203. akrobustia
Strong's Lexicon
akrobustia: Uncircumcision, foreskin

Original Word: ἀκροβυστία
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: akrobustia
Pronunciation: ak-rob-oos-TEE-ah
Phonetic Spelling: (ak-rob-oos-tee'-ah)
Definition: Uncircumcision, foreskin
Meaning: (a technical word of Jewish use) foreskin, prepuce: used sometimes as a slang term by Jews, of Gentiles.

Word Origin: From the Greek words ἄκρον (akron, meaning "tip" or "extremity") and βύσσος (bussos, meaning "linen" or "fine cloth"), though in this context, it refers to the foreskin.

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The Hebrew equivalent often associated with the concept of uncircumcision is עָרֵל (arel), Strong's Hebrew 6189, which also refers to the foreskin or the state of being uncircumcised.

Usage: In the New Testament, "akrobustia" is primarily used to denote the state of being uncircumcised. It is often used metaphorically to refer to Gentiles or those who are not part of the Jewish covenant community, which was marked by the physical sign of circumcision. The term is used to discuss the spiritual implications of circumcision and uncircumcision in the context of the new covenant in Christ.

Cultural and Historical Background: In Jewish culture, circumcision was a sign of the covenant between God and Abraham, as described in Genesis 17. It was a physical mark that set the Jewish people apart from other nations. In the Greco-Roman world, circumcision was not commonly practiced and was often viewed with disdain. The early Christian church, which included both Jewish and Gentile believers, faced significant theological debates regarding the necessity of circumcision for salvation and inclusion in the covenant community.

HELPS Word-studies

203 akrobystía – properly, uncircumcised; (figuratively) a person outside of God's covenant, i.e. who does not belong to the Seed (Christ, the Messiah).

Physical circumcision is the visible sign of God's covenant, representing the opportunity from God to belong to Him by personally receiving His offer of salvation – through the Seed (Jesus Christ, the Messiah).

[203 /akrobystía literally means "what covers the extreme end," referring to the part of the male foreskin not removed by circumcision. The duty of physical circumcision of course did not relate to women.]

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
of uncertain origin
Definition
the prepuce, foreskin, hence uncircumcision
NASB Translation
uncircumcised (10), uncircumcised man (1), uncircumcision (8), without being circumcised (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 203: ἀκροβυστία

ἀκροβυστία, (ας, (a word unknown to the Greeks, who used ἀκροποσθία and τό ἀκροπόσθιον, from πόσθη i. e.membrum virile. Accordingly it is likely that τήν ποσθην of the Greeks was pronounced τήν βύστην by the Alexandrians, and ἀκροβυστία said instead of ἀκροπόσθια — i. e. τό ἄκρον τῆς πόσθης; cf. the acute remarks of Fritzsche, Commentary on Romans, vol. i., 136, together with the opinion which Winer prefers 99 (94) (and Cremer, 3te Anti. under the word)), in the Sept. the equivalent of עָרְלָה the prepuce, the skin covering the glans penis;

a. properly: Acts 11:3; Romans 2:25, 26{b}; 1 Corinthians 7:19; Galatians 5:6; Galatians 6:15; Colossians 3:11; (Judith 14:10; 1 Macc. 1:15); ἐν ἀκροβυστία ὤν having the foreskin (Tertullianpraeputiatus), uncircumcised i. e. Gentile, Romans 4:10; ἐν ἀκροβυστία, namely, ὤν, 1 Corinthians 7:18; equivalent, to the same is δἰ ἀκροβυστίας, Romans 4:11; ἐν τῇ ἀκροβυστία πίστις the faith which one has while he is uncircumcised, Romans 4:11f,

b. by metonyny, of the abstract for the concrete, having the foreskin is equiv. to a Gentile: Romans 2:26{a}; ; Ephesians 2:11; ἐκ φύσεως ἀκροβυστία, one uncircumcised by birth or a Gentile, opposed to a Jew who shows himself a Gentile in character, Romans 2:27; εὐαγγέλιον τῆς ἀκροβυστίας gospel to be preached to the Gentiles, Galatians 2:7.

c. in a transferred sense: ἀκροβυστία τῆς σαρκός (opposed to the περιτομή ἀχειροποίητος or regeneration, Colossians 2:11), "the condition in which the corrupt desires rooted in the σάρξ were not yet extinct," Colossians 2:13 (the expression is derived from the circumstance that the foreskin was the sign of impurity and alienation from God (cf. B. D. under the word )).

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
uncircumcision, uncircumcised

From akron and probably a modified form of posthe (the penis or male sexual organ); the prepuce; by implication, an uncircumcised (i.e. Gentile, figuratively, unregenerate) state or person -- not circumcised, uncircumcised (with echo), uncircumcision.

see GREEK akron

see GREEK echo

Forms and Transliterations
ακροβυστια ακροβυστία ἀκροβυστία ἀκροβυστίᾳ ακροβυστίαις ακροβυστιαν ακροβυστίαν ἀκροβυστίαν ακροβυστιας ακροβυστίας ἀκροβυστίας ακροβυστιών ακρόβυστοι akrobustia akrobustian akrobustias akrobystia akrobystía akrobystíāi akrobystian akrobystían akrobystias akrobystías
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Acts 11:3 N-AFS
GRK: πρὸς ἄνδρας ἀκροβυστίαν ἔχοντας καὶ
NAS: You went to uncircumcised men
KJV: to men uncircumcised, and didst eat
INT: to men uncircumcision having and

Romans 2:25 N-NFS
GRK: περιτομή σου ἀκροβυστία γέγονεν
NAS: has become uncircumcision.
KJV: circumcision is made uncircumcision.
INT: circumcision of you uncircumcision has become

Romans 2:26 N-NFS
GRK: οὖν ἡ ἀκροβυστία τὰ δικαιώματα
NAS: So if the uncircumcised man keeps
KJV: if the uncircumcision keep
INT: therefore the uncircumcision the requirements

Romans 2:26 N-NFS
GRK: οὐχ ἡ ἀκροβυστία αὐτοῦ εἰς
NAS: the uncircumcised man keeps
KJV: not his uncircumcision be counted for
INT: not the uncircumcision of him for

Romans 2:27 N-NFS
GRK: ἐκ φύσεως ἀκροβυστία τὸν νόμον
NAS: And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps
KJV: shall not uncircumcision which is by
INT: by nature uncircumcision the law

Romans 3:30 N-AFS
GRK: πίστεως καὶ ἀκροβυστίαν διὰ τῆς
NAS: by faith and the uncircumcised through
KJV: and uncircumcision through
INT: faith and uncircumcision through the [same]

Romans 4:9 N-AFS
GRK: ἐπὶ τὴν ἀκροβυστίαν λέγομεν γάρ
NAS: or on the uncircumcised also?
KJV: upon the uncircumcision also?
INT: on the uncircumcision we say indeed

Romans 4:10 N-DFS
GRK: ἢ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ οὐκ ἐν
NAS: or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised,
KJV: or in uncircumcision? Not in
INT: or in uncircumcision Not in

Romans 4:10 N-DFS
GRK: ἀλλ' ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ
NAS: Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised;
KJV: but in uncircumcision.
INT: but in uncircumcision

Romans 4:11 N-DFS
GRK: ἐν τῇ ἀκροβυστίᾳ εἰς τὸ
NAS: of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so
KJV: [he had yet] being uncircumcised: that
INT: [while] in the uncircumcision for the

Romans 4:11 N-GFS
GRK: πιστευόντων δι' ἀκροβυστίας εἰς τὸ
NAS: who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness
KJV: though they be not circumcised; that
INT: believe in uncircumcision for

Romans 4:12 N-DFS
GRK: τῆς ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ πίστεως τοῦ
NAS: Abraham which he had while uncircumcised.
KJV: which [he had] being [yet] uncircumcised.
INT: of the during uncircumcision faith of the

1 Corinthians 7:18 N-DFS
GRK: ἐπισπάσθω ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ κέκληταί τις
NAS: been called in uncircumcision? He is not to be circumcised.
KJV: called in uncircumcision? let him not
INT: let him be uncircumcised in uncircumcision was called any one

1 Corinthians 7:19 N-NFS
GRK: καὶ ἡ ἀκροβυστία οὐδέν ἐστιν
NAS: is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing,
KJV: and uncircumcision is
INT: and uncircumcision nothing is

Galatians 2:7 N-GFS
GRK: εὐαγγέλιον τῆς ἀκροβυστίας καθὼς Πέτρος
NAS: with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just
KJV: the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me,
INT: gospel of the uncircumcision as Peter [that]

Galatians 5:6 N-NFS
GRK: ἰσχύει οὔτε ἀκροβυστία ἀλλὰ πίστις
NAS: nor uncircumcision means
KJV: nor uncircumcision; but
INT: is of force nor uncircumcision but faith

Galatians 6:15 N-NFS
GRK: ἔστιν οὔτε ἀκροβυστία ἀλλὰ καινὴ
NAS: nor uncircumcision, but a new
KJV: nor uncircumcision, but
INT: is nor uncircumcision but a new

Ephesians 2:11 N-NFS
GRK: οἱ λεγόμενοι ἀκροβυστία ὑπὸ τῆς
NAS: who are called Uncircumcision by the so-called
KJV: are called Uncircumcision by
INT: who are called uncircumcision by that

Colossians 2:13 N-DFS
GRK: καὶ τῇ ἀκροβυστίᾳ τῆς σαρκὸς
NAS: in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
KJV: and the uncircumcision of your
INT: and in the uncircumcision of the flesh

Colossians 3:11 N-NFS
GRK: περιτομὴ καὶ ἀκροβυστία βάρβαρος Σκύθης
NAS: circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian,
KJV: nor uncircumcision, Barbarian,
INT: circumcision and uncircumcision barbarian Scythian

Strong's Greek 203
20 Occurrences


ἀκροβυστία — 15 Occ.
ἀκροβυστίαν — 3 Occ.
ἀκροβυστίας — 2 Occ.

















202
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