circumcise, circumcision

The Hebrew and Greek terms that are translated as “circumcise” or “circumcision” in English (originally meaning of English term: “to cut around”) are (back-) translated in various ways:

  • Chimborazo Highland Quichua: “cut the flesh”
  • San Miguel El Grande Mixtec, Navajo: “cut around”
  • Javanese: “clip-away”
  • Uab Meto: “pinch and cut” (usually shortened to “cut”)
  • North Alaskan Inupiatun, Western Highland Purepecha: “put the mark”
  • Tetelcingo Nahuatl: “put the mark in the body showing that they belong to God” (or: “that they have a covenant with God”)
  • Indonesian: disunat — “undergo sunat” (sunat is derived from Arabic “sunnah (سنة)” — “(religious) way (of life)”)
  • Ekari: “cut the end of the member for which one fears shame” (in Gen. 17:10) (but typically: “the cutting custom”) (source for this and above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Hiri Motu: “cut the skin” (source: Deibler / Taylor 1977, p. 1079)
  • Garifuna: “cut off part of that which covers where one urinates”
  • Bribri: “cut the soft” (source for this and the one above: Ronald Ross)
  • Amele: deweg cagu qoc — “cut the body” (source: John Roberts)
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “cut the flesh of the sons like Moses taught” (source: Ronald D. Olson in Notes on Translation January, 1968, p. 15ff.)
  • Newari: “put the sign in one’s body” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Central Mazahua: “sign in his flesh”
  • Hopi: “being cut in a circle in his body” (source for this and above: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
  • Mandarin Chinese: gēlǐ (割礼 / 割禮) or “rite of cutting” (Protestant); gēsǔn (割损 / 割損) or “cut + loss” (Catholic) (Source: Zetzsche)
  • Tibetan: mdun lpags gcod (མདུན་​ལྤགས་​གཅོད།), lit. “fore + skin + cut” (source: gSungrab website )
  • Kutu: “enter the cloth (=undergarments)” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

Translation commentary on 1 Maccabees 1:60 - 1:61

Verses 60-61 form one sentence that is badly written in Greek, which is literally “60~And the women who had their children circumcised were put to death according to the decree, 61~and they hung their infants around their necks, and their houses [families] and those who circumcised them.” In Greek it sounds like the families and those who perform the circumcision are also tied around the mothers’ necks. Translators should avoid this interpretation.

According to the decree, they put to death the women who had their children circumcised … and they hung the infants from their mothers’ necks: Compare 2Macc 6.10, where something like this is described as happening to two particular women. We cannot be sure if the babies were also killed. Hanging babies around their mothers’ necks before the women were killed was a way Antiochus’ officials showed contempt for the Jews, by making the deaths of families as horrific as possible. We may translate “60~As the king had commanded, women who had their sons circumcised were killed, 61~while their babies were still holding on to them” or “60~The king’s officials obeyed the king and killed any women who had their sons circumcised. 61~They also hung the babies from their mothers’ necks.”

And their families and those who circumcised them: The Greek word translated families literally means “houses” and can refer to families. However, there is much to be said here for Goldstein’s suggestion that the writer has in mind the women’s husbands. For circumcised see the comments on verse 15. An alternative model for the first half of verse 61 is “Their husbands [or, families] were also killed, as well as those who had performed the circumcision [ceremony].” We may also put verse 61 into direct speech as follows: “Antiochus also ordered his officials: ‘Hang the babies around their mothers’ necks and kill their fathers as well as those who performed the circumcision ceremony.’”

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Maccabees. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.