Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
Ver. 2. Beware of dogs] That is, seducers and sectarians, who though dead dogs, yet will be barking at godly ministers. And though the dogs of Egypt would not move their tongues against Israel, Exodus 11:7, yet these greedy dogs, Isaiah 56:11, can both bark and bite better men than themselves, being set on by the devil. Homines perfrictae frontis, impudent as dogs. Ravenous also when they get among the flocks, Ezekiel 22:25. Farther, they are crouching, colloguing creatures, 2 Timothy 3:4 : but believe them not; receive them not; for like dirty dogs they will but bemire you with fawning; yea, like cur-dogs, they will suck your blood with licking, and in the end kill you, and cut your throats without biting. Beware of them, therefore, beware, saith the apostle here.
Beware of evil workers] Deceitful workers, 2 Corinthians 11:13, that seem to build staircases for heaven, when indeed they dig descents down to hell, taking great pains to very evil purpose.
Beware of the concision] For circumcision; as Diogenes called Zeno's διατριβην κατατριβην and Euclid's αχολην χολην. (Laert.) The Holy Scriptures have many such elegant and pleasant passages, as Proverbs 25:27; Hosea 4:15; Galatians 5:12; Isaiah 5:7, &c. There is one that senseth it thus, Beware of the concision, that is, of those that make divisions and out the Church into little pieces, and sacking congregations, making separation. So Piscator, Qui conantur vos ab ecclesia Dei rescindere, who seek to sunder you from the Church. The Donatists affirmed that there were no true Churches but theirs, and were also divided among themselves, in minutula frustula, into small factions, as Austin saith.