IL Jmoith dratmcmom,—!. flufory.— When God announced to Abraham that he would establish his covenant with him, he said to him, ** This is my cove- nant, which ye shall keep between me and you, and thy seed after thee : Eveiy man-child among you shall be drcnmdsed. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of
your foreskin ; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you'* (Gen. xvii, 10, 11). It was also ordained that this should be extended to servants be- longing to Abraham and his seed, as well as .to their own cUldem ; and that in the case of children it was to be done on the eighth day after birth. This was appointed as an ordinance <i perpetual obligation in the Abrahamic fiunily, and the neglect of it entailed the penalty of being cut off from the people (12-14). In compliance with this, Abraham, though then nine- ty-nine years of age, was himself circumdsed and all his household, including IshmaeL On the birth of his son Isaac, tlie rite was attended to with regard to him (Cren. xxi, 4) ; and it continued to be observed by his posterity, and distinctively to characterize them from the people amidst whom they dwelt (Gen. xxxiv, 14, 15). The usage thus introduced by Abra- ham was formally enacted as a legal institute by Moses (Lev. xii, 8; comp. John vii, 28). Slaves, whether home-bom or purchased, were circumcised (Gren. xvii, 12, 18) ; and foreigners must have their males circum- cised before they could be allowed to partake of the passover (Exod. xii, 48), or become Jewish citizens (Judg. xiv, 10. See also Esth. viii, 17, whercT for Heb. D'»'1h^Hp, " became Jews," the Sept. has trepurifiovro Koi 'lovidii^ov). In short, it was appointed to be ob- served in relation to all who became proselytes ftom heathenism to Judaism (comp. Judith xiv, 10; Mai- monides, lisurt Biah, c 18, cited by Lightfoot, J7ar- numia Evatiff, sec 12). The penalty of death for a neglect of this ordinance appears in the case of Moses to have actually been demanded of the fother, when the Lord ** sought to kill him" because his son was undrcumdsed (Exod. iv, 24-26). During the passage through the wilderness the practice fell into disuse, so that of those who entered Canaan none had been circumcised. As this was iktal 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 (Josh, v, 2-9). The most satisfoctory explanation of this neglect appears to be, that the na> tion, whUe bearing the punishment of disobedience in its forty years' wandering, was regarded as under a temporary rejection by God, and was therefore prohib- ited ftt>m using the sign of the covenant. This agrees with the mention of their disobedience and its punish- ment, which immediately follows in the passage in Joshua (verse 6), and with the words (verse 9), *^This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt ftt)m off you." The ** reproach of Egypt" was the threat- ened taunt of their former masters that Qod had brought them into the wilderness to slay them (Exod. xxxii, 12; Num. xiv, 18-16; Deut. ix, 28), which, so long as they remained uncircumcised and wanderers in the desert for theh* sin, was in danger of ftllmg upon them. (Other views of the passage are given and discussed in Keil's CommetUaiy an Joshua, p. 129.) From this time forward it became the pride of the na- tion to observe this ordinance; on aJl those people who did not observe it they looked down with con- tempt, not to say abhorrence (Judg. xiv, 8 ; xv, 18 ; 1 Sam. xiv, 6; xvH, 26; 2 Sam. i, 20; Isa. lii, 1; Ezek. xxxi, 18 ; Ephes. ii, 11, etc.) ; and so much did it becomes rite distinctive of them, that their oppress- ors sought to prevent their observing it-an attempt to which they refused to submit, though threatened with the last penalties in case of disobedience (1 Mace. 1,48,60,60-62). The introduction of Christianity was the signal for the abolition of this rite in the Church of God ; as the old covenant had waxed feeble and was pacing away, that which was the token of it also ceased to be binding; the rule was proclaimed that "in Christ Jesus neither circumcision avaUeth any- thing nor uncircumcision, but a new creature" (Gal. vi, 15; CoL iii, 11), though among the Jewish Chris* tians were still found many who dung tenaciously to
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their ancient distinctive rite, and would have imposed it even on the Gentile converts to Christianitj (Acts XV, 1 ; Gal. vi, 12, etc). Our Lord himself was dr- cnmcised, because it became him who was of the seed of Abraham according to the flesh to ftilfil all right- eousness, and because he was *' a minister of the cir- cumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the prom- ises made unto the fathers" (Rom. xv, 8) ; and Paul caused Timothy to be circumcised to avoid o£fence to the Jews, his mother being a Jewess ; but the spirit of Cliristianity was averse from such institutions (Acts XV, 1-11 ; GaL ii, 8, etc.)— for the outward carnal cir- cumcision it sought to substitute tliat of the heart (Rom. ii, 28, 29), **the circumcision not made with hands in putting off the sins of the flesh, even the cir- cumcision of Christ" (CoL ii, 11).