CIRCUMCISION (r6n, reperot-4), a rite or usage, which consisted in the cutting off of the fore skin (thiy, civofluorla, praputiunz). We shall :7 consider— t. The History of this among the 7ews.—When God announced to Abraham that he would esta blish his covenant with him, he said to him, This is my covenant, which ye shall keep between me and you, and thy seed after thee : Every man child among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin ; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you' (Gen. xvii. to, II). It was also ordained that this should be extended to servants belonging to Abraham and his seed, as well as to their own children ; and that in the case of children it was to be done on the eighth day after birth. This was appointed as an ordinance of perpetual obligation i in the Abrahamic family, and the neglect of it en tailed the penalty of being cut off from the people (1244). In compliance with this, Abraham, though then ninety-nine years of age, was himself circumcised and all his household, including Ish mael. On the birth of his son Isaac, the rite was attended to in respect of him (Gem xxi. 4) ; and it continued to be observed by his posterity, and distinctively to characterise them from among the, people amidst whom they dwelt (Gen. xxxiv. 14, 15). The usage thus introduced by Abraham was formally enacted as a legal institute by Moses (Lev. xii. 3 ; comp. John vii. 23) ; and it was appointed to be observed in relation to all who became pro selytes from heathenism to Judaism (Exod. xii. 48; comp. Judith xiv. to ; Maimonides, Issue Bich, c. 13, cited by Lightfoot, Harmonica Evang., sec.
12). During the passage through the wilderness, the practice, from some cause, fell into disuse, sa that of those who entered Canaan none had been circumcised. As this was fatal to their title under the covenant to take possession of the land, Joshua, in obedience to God's command, caused all the males to be circumcised, and thus rolled away the reproach from Israel (Josh. v. 2-9). From this time forward it became the pride of the nation to observe this ordinance ; on all those people who did not observe it they looked down with contempt, not to say abhorrence (Judg. xiv. 3 ; xv. 18 ; Sam. xiv. 6 ; xvii. 26 ; 2. Sam. i. 20 ; Is. 11 I ; Ezek. xxxi. IS ; Eph. ii. 11, etc.) ; and so much did it become a rite distinctive of them, that their oppressors sought to prevent their observing it, an attempt to which they refused to submit though threatened with the last penalties in case of dis obedience (I Maccab. i. 48, 5o, 6o-62). The in
troduction of Christianity was the signal for the aboli tion of this rite in the Church of God ; as the old covenant had waxed feeble, and was passing away, that which was the token of it also ceased to he binding ; the rule was proclaimed that 'in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything nor uncircumcision, but a new creature' (Gal. vi. 15 ; Col. iii. it) ; though among the Jewish Christians were still found many who clung tenaciously to their ancient distinctive rite, and would have imposed it even on the Gentile converts to Chris tianity (Acts xv. I ; Gal. vi. 12, etc.) Our Lord himself was circumcised, because it became him who was of the seed of Abraham according to the flesh to fulfil all righteousness, and because he was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers' (Rom. xv. 8) ; and Paul caused Timothy to be circumcised to avoid offence to the Jews, his mother being a Jewess ; but the spirit of Chris tianity was averse from such institutions (Acts xv. 1-es ; Gal. ii. 3, etc.) ; for the outward carnal cir cumcision it sought to substitute that of the heart (Rom. ii. 28, 29), the circumcision not made with hands in putting off the sins of the flesh, even the circumcision of Christ' (Col. ii. it).
Among the ancient Jews, the rule that circum cision should take place on the eighth day after birth was rigidly followed (Luke i. 59 ; ii. 21 ; Phil. iii. 5), save in such very exceptional cases as those mentioned, Exod. iv. 25, Josh. v. 5. Even their reverence for the Sabbath did not prevent the Jews from observing it on that day (John vii. 22, 23); according to the Rabbins circumcision pellit Sabbatum' (Lightfoot, Her. Heb. in Joan vii. 22). The operation might be performed by any Israelite, but usually it was performed by the father of the child ; in special cases women might perform it (Exod. iv. 25). The instrument used in the earlier times was a sharp stone or a knife of flint (Exod. iv. 25 ; Josh. v. 2, 3 ; comp. the XiOos AiMirucos, used by the Egyptians in preparing bodies for em balming, Herod. ii. 86).* It was usual to con nett the naming of the child with the circumcision (Gen. xxi. 3, 4 ; Luke i. 59; ii. 21) a practice which probably had respect to the fact that it was in con nection with the institution of the rite that God gave to the ancestor of the race his name of Abra ham (Gen. xvii. 5).