Circumcision is an ancient practice that is mentioned frequently throughout the Bible. It was a defining ritual in the Jewish faith, dating back to the covenant that God made with Abraham in Genesis 17. Here is an overview of some of the key biblical passages about circumcision:
The Covenant with Abraham
Circumcision first appears in Genesis 17 when God establishes his covenant with Abraham. God commands that all male infants are to be circumcised on the eighth day as a sign of the covenant. Genesis 17:10-14 states:
This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.
This passage establishes circumcision as an essential part of the covenant between God and Abraham. It is a sign of belonging to God’s chosen people. It applies not just to Abraham’s offspring but also to slaves and foreigners who are part of Abraham’s household.
Circumcision of Moses’ Son
When Moses is on his way back to Egypt, God seeks to kill him because Moses’ son is not circumcised. Moses’ wife Zipporah quickly circumcises their son and touches Moses’ feet with the foreskin, appeasing God’s anger (Exodus 4:24-26). This demonstrates again how serious God considered the commandment of circumcision.
Joshua Circumcises the Israelites
After 40 years in the wilderness, God commands Joshua to circumcise all the Israelite males before entering the Promised Land. Joshua 5:2-9 tells how Joshua fulfilled this command:
At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.” So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: All the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way after they had come out of Egypt. Though all the people who came out had been circumcised, yet all the people who were born on the way in the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt had not been circumcised. For the people of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished, because they did not obey the voice of the Lord; the Lord swore to them that he would not let them see the land that the Lord had sworn to their fathers to give to us, a land flowing with milk and honey. So it was their children, whom he raised up in their place, that Joshua circumcised. For though the sons of Israel were uncircumcised, they did not spend the night in misery.
This passage shows that an entire generation had failed to circumcise their children while wandering in the desert. Joshua renewed the observance of circumcision before entering Canaan.
Circumcision of Jesus
Jesus himself was circumcised on the eighth day according to Jewish custom. This is recounted in Luke 2:21: “And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.” This shows Jesus’ human nature and his obedience to the law.
Circumcision in the Early Church
In the New Testament, the early church grappled with whether circumcision should continue to be required for Gentile converts to Christianity. Acts 15 recounts the Jerusalem Council, where the apostles decided that circumcision was not necessary for salvation. Passages like Galatians 5 show Paul preaching that neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; only faith in Christ matters.
While the New Testament makes it clear that circumcision is not required for Christians, it never explicitly condemns the practice either. There continued to be debate in the early church over whether Jewish Christians should continue to circumcise their children. Paul seems to take a neutral stance on the issue in passages like Romans 2:25-29 and 1 Corinthians 7:18-19, saying that circumcision doesn’t matter one way or the other.
Metaphorical Usage
The New Testament occasionally uses circumcision metaphorically to refer to those who have a spiritual cutting away or cleansing of their heart. For example, Romans 2:28-29 states:
For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.
And Philippians 3:3 says:
For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—
Here, circumcision is used metaphorically to refer to those who have been spiritually cleansed through Christ.
Conclusion
In summary, circumcision was a core part of God’s covenant with Abraham and central to the Jewish faith. The Old Testament records God’s serious commands to circumcise male infants on the eighth day. The New Testament recounts Jesus’ circumcision and also the debates in the early church over whether circumcision should continue. While circumcision is not required for Christians today, the practice is never explicitly condemned in Scripture either. The Bible’s perspective on circumcision provides an interesting window into the history of ancient Judaism and early Christianity.