περιτομ-ή G4061
Circumcision; the covenant rite of cutting the foreskin, and by metonymy the Jewish people
The noun denoting the Jewish rite of removing the foreskin, commanded as a covenant sign to Abraham (Gen 17) and central to New Testament debates about Gentile inclusion. Paul uses the word in two overlapping ways: as the physical act itself (Rom 2:25-29; Phil 3:3) and as a metonym for the Jewish community ('those of the circumcision,' Acts 10:45; Gal 2:12). This dual usage drives some of the most theologically charged passages in the epistles, where Paul argues that 'circumcision of the heart' supersedes the outward rite (Rom 2:29). Spanish 'circuncision,' French 'circoncision,' and German 'Beschneidung' all reflect the single concrete act, while the metonymic extension is carried by context.
Senses
1. circumcision — The rite of cutting away the foreskin as a sign of covenant membership, and by extension the Jewish people or covenant community defined by that rite. John 7:22-23 traces it to the patriarchs; Acts 10:45 and 11:2 use it as a group label ('those of the circumcision'). Paul's theological argument in Romans 2:25-29 and Galatians 5:6 redefines the term spiritually. The cross-linguistic uniformity—Spanish 'circuncision,' French 'circoncision,' German 'Beschneidung'—reflects the concrete referent, while the metonymic sense is always context-driven. 36×
AR["الخِتانَ", "الخِتانُ", "الخِتانِ", "بِالخِتانِ", "خِتانٌ", "خِتانٍ", "خِتانُ", "خِتانُكَ", "خِتَانًا", "خِتَانَ", "ٱلْخِتَانِ"]·ben["ত্বকছেদ", "ত্বকছেদ;", "ত্বকছেদে", "ত্বকছেদে,", "ত্বকছেদের,", "ত্বকছেদের?", "সুন্নত", "সুন্নতকে", "সুন্নতি", "সুন্নতের"]·DE["Beschneidung", "περιτομῆς"]·EN["circumcision"]·FR["circoncision"]·heb["מִילָה"]·HI["खतन", "खतना", "खतना,"]·ID["Sunat", "sunat", "sunat,", "sunat;", "sunat?", "yang-bersunat", "yang-bersunat,"]·IT["circoncisione", "peritomen", "peritomē", "peritomēn"]·jav["sunat", "tetak", "tetak,", "tetak;", "tetak?", "tetakipun"]·KO["할례", "할례-에서", "할례-의", "할례가", "할례는", "할례를", "할례파가"]·PT["circuncisão"]·RU["Обрезание", "обрезание", "обрезании", "обрезания"]·ES["circuncisión"]·SW["kutahiriwa", "tohara", "tohara,", "waliotahiriwa"]·TR["o-", "suennet", "suennet,", "suennet;", "sünneti", "sünnetin", "sünnetli", "sünnetli-iken", "sünnetlilerden", "sünnetlilere", "sünnetlileri", "sünnetlilik", "sünnetlilikte"]·urd["ختنہ", "ختنہ-نہیں-ہے", "ختنہ-والوں-کو", "ختنہ-ہے", "ختنے", "ختنے-کے"]
Related Senses
H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)G4396 1. prophet, spokesperson of God (146×)H6944 1. sanctuary, holy place (129×)G0749 1. high priest, chief priest (123×)H6944 2. holiness, sacredness (abstract quality) (123×)G5330 1. Pharisee (99×)G4336 1. pray to God (86×)H6944 3. holy things, sacred offerings (plural) (86×)H3722a 1. make ritual atonement (Piel) (85×)H6912 1. bury (Qal active) (82×)H6419 1. pray (Hitpael) (80×)H6944 4. holiness (with possessive pronoun) (77×)H6942 1. sanctify, consecrate (Piel factitive) (76×)H2930a 1. Qal: be/become unclean (75×)H7819a 1. slaughter an animal (Qal active) (72×)H1486 1. lot (object cast for decisions) (71×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
περιτομ-ή, ἡ, circumcision, LXX+2nd c.BC+ __II section of a machine, ἡ κάτω π. Refs 2nd c.AD+ __III circular incision, Refs 1st c.AD+