him hear the voice of my servant."[1] And again He saith, "Hear, O heaven, and give ear, O earth, for God[2] hath spoken."[3] These are in proof.[4] And again He saith, "Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of this people."[5] And again He saith, "Hear, ye children, the voice of one crying in the wilderness."[6] Therefore He hath circumcised our ears, that we might hear His word and believe, for the circumcision in which they trusted is abolished.[7] For He declared that circumcision was not of the flesh, but they transgressed because an evil angel deluded them.[8] He saith to them, "These things saith the Lord your God"—(here[9] I find a new[10] commandment)—"Sow not among thorns, but circumcise yourselves to the Lord."[11] And why speaks He thus: "Circumcise the stubbornness of your heart, and harden not your neck?"[12] And again: "Behold, saith the Lord, all the nations are uncircumcised[13] in the flesh, but this people are uncircumcised in heart,"[14] But thou wilt say, "Yea, verily the people are circumcised for a seal." But so also is every Syrian and Arab, and all the priests of idols: are these then also within the bond of His covenant?[15] Yea, the Egyptians also practise circumcision. Learn then, my children, con-
- ↑ Ps. xxxiv. 11–13. The first clause of this sentence is wanting in Cod. Sin.
- ↑ Cod. Sin. has "Lord."
- ↑ Isa. i. 2.
- ↑ In proof of the spiritual meaning of circumcision; but Hilgenfeld joins the words to the preceding sentence.
- ↑ Isa. i. 10.
- ↑ Cod. Sin. reads, "it is the voice," corrected, however, as above.
- ↑ Cod. Sin. has, "that we might hear the word, and not only believe," plainly a corrupt text.
- ↑ Cod. Sin., at first hand, has "slew them," but is corrected as above.
- ↑ The meaning is here very obscure, but the above rendering and punctuation seem preferable to any other.
- ↑ Cod. Sin., with several other mss., leaves out "new."
- ↑ Jer. iv. 3.Cod. Sin. has "God" instead of "Lord."
- ↑ Deut. x. 16.
- ↑ This contrast seems to be marked in the original. Cod. Sin. has, "Behold, receive again."
- ↑ Jer. ix. 25, 26.
- ↑ Dressel and Hilgenfeld read, "their covenant," as does Cod. Sin.; we have followed Hefele.
