UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament

Sense 1: to circumcise, circumcision

Semantic entry: 53.51

Semantic domains: Religious Activities

Subdomains: Dedicate, Consecrate

Definition: to cut off the foreskin of the male genital organ as a religious rite involving consecration and ethnic identification

Notes: In the case of societies which practice circumcision, there is normally a perfectly satisfactory term to designate this type of operation, though it may not have any religious significance but only be a part of puberty ritual. For societies which do not practice circumcision or are not well acquainted with such a practice, a term which specifically describes the operation may be both offensive and vulgar. It may therefore be necessary to use a borrowing or to employ a somewhat obscure term such as ‘to cut around’ and then to explain the specific meaning of the term or phrase in a glossary.|Even in the case of societies which practice circumcision, there may be problems in comprehension of the significance of such an act, and these difficulties may require marginal notes. If, for example, a society practices circumcision only in connection with puberty rites, it may seem inexplicable that Jesus would have been circumcised on the eighth day after his birth (RV LUK 2:21 · LV LUK 2:21 · Read together LUK 2:21). In many societies such an act would seem to be either a deed of extreme cruelty to a baby or a sign of mature sexuality in an infant.