203. akrobustia
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.

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

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 )).

Topical Lexicon
Word Origin: Derived from the Greek words ἄκρον (akron, meaning "extreme" or "tip") and βύσσος (bussos, meaning "depth" or "bottom"), though the latter is more speculative. The term is primarily used to denote the state of being uncircumcised.

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The Hebrew equivalent often associated with the concept of uncircumcision is עָרֵל (arel, Strong's Hebrew 6189), which similarly denotes the state of being uncircumcised and is used in the Old Testament to describe those outside the covenant community.

Usage: The term is used in the New Testament to discuss the physical state of uncircumcision and, metaphorically, to address spiritual and covenantal themes. It appears in discussions contrasting Jewish and Gentile believers, particularly in the context of the early Church's debates over the necessity of circumcision for salvation.

Context: The term ἀκροβυστία is significant in the New Testament, especially in the writings of the Apostle Paul. It appears in key theological discussions about the relationship between Jewish and Gentile believers. In Romans 2:25-29, Paul argues that true circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, rather than merely a physical act. This redefinition emphasizes faith and spiritual transformation over adherence to the law.

In Galatians 5:2-6, Paul warns the Galatian church that if they accept circumcision as necessary for salvation, they are obligated to keep the entire law, thus nullifying the grace of Christ. Here, ἀκροβυστία represents freedom from the law's requirements, highlighting faith working through love as the true mark of belonging to God's people.

Ephesians 2:11-13 uses ἀκροβυστία to describe the former state of Gentile believers, who were once "separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise." Through Christ, those who were once far away have been brought near, signifying the breaking down of barriers between Jew and Gentile.

Theologically, ἀκροβυστία underscores the New Testament's message of inclusion and the universality of the gospel. It challenges the early Church to embrace a new identity in Christ that transcends ethnic and cultural boundaries, emphasizing unity and equality among believers.

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
Links
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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