an authentic Jew.

I is emphatic. The shift from “we” to “I” and the frequent use of “I” show what Paul has to say here is personal. The tone of the argument makes it clear that he does not rely on outward privileges and ceremonies, thus I could, of course…. The phrase put my trust in such things is literally “having confidence even in the flesh,” and “in the flesh” is used three times in succession. To avoid redundancy, Good News Translation renders the second occurrence in such things, the context making it perfectly clear what is referred to (New English Bible “that kind”). The third occurrence is again rendered as in external ceremonies. For the meaning of trust, see 2.24.

The phrase of course may be rendered in some languages as “there is every reason for me to…,” or “I would be fully justified in….”

Put my trust in such things may be expressed as “put my confidence in such ceremonies,” or “believe that such things as would happen to my body would be valuable.” The reference here is not merely to circumcision as an outward ceremony; it involves much more, a matter of total ritual observance. One may even say “put my trust in being the kind of person I am.”

I have even more reason to feel that way adequately brings out the sense and force of a terse expression in Greek which means literally “I more” (cf. Barclay “I have an even stronger claim”).

Quoted with permission from Luo, I-Jin. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Philippians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1977. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philippians 3:4

3:4a

though I myself could have such confidence: It may be helpful in your language to make this a separate sentence. Paul is saying something that is qualifying his previous statement. To show this you may need to begin this clause with a phrase like:

However, it is true that…

I myself: The Greek emphasizes the first person singular pronoun, I. One way of doing this in English is I myself. (Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible, Revised Standard Version.) If you use emphatic pronouns in your language, you may be able to use one here.

could have such confidence: The text in 3:5–6 lists these reasons. The phrase could have such confidence is one word in Greek. It literally means “grounds/reason for trust.” In some languages it may be necessary to translate it with one or more verbs. For example, the SSA suggests:

could very well rely on them (SSA)

such: The Berean Standard Bible has included this word to connect this verse back to the “confidence in the flesh” that Paul referred to in 3:3c. Paul was referring to why he would have reasons, from a human point of view, to trust in who he was or what he had done, or to depend on human tradition.

Paragraph 3:4b–6b

Paul was saying, “If it would do any good, I could trust in my Jewish background and my custom of strictly following the Jewish laws, in order that God would consider me, more than anyone else, as one who belongs to him.”

Translator’s Notes places a paragraph break here (see also SSA) as do some English versions. Other English versions keep 3:4b together with 3:4a. This is perhaps because it divides up a single Greek sentence.

3:4b

Paul was not saying that he actually depended on his human background. He made it clear in 3:7–11 that it is useless to trust in such things. He was saying the if human background was important, he had a great human background to depend on. In some translations this may need to be made explicit by including a phrase such as the following at the beginning of this paragraph:

Suppose it were true that the things of this world were important….

If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh: This is an “if” clause, but Paul did not intend to express doubt. He knew that some people, those he was criticizing, did rely on the flesh. In some languages a literal translation may suggest that there is doubt about whether there are any such people. So it may be necessary to say something like “Since some people think they can trust….”

he has grounds for confidence: The verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as has grounds for confidence is from the same root as the noun translated as “put…confidence” in 3:3c. See note there. It could be translated as “he can rely/depend on” or “he has grounds for trusting.”

I have more: Paul was saying, “I have more reasons to trust in earthly things than he does.” Another way you could state this is:

I am better qualified than anyone else to depend on physical things and human tradition.

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