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  • Philippians 3:2
    New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures
    • 2 Look out for the dogs; look out for those who cause injury; look out for those who mutilate the flesh.+

  • Philippians 3:2
    The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures
    • 2 Βλέπετε Be YOU seeing τοὺς the κύνας, dogs, βλέπετε be YOU seeing τοὺς the κακοὺς bad ἐργάτας, workers, βλέπετε be YOU seeing τὴν the κατατομήν. cutting down.

  • Philippians 3:2
    New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures—With References
    • 2 Look out for the dogs,+ look out for the workers of injury, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.*+

  • Philippians 3:2
    The Bible in Living English
    • 2 Look out for the dogs! look out for the bad workers! look out for the concision!

  • Philippians 3:2
    American Standard Version
    • 2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the concision:

  • Philippians 3:2
    The Emphasized Bible
    • 2 Beware of the dogs, Beware of mischievous workers, Beware of the mutilation;

  • Philippians 3:2
    King James Version
    • 2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.

  • Philippians
    Watch Tower Publications Index 1986-2025
    • 3:2 w89 2/15 20

  • Philippians
    Watch Tower Publications Index 1930-1985
    • 3:2 bf 675; w51 564

  • Philippians
    Research Guide for Jehovah’s Witnesses—2019 Edition
    • 3:2

      The Watchtower,

      2/15/1989, p. 20

  • Philippians Study Notes—Chapter 3
    New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition)
    • 3:2

      Look out for: In this verse, Paul repeats the Greek verb rendered “look out for” three times. Each time, it is followed by words beginning with the same Greek consonant. (See Kingdom Interlinear.) This literary technique added emphasis and urgency to his words. Also, the threefold description of the group who endangered the faith of the Philippians contrasts with the threefold description of the faithful ones in the following verse.

      the dogs: Paul here uses the word “dogs” in a figurative sense to warn the Philippians against false teachers, many of whom were Judaizers. Dogs were unclean according to the Mosaic Law, and the Scriptures often use the term in a derogatory sense. (Le 11:27; see study note on Mt 7:6.) In the cities, dogs often subsisted on what they could scavenge, so they were known to consume food that was repulsive, particularly to those trained to respect the precepts of the Mosaic Law. (Ex 22:31; 1Ki 14:11; 21:19; Pr 26:11) In the Hebrew Scriptures, enemies of faithful servants of Jehovah are sometimes likened to dogs. (Ps 22:16; 59:5, 6) By describing the false teachers as dogs, Paul intended to expose those men as unclean and unfit to dispense Christian teachings.

      those who mutilate the flesh: Referring to supporters of circumcision, Paul uses the expression “those who mutilate the flesh” (lit., “the cutting down”) perhaps as a play on words with the expression “those with the real circumcision” (lit., “the cutting around”) in the next verse.​—See study note on Php 3:3.

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