Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
Thinketh to have confidence (dokei pepoiqenai). Second perfect active infinitive. Old idiom, "seems to himself to have confidence." Later idiom like Matthew 3:9 "think not to say" and I Corinthians 11:16, "thinks that he has ground of confidence in himself."
I yet more (egw mallon). "I have more ground for boasting than he" and Paul proceeds to prove it in the rest of verses Philippians 3:5-6.
Circumcised the eighth day (peritomh oktahmerov). "In circumcision (locative case) an eighth day man." Use of the ordinal with persons like tetartaiov (John 11:39). Ishmaelites were circumcised in the thirteenth year, proselytes from Gentiles in mature age, Jews on the eighth day (Luke 2:21).
Of the stock of Israel (ek genouv Israhl). Of the original stock, not a proselyte.
Benjamin (Beniamin). Son of the right hand (that is, left-handed), son of Rachel. The first King, Saul (Paul's own Hebrew name) was from this little tribe. The battle cry of Israel was "After thee, O Benjamin" (Judges 5:14).
A Hebrew of the Hebrews (Ebraiov ec Ebraiwn). Of Hebrew parents who retained the characteristic qualities in language and custom as distinct from the Hellenistic Jews (Acts 6:1). Paul was from Tarsus and knew Greek as well as Aramaic (Acts 21:40; Acts 22:2) and Hebrew, but he had not become Hellenized.
A Pharisee (Farisaiov). In distinction from the Sadducees (Galatians 1:14) and he continued a Pharisee in many essential matters like the doctrine of the resurrection (Acts 23:6). Cf. II Corinthians 11:22.
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Philippians 3:5:
Acts 3:12
Acts 13:9
Acts 22:3
Acts 23:6
Acts 26:5
Acts 28:13
Romans 11:1
Galatians 1:14
Philippians 3:5
2 Timothy 1:3
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