Philippians

If you don’t know me, my name is Rachel, and these are my scripture notes on the Epistle to the Philippians. The verses are presented sequentially in English and Greek, followed by my commentary. Think of it as a living midrash: whenever I learn something new, I add a note. My notes draw from an eclectic range of ancient sources, both Jewish and Gentile. These include rabbinical commentaries, classical sources, and even the holy texts of other religions. See my about page for more.

Philippians 3Πρὸς Φιλιππησίους γ΄

• The abrupt change in tone between verses 1-2 suggests this passage is a splice, perhaps from a different letter of Paul.

• “Dogs,” a slur for Jewish-Christians, or perhaps Jews in general.

Mark 7:27 – ²⁸“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

Matthew 15:26 – ²⁶But Jesus replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

Matthew 7:6 – ⁶Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls before swine. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.

Thomas 93 – ⁹³Do not give what is holy to dogs, lest they cast them upon the dung pile. Do not throw pearls to swine, lest they break them.”

⁹³ⲡⲉϫⲉ ⲓ̄ⲥ̄ ϫⲉ ⲙ̄ⲡⲣ̄ϯ ⲡⲉⲧⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲛ̄ⲛⲟⲩϩⲟⲟⲣ ϫⲉⲕⲁⲥ ⲛⲟⲩⲛⲟϫⲟⲩ ⲉⲧⲕⲟⲡⲣⲓⲁ ⲙ̄ⲡⲣ̄ⲛⲟⲩϫⲉ ⲛ̄ⲙ̄ⲙⲁⲣⲅⲁⲣⲓⲧⲏⲥ ⲛ̄ⲛⲉϣⲁⲩ ϣⲓⲛⲁ ϫⲉ ⲛⲟⲩⲁⲁϥ ⲛ̄ⲗⲁ ...

2 Peter 2:22 – ²²Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.”

Revelation 22:15 – ¹⁵For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

Didache 9:6 – ⁶And let none eat or drink of your Eucharist but such as have been baptized into the name of the Lord, for of a truth the Lord hath said concerning this, Give not that which is holy unto dogs.

• The Catholic Saint Chrysostom….

John Chrysostom, Homily 10 – But whom does he style dogs? There were at this place some of those, whom he hints at in all his Epistles, base and contemptible Jews, greedy of vile lucre and fond of power, who, desiring to draw aside many of the faithful, preached both Christianity and Judaism at the same time, corrupting the Gospel. As then they were not easily discernible, therefore he says, beware of the dogs: the Jews are no longer children; once the Gentiles were called dogs, but now the Jews. Wherefore? Because as the Gentiles were strangers both to God and to Christ, even so are these become this now. And he shows forth their shamelessness and violence, and their infinite distance from the relation of children, for that the Gentiles were once called dogs, hear what the Canaanitish woman says, Yea, Lord: for even the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. Matthew 15:27 But that they might not have this advantage, since even dogs are at the table, he adds that, whereby he makes them aliens also, saying, Beware of the evil workers; he admirably expressed himself, beware of the evil workers; they work, he means, but for a bad end, and a work that is much worse than idleness, plucking up what is laid in goodly order.

Deuteronomy 23:19 – ¹⁹Thou shalt not bring the hire of a harlot, or the price of a dog, into the house of HaShem thy G-d for any vow; for even both these are an abomination unto HaShem thy G-d.

Quran 7:176 – ¹⁷⁶And had We willed We could have raised him by their means, but he clung to the earth and followed his own lust. Therefor his likeness is as the likeness of a dog: if thou attackest him he panteth with his tongue out, and if thou leavest him he panteth with his tongue out. Such is the likeness of the people who deny Our revelations.

• Deuteronomy 30:6

Deuteronomy 30:6 – ⁶And HaShem thy G-d will circumcise thy heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love HaShem thy G-d with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.

Ode 11:1-2 – ¹My heart was circumcised, and its flower appeared, and steadfast love sprang up in it, and it brought forth fruits for the Lord. ²For the Most High circumcised my heart by his holy spirit, and laid bare my hidden self to him, and filled me with his love.

¹ܐܬܓܙܪ ܠܒܝ ܘܐܬܚܙܝ ܥܘܦܝܗ. ܘܝܥܬ ܒܗ ܛܝܒܘܬܐ. ܘܝܗܒܬ ܦܐܪ̈ܐ ܠܡܪܝܐ. ²ܡܪܝܡܐ ܓܙܪܢܝ ܒܪܘܚܗ ܩܕܝܫܬܐ. ܘܓܠܐ ܠܘܬܗ ܟܣ̈ܝܬܝ. ܘܡܠܢܝ ܡܢ ܚܘܒܗ.

Genesis 17:12 – ¹²And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any foreigner, that is not of thy seed.

• This verse presents one of the most important, live debates in Pauline scholarship. διὰ πίστεως Χριστοῦ can mean both faith in Christ or the faithfulness of Christ. Which reading you take drastically changes Paul’s theology.

• Somehowεἴ πως is quite the hedge!