[B-Greek] Study of PERITEMNO

Iver Larsen iver_larsen at sil.org
Sun Apr 4 15:49:23 EDT 2004


>  However, look at Acts 7:8
>  And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and  so  [Abraham] begat
> Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day

> I doubt anyonne would argue that someone else other than Abraham
> would have circumcised Isaac.

This was a special case since Abraham was the first to start this ritual.

> So, my thoughts are that in most cases the word is used in a non-specific
> fashion as to who did what to whom.   But when specific names are brought
> in, then the intent is to show exactly who preformed the ritual on whom.

No, that is not a reasonable deduction from one special case. The text is
ambiguous since the language allows for either possibility. One can only try
to make a reasonable guess from cultural and contextual background. In the
case of Paul and Timothy in Acts 16:3 it seems reasonable to me that the
locally recognized Jewish circumciser did the job as it was to be a
testimony to the Jewish community. It would not be such a testimony if Paul
had done this in private and secrecy.

What do you think about Joshua 5:2-3,5? Did Joshua personally circumcise the
many thousands of Israelites? If so, why need a plurality of knives?:

RSV: At that time the LORD said to Joshua, "Make flint knives and circumcise
the people of Israel again the second time." 5.3 So Joshua made flint
knives, and circumcised the people of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. ... all
the people that were born on the way in the wilderness after they had come
out of Egypt had not been circumcised."

REB: At that time the LORD said to Joshua, 'Fashion knives out of flint, and
make Israel a circumcised people again.' 5.3 So Joshua made knives of flint,
and the Israelites were circumcised at Gibeath-haaraloth.

Iver Larsen






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