Basic HTML Version
of
, as in Num. 16:5: “… The Lord will show who are his, and who is holy; …
even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him.”
Neh. 9:7-8 describes God’s “choosing” (election) of persons as far back as Abram:
“You are the Lord God, who chose Abram … and you made a covenant with him” (
NIV
).
0
is used 30 times in Deuteronomy, all but twice referring to God’s “choice” of
Israel or something in Israel’s life. “Because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their
seed after them …” (Deut. 4:37). Being “chosen” by God brings people into an intimate
relationship with Him: “… The children of the Lord your God: … the Lord hath chosen
thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth”
(Deut. 14:1-2).
God’s “choices” shaped the history of Israel; His “choice” led to their redemption
from Egypt (Deut. 7:7-8), sent Moses and Aaron to work miracles in Egypt (Ps. 105:26-
27), and gave them the Levites “to bless in the name of the Lord” (Deut. 21:5). He
“chose” their inheritance (Ps. 47:4), including Jerusalem, where He dwelt among them
(Deut. 12:5; 2 Chron. 6:5, 21). But “they have chosen their own ways, and … I also will
choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them …” (Isa. 66:3- 4). The
covenant called men to respond to God’s election: “… I have set before you life and
death … : therefore choose life …” (Deut. 30:19; cf. Josh. 24:22).
The Greek Septuagint version translated
chiefly by
, and through this
word the important theological concept of God’s “choosing” came into the New
Testament. The verb is used of God’s or Christ’s “choice” of men for service, as in Luke
6:13 (“of them he chose twelve …”) or of the objects of His grace: “… He hath chosen us
in him before the foundation of the world …” (Eph. 1:4). John 15:16 expresses the
central truth of election in both Testaments: “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen
you, … that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain.…”
B. Noun.
(
, 972), “chosen ones.” Another noun,
is used 13 times, always
of the Lord’s “chosen ones”: “Saul, whom the Lord did choose” (2 Sam. 21:6); “ye
children of Jacob, his chosen ones” (1 Chron. 16:13).
TO CIRCUMCISE
$
(
, 4135), “to circumcise, cut off.” This verb occurs more than 30 times in the
Old Testament. Its usage is continued in rabbinic and modern Hebrew. However, the verb
“to cut off” is not found in other Semitic languages.
Most of the occurrences in the Old Testament take place in the Pentateuch (20 times)
and Joshua (8 times).
"$
occurs most frequently in Genesis (17 times, 11 of them in
Genesis 17 alone) and Joshua (8 times).
"$
occurs in 3 of the 7 verb patterns and in
several rare patterns. It has no derivatives other than
$
in Exod. 4:26: “At that time
she said, ‘bridegroom of blood,’ referring to circumcision” (
NIV
).
The physical act of circumcision was introduced by God as a sign of the Abrahamic
covenant: “This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you … Every male
among you shall be circumcised. You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign
of the covenant between me and you” (Gen. 17:10-11,
NIV
). It was a permanent “cutting
off” of the foreskin of the male organ, and as such was a reminder of the perpetuity of the