TENTMAKER

One who makes or repairs tents. Acts 18:3 designates the trade of Paul, Aquila, and Priscilla by the Greek term ske·no·poi·osʹ. Various opinions have been offered as to the exact type of craftsman indicated by this word (whether a tentmaker, weaver of tapestry, or ropemaker); however, numerous scholars acknowledge that “there seems no reason to depart from the translation ‘tent-makers.’”​—The Expositor’s Greek Testament, edited by W. Nicoll, 1967, Vol. II, p. 385.

When Paul first visited Corinth he stayed with Aquila and Priscilla “on account of being of the same trade.” (Ac 18:1-3) The apostle Paul was from Tarsus in Cilicia, an area famous for its goat-hair cloth named cilicium from which tents were made. (Ac 21:39) Among the Jews of the first century C.E., it was considered honorable to teach a lad a trade even if he was to receive a higher education. So Paul likely gained experience in the manufacture of tents while still a youth. Tentmaking may also have been the type of work the apostle did in Thessalonica (1Th 2:9; 2Th 3:8) and other places. (Ac 20:34, 35; 1Co 4:11, 12) The work was not easy, for it is reported that the cilicium tended to be stiff and rough, consequently difficult to cut and sew.