Philippians 3:2

Beware of dogs. Literally, “look out for the dogs.” The definite article points to a definite group of people. The repetition of “beware” is for emphasis. It appears that Paul refers to the same people in each case. His threefold description covers different aspects of the same opponents’ activities. In the East dogs were mostly without masters, and wandered in the streets and fields. They were accounted unclean in Levitical law (cf. on Lev. 11:2–7), and to call one a dog was a strong expression of contempt (1 Sam. 17:43; 2 Kings 8:13). To the Jew the heathen were as dogs (see on Matt. 7:6; 15:26), and Gentiles were not slow in returning the epithet. The term succinctly describes those who are shameless, impudent, malignant, snarling, dissatisfied, and contentious. Paul is probably referring to a well-known party of professed Christians, the Judaizers (see Vol. VI, pp. 30-33; cf. on Phil. 1:16), whose worrying tactics cause them to merit the description, “dogs.” Although he does not describe the troublemakers in great detail, many of their characteristics may be inferred from ch. 3:3-11, where he depicts the opposite positive qualities.

Evil workers. That is, the Judaizers, the “deceitful workers” of 2 Cor. 11:13.

Concision. Gr. katatome, “mutilation.” A derogatory term for the Judaizers, who sought to require Gentiles to be circumcised and become Jews in order to be Christians. This Jewish circumcision would be either harmful, as committing them to the whole obsolete system of Judaism (Gal. 5:3), or meaningless, hence a mutilation. The warning is addressed to Gentiles, since Jews would not need such counsel.