Prior Book | Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | Next Book | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
NASB | Acts 18:3 and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and they were working, for by trade they were tent-makers. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Acts 18:3 and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them; and they worked together for they were tent-makers. |
Bible Question:
Saints, What does a tent-maker do? Why is this profession special? What are 'tent-makers' today? In Christ Jesus, charis |
Bible Answer: Blessings dear brother charis!A 'tent-maker' is a trade or profession (Acts 18:3) that was passed from a Jewish father to his son(s), and it was an important industry in the city of Tarsus. Another important trade was carpentry (Mark 6:1-3). Tent-makers simply built and created the materials necessary for buildling tents. What made this profession special was the fact that the Hebrews dwelt in tents since their nomadic ancestry and their exodus from Egypt. In Genesis 4:20, we see that Jabal was the 'father of those who live in tents', which began the 'tent community'. From there, we see that tents were places of residence (Gen. 9:21,12:8,13:5, Ex. 18:7), objects of beauty (Num. 24:5), and a dwelling place for women (Judges 5:24). The Lord protects the tents (Psalm 91:10), and tents serve as shelter for shepherds (Isaiah 38:12, Jeremiah 6:3). So a 'tent-maker' not only would be one that would help to carry on this tradition, but also as one who would build 'homes' for the Hebrew people. Some phrases reminding the Hebrew people of their ancestry include 'going home' or 'to one's tent' (Judges 19:9), and in the recurring call, 'to your tents (to your homes), O Israel' (1 Kings 12:16). The Hebrew tent, even in later days, cannot have differed much from the simple Bedouin tent of today, made by sewing together strips of the native goats' hair cloth. These 'curtains' (Jer. 4:20, Ex. 26:2) are held up by poles, generally 9 in number, arranged in three rows of three, and 6-7 ft. high, which are kept in position by ropes or 'cords', and the 'tent-cord' (Job 4:21), attached to 'stakes' or 'tent-pins' driven into the ground by a mallet (Judges 4:21). The larger the tent, the longer the cords and the stronger the stakes, according to Isaiah 54:2. The tent, then as now, was probably divided into two parts by hanging a curtain from the three middle poles along the length of the tent- the front division open and free to all, the back closed and reserved for the women and the privacy of domestic life (Judges 15:1, Genesis 18:9). In time of war we read both of booths (2 Sam. 11:11) and of tents (2 Kings 7:7, Jer. 37:10). Soldiers' tents were conical in shape, supported by a central pole with two arms. In early times a special tent was pitched for a newly wedded pair (Psalm 19:5, Joel 2:16, cf. 2 Sam. 16:22), as is still the custom among the Arabs. Priscilla and Aquila, as well as the Apostle Paul were tent-makers (Acts 18:2-3). And Paul could have very well learned this trade, being from Tarsus. |
Up | Down View Branch | ID# 7122 | ||
Questions and/or Subjects for Acts 18:3 | Author | ||
|
charis | ||
|
Makarios | ||
|
prayon | ||
|
Makarios | ||
|
Pamtas | ||
|
swtfantz | ||
|
Edd | ||
|
jep123 |