Acts 18:3 - Exposition

Trade for craft, A.V.; they wrought for (he) wrought, A.V. and T.R.; trade for occupation, A.V. ( τέχνῃ ). Of the same trade ; ὁμότεχνον . This word occurs here only in the New Testament, but is of frequent use in Hippocrates, Dioscorides, and Galen (Hobart, as before). Tent-makers ; σκηνοποιοί , which is paraphrased by σκηοῤῥάφοι , tent-stitchers or tailors, by Chrysostom and Theodoret. Hug and others erroneously interpret it "makers of tent-cloth," from the fact that a certain kind of cloth made of goats' hair, called κιλίκιον , was manufactured in Paul's native country of Cilicia. But the fact of such manufacture would equally lead persons who were living in Cilicia to exercise the trade of making tents of the cloth so manufactured. St. Paul alludes to his manual labor in Acts 20:33-35 ; 1 Corinthians 4:12 ; 1 Thessalonians 2:9 ; 2 Thessalonians 3:8 , 2 Thessalonians 3:9 .