² tn Grk “receives circumcision.”

¹ tn Grk “gave you circumcision.”

¹ tn Grk “the father of circumcision.”

³ sn That is, not to circumcise their male children. Biblical references to circumcision always refer to male circumcision.

³ tn Grk “to the circumcision,” i.e., the Jewish people.

¹ tn Grk “of the circumcision”; that is, the Jews.

³ sn See the note on “circumcision” in 2:25.

² tn Or “The Jewish Christians”; Grk “The believers from the circumcision.”

¹ tn Heb “when every one of our males is circumcised.”

⁴ tn Grk “the [ones] of the circumcision,” that is, the group of Jewish Christians who insisted on circumcision of Gentiles before they could become Christians.

⁷ tn Grk “to the circumcision,” a collective reference to the Jewish people.

³ tn Grk “to the circumcision,” a collective reference to the Jewish people.

¹ tn Heb “Circumcise yourselves to the Lord and remove the foreskin of your heart.”

² tn Heb “circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin” (also in v. 25).

² tn Grk “a man.” While the text literally reads “circumcise a man” in actual fact the practice of circumcising male infants on the eighth day after birth (see Phil 3:5) is primarily what is in view here.

² sn For a discussion of male circumcision as the sign of the covenant in this passage see M. V. Fox, “The Sign of the Covenant: Circumcision in the Light of the Priestly ʾot Etiologies,” RB 81 (1974): 557-96.

² tn Heb “circumcised the flesh of their foreskin.” The Hebrew expression is somewhat pleonastic and has been simplified in the translation.

² sn Unless you are circumcised. These teachers from Judea were teaching that Gentiles could not be saved unless they kept the law of Moses in regard to circumcision. Thus according to them a Gentile had first to become a proselyte to Judaism, including circumcision, before one could become a Christian. This party is sometimes known (collectively) as Judaizers. They did not question that Gentiles could come into the community, but disagreed with Paul and Barnabas on what basis they could do so.

¹ tn Heb “circumcise the foreskin of” (cf. KJV, ASV, NRSV). Reference to the Abrahamic covenant prompts Moses to recall the sign of that covenant, namely, physical circumcision (Gen 17:9-14). Just as that act signified total covenant obedience, so spiritual circumcision (cleansing of the heart) signifies more internally a commitment to be pliable and obedient to the will of God (cf. Deut 30:6; Jer 4:4; 9:26).

¹ sn On circumcision is of the heart see Lev 26:41; Deut 10:16; Jer 4:4; Ezek 44:9.