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περιτέμνω

peritémnō

G4059 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To cut around (literally, to cut the foreskin), most commonly denoting the act of circumcision; the primary meaning is the act of removing flesh by encircling and cutting. In the predominant context of Judaean, Israelite, and later Roman practice, used especially to refer to the ritual removal of the foreskin as a physical marker of covenantal or communal identity. By extension, can refer metaphorically to the removal of a barrier or the separation of persons into a distinct group.

Semantic Range

to cut around, to excise by encircling and cutting, to circumcise (ritual removal of foreskin), to mark as a member of a group, in rare metaphorical sense: to separate or distinguish by a cutting act

Root / Etymology

From περί (around) and τέμνω (to cut). The prepositional prefix περί intensifies the sense of encircling or cutting around. Related to the root τεμ- (to cut). No Semitic loan influence in form, though the concept connects to Israelite and Near Eastern practice.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, περιτέμνω had a general meaning of 'to cut around' or 'to cut off around,' applicable in medical, surgical, and other contexts. In the Septuagint, the term is used to translate the Hebrew מוּל (mul), designating the ancient Israelite practice of circumcision as a covenantal sign (Genesis 17). In Second Temple, Hellenistic, and Roman contexts, περιτέμνω almost exclusively denotes the religious or social act of circumcision practiced among Israelites and Judeans, and is not typically used for analogous practices in other cultures. In the New Testament, the term is largely restricted to circumcision as a symbol of group membership, identity, or compliance with ancestral customs (e.g., Acts, Romans, Galatians). Standard English translations ("circumcise") capture the direct act, but sometimes obscure underlying debates about identity, inclusion, and cultural difference. No broader figurative sense of moral or spiritual 'removal' is present in the verb form; such metaphorical uses more commonly attach to related nouns or abstract terms.

Translation Consistency

primary "circumcise" 17 occurrences

The dominant and most specific meaning in the SILEX entry and in NT/Septuagint contexts is the ritual cutting of the foreskin. "Circumcise" is the natural, widely understood English verb that captures the literal and covenantal sense; it also allows metaphorical uses to be handled contextually while keeping a single consistent base verb for all forms of G4059.

✓ All renderings match approved senses

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from περί and the base of τομώτερος; to cut around, i.e. (specially) to circumcise:--circumcise.

Root Family

περιτέμνω (peritémnō) — to cut, to cut off, to excise, to cut around

Root τεμ- to cut, to cut off, to excise

Word Forms

13 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G4059-01 περιέτεμεν perietemen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG circumcised he cut around he circumcised 2
G4059-04 περιτέμνειν peritemnein V PRS ACT INF to circumcise to circumcise by cutting around to circumcise 2
G4059-05 περιτέμνεσθαι peritemnesthai V PRS PASS INF to be circumcised to be circumcised to be circumcised 2
G4059-03 περιτεμεῖν peritemein V AOR ACT INF to circumcise to cut around to circumcise 2
G4059-12 περιτμηθῆναι peritmethenai V AOR PASS INF to be circumcised to be cut around to be circumcised 1
G4059-02 περιετμήθητε perietmethete V AOR PASS IND 2P PL you were circumcised you were circumcised you were circumcised 1
G4059-11 περιτετμημένος peritetmemenos V PRF PASS PTCP NOM M SG circumcised having been cut around having been circumcised 1
G4059-08 περιτέμνετε peritemnete V PRS ACT IND 2P PL you circumcise you are cutting around you circumcise 1
G4059-10 περιτετμημένοι peritetmemenoi V PRF PASS PTCP NOM M PL circumcised having been cut around having been circumcised 1
G4059-09 περιτεμνομένῳ peritemnomeno V PRS PASS PTCP DAT M SG who is circumcised to the one being circumcised being circumcised 1

Occurrences in Scripture

17 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G4059-03 Luke 1:59 περιτεμεῖν peritemein V AOR ACT INF to circumcise to cut around to circumcise
G4059-03 Luke 2:21 περιτεμεῖν peritemein V AOR ACT INF to circumcise to cut around to circumcise
G4059-08 John 7:22 περιτέμνετε peritemnete V PRS ACT IND 2P PL you circumcise you are cutting around you circumcise
G4059-01 Acts 7:8 περιέτεμεν perietemen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG circumcised he cut around he circumcised
G4059-13 Acts 15:1 περιτμηθῆτε peritmethete V AOR PASS SUBJ 2P PL you are circumcised you might be circumcised you might be circumcised
G4059-04 Acts 15:5 περιτέμνειν peritemnein V PRS ACT INF to circumcise to circumcise by cutting around to circumcise
G4059-01 Acts 16:3 περιέτεμεν perietemen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG he circumcised he cut around he circumcised
G4059-04 Acts 21:21 περιτέμνειν peritemnein V PRS ACT INF to circumcise to circumcise by cutting around to circumcise
G4059-11 1 Corinthians 7:18 περιτετμημένος peritetmemenos V PRF PASS PTCP NOM M SG circumcised having been cut around having been circumcised
G4059-07 1 Corinthians 7:18 περιτεμνέσθω peritemnestho V PRS PASS IMP 3P SG be circumcised let him be cut around let him be circumcised
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