Concision

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

1: Κατατομή (Strong'S #2699 — Noun Feminine — katatome — kat-at-om-ay' )

lit., "a cutting off" (kata, "down," temno, "to cut"), "a mutilation," is a term found in Philippians 3:2 , there used by the Apostle, by a paranomasia, contemptuously, for the Jewish circumcision with its Judaistic influence, in contrast to the true spiritual circumcision.

King James Dictionary

CONCISION, n. L., to cut off. Literally, a cutting off. Hence, In scripture, the Jews or those who adhered to circumcision, which, after our Saviors death, was no longer a seal of the covenant, but a mere cutting of the flesh.

Beware of dogs beware of the concision. Philippians 3 .

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Cutting, a term of reproach, applied to certain Judaizing teachers at Philippi, as mere cutters of the flesh; in contrast with the true circumcision, those who were created anew in Christ Jesus unto righteousness and true holiness, Philippians 3:2 .

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

CONCISION . A name applied contemptuously by S. Paul ( Philippians 3:2 ) to the merely fleshly circumcision (Gr. katatomç  ; the ordinary word for ‘circumcision’ is peritomç ).

Holman Bible Dictionary

Philippians 3:2 Philippians 3:2CircumcisionPaul

Morrish Bible Dictionary

This is a 'cutting, mutilation,' κατατομή, in contrast to the true circumcision, which is a cutting off. It is a term of contempt for the Judaising teachers. Philippians 3:2 .

People's Dictionary of the Bible

Concision. A term used sarcastically of Judaizers who insisted on circumcision as necessary for Gentile Christians. Philippians 3:2.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Philippians 3:2

Webster's Dictionary

(n.) A cutting off; a division; a schism; a faction.

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

See Circumcision.

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(κατατομή, a cutting down, i.e. entire mutilation of the parts), a contemptuous term used by Paul in Philippians 3:2, to denote the zealots for circumcision. In classical writers the Greek word denotes a groove or channel, etc. (see Liddell and Scott, s.v.), but the apostle parodies the term previously employed, for the purpose of indicating more pointedly the real character of the sectaries in question; instead of saying "beware of the circumcision" (περιτομήν ), namely, the party who pressed the necessity of still observing that ordinance, he says "beware of the concision" (κατατομήν ); as much as to say they no longer deserve the old and venerable name; what they stickle for is a mere concision, a flesh- cutting. He then goes on to state the reason, "for we are the circumcision "the reality has now passed over into us, who believe in Christ and are renewed in the spirit of our minds. (See Sommel, Obss. Philol. on this passage, Lond. 1793.) Similarly in Galatians 5:12, he says even more pointedly, "I would they [the same class of Judaizing teachers] were even cut off" (ἀποκόψονται, would for themselves cut off wholly the organ circumcised, and not be content with a mere scarification of it), i.e. make themselves outright eunuchs (comp. the allusions to their impurity, Galatians 5:13; Galatians 5:19; Galatians 5:24). So Chrysostom and Jerome explain (περικοπτέσθωσιν, abscindantur). (See Circumcision).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

kon -sizh´un ( κατατομή , katatomḗ , "mutilation," "cutting"): A term by which Paul contemptuously designates the merely fleshly circumcision upon which the Judaizers insisted as being necessary for Gentile converts (Philippians 3:2 ), as distinguished from peritomḗ , the true circumcision (Philippians 3:3 ). Compare Galatians 5:12 and Deuteronomy 23:1 , and see Circumcision .