Quick Definition
περιτέμνω v. I circumcise
Strong's Definition
from 4012 and the base of 5114; to cut around, i.e. (specially) to circumcise
KJV Usage: circumcise
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | aor. περιέτεμον · inf. περιτεμεῖν · pf.pass. περιτέτμημαι · aor.pass. περιετμήθην · inf. περιτμηθῆναι | τομός
53.51 · Religious Activities · Dedicate, Consecrate
to circumcise, circumcision to cut off the foreskin of the male genital organ as a religious rite involving consecration and ethnic identification 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 (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.
LUK 1:59 · LUK 2:21 · JHN 7:22 · ACT 7:8 · ACT 15:1 · ACT 15:5 · ACT 16:3 · ACT 21:21 · 1CO 7:18 · 1CO 7:18 · GAL 2:3 · GAL 5:2 · GAL 5:3 · GAL 6:12 · GAL 6:13 · GAL 6:13 · COL 2:11
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
περι-τέμνω (lon. περιτάμνω) ; 2 pres. περιτέμνομαι; pf. ptep. περιτετμημένος ; 1 aor. περιεἐτμήθην; [fr. Hes. down]; Sept. chiefly for 539; to cut around (cf. περί, III. 1]: τινά, to circumcise, cut off one’s prepuce (used of that well-known rite by which not only the male children of the Israelites, on the eighth day after birth, but subsequently also ‘proselytes of righteousness’ were consecrated to Jehovah and introduced into the number of his people; [ef. BB. DD. s. v. Circumcision; Oehler’s O. T. Theol. (ed. Day) 88 87, 88; Miller, Barnabasbrief, p. 227 sq.]), Lk. i. 59; ii. 21; Jn. vii. 22; Acts vii. 8; xv.53 xvi. 3; xxi. 21; of the same rite, Diod. 1,28; pass. and mid. to get one’s self circumcised, present one’s self to be circumcised, receive circumcision [ef. W. § 38, 3]: Acts xv. 1, 24 Rec.; 1 Co. vii. 18; Gal. ii. 3; v.2sq.; vi. 12sq.; with ra αἰδοῖα added, Hat. 2, 36 and 104; Joseph. antt. 1, 10,5; ce. Ap. 1,22. Since by the rite of circumcision a man was separated from the unclean world and dedicated to God, the verb is transferred to denote the extinguishing of lusts and the removal of sins, Col. ii. 11, οἵ. Jer. iv. 4; Deut. x. 16, and eccl. writ. [see Bp. Lghtft. on Phil. iii. 3].
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
περιτέμνω peritemnō 17x
to cut around; to circumcise, remove the prepuce, Lk. 1:59; 2:21; met. Col. 2:11; mid. to submit to circumcision, Acts 15:1
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
περι-τέμνω,
[in LXX chiefly for מוּל;] (Ion., Epic. and late writers),
to cut around (Hdt.), hence, to circumcise (π. τὰ αἰδοῖα, Hdt.): Lk 1:59 2:21, Jo 7:22, Ac 7:8 15:5 16:3 21:21. Pass. and mid., to be circumcised, receive circumcision: Ac 15:1, I Co 7:18, Ga 2:3 5:2, 3 6:12, 13. Metaph. (cf. De 10:16, Je 4:4, al.), Col 2:11 (v. Deiss., BS, 151 f.; MM, xix).†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
περιτέμνω is always used in the LXX for the ceremonial act of circumcision, and Deissmann (4S p. 151 ff.) has suggested that the choice of this particular compound by the LXX translators may have been due to the fact that it was ‘‘in common use as a technical term for an Egyptian custom similar to the Old Testament cércumczsion.” He cites by , περιτρέπω way of illustration P Lond 2413 (B.c. 163) (=I. p. 32, UPZ i. p. 117) ὡς ἔθος ἐστὶν] τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις περι[[τε]]τέμνεσθαι (see further below), and BGU I. 3471} (a.p. 171) where we read of a boy—rrepit]pnOqvat [kata] τὸ ἔθος. To this evidence we can now add a series of documents dealing with the priests of Soknebtunis, P Tebt II. 291-3: see especially 292 (a.p. 189-190), where a priest makes request to the strategus that κατὰ τὸ ἔθος ἐπιϊστολὴν.. .7 γραφῆναι ὑπὸ σοῦ t[¢ κρατίστῳ ἀρχιερεῖ ἵνα] συνχωρήσαντος αὐτοῦ δυν[ηθῶσιν οἱ παῖδες] περιτμηθῆναι καὶ τὰς ἐπιβαλλο[ύσας ἱερουρ]γίας ἐπιτελεῖν, “ἴῃ accordance with custom a letter should be written by you to his highness the high-priest in order that, his permission being given, the boys [his own son and another boy] may be able to be circumcised and to perform the sacred offices assigned to them” (Edd.). Other documents of a similar character are P Tebt IT. 314 (ii/A.D.), Preisigke 15 (A.D. 155-6), BGU I. 82 (a.p. 185) and PSI V. 454 (A.D. 320). See further Wilcken Archiv ii. p. 4ff., and Otto Przester i. p. 213 ff. It is clear, accordingly, that circumcision was in Egypt the necessary ritual preparation for a priest. The conception of Israel as a nation of priests is well illustrated by this connotation of the rite in a neighbouring land: we can recognize, moreover, how ‘‘uncircumcised’’ (ἀπερίτμητος) means so clearly ‘‘ unclean,” when we see the rite applied to a class whose business it was to be capable of entering the presence of the gods. That circumcision in Egypt was not, however, confined to candidates for the priesthood is shown by P Lond ἀξ, where it is applied to a girl on reaching puberty, and in preparation for marriage : see further Wilcken in UPZi. p. 118.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
περιτέμνω (peritemnō) — to circumcise. περιτέμνω, Epic dialect and Ionic dialect περι-τάμνω, cut or clip round about, οἴνας περιταμνέμεν prune them, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; of a goldsmith, [Refs 2nd c.AD+] —middle, βραχίονας περιτάμνονται make incisions all over their arms, [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—passive, to be cut up, of fish, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
2. of circumcision, τῶν ἐπιγινομένων οὐ περιτάμνουσι τὰ αἰδοῖα [Refs 5th c.BC+]; π. τοὺς παῖδας [LXX+3rd c.BC+], etc.:— middle, περιτάμνονται τὰ αἰδοῖα [LXX+5th c.BC+]: absolutely, practise circumcision, [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—passive, [LXX]
3. cut off the extremities, τὰ ὦτα καὶ τὴν ῥῖνα [Refs 5th c.BC+] —passive, περιτάμνεσθαι γῆν to be curtailed of certain land, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II. cut off and hem in all round:—middle, βοῦς περιταμνόμενον cutting off cattle for oneself, 'lifling' cattle, [Refs 8th c.BC+]:—passive, to be cut off, ἅρματα π. ὑπὸ τῶν ἱππέων [Refs 5th c.BC+]