< Previous | Contents | Next >
•CINNAMON Hebrews kinamon, the Cinnamomum zeylanicum of botanists, a tree of the Laurel family, which grows only in India on the Malabar coast, in Ceylon, and China. There is no trace of it in Egypt, and it was unknown in Syria. The inner rind when dried and rolled into cylinders forms the cinnamon of commerce. The fruit and coarser pieces of bark when boiled yield a fragrant oil. It was one of the principal ingredients in the holy anointing oil (Exodus 30:23). It is mentioned elsewhere only in Proverbs 7:17; Cant. 4:14; Revelation 18:13. The mention of it indicates a very early and extensive commerce carried on between Palestine and the East.
•CINNERETH a harp, one of the “fenced cities” of Naphtali (Joshua 19:35; comp. Deuteronomy 3:17). It also denotes, apparently, a district which may have taken its name from the adjacent city or lake of Gennesaret, anciently called “the sea of Chinnereth” (q.v.), and was probably that enclosed district north of Tiberias afterwards called “the plain of Gennesaret.” Called Chinneroth (R.V., Chinnereth) Joshua 11:2. The phrase “all Cinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali” in 1 Kings 15:20 is parallel to “the store-houses of the cities of Naphtali” (R.V. marg.) in 2 Chronicles 16:4.
•CIRCUIT the apparent diurnal revolution of the sun round the earth (Psalm 19:6), and the changes of the wind (Ecclesiastes 1:6). In Job 22:14, “in the circuit of heaven” (R.V. marg., “on the vault of heaven”) means the “arch of heaven,” which seems to be bent over our heads.
•CIRCUMCISION cutting around. This rite, practised before, as some think, by divers races, was appointed by God to be the special badge of his chosen people, an abiding sign of their consecration to him. It was established as a national ordinance (Genesis 17:10, 11). In compliance with the divine command, Abraham, though ninety-nine years of age, was circumcised on the same day with Ishmael, who was thirteen years old (17:24-27). Slaves, whether home-born or purchased, were circumcised (17:12, 13); and all foreigners must have their males circumcised before
they could enjoy the privileges of Jewish citizenship (Exodus 12:48). During the journey through the wilderness, the practice of circumcision fell into disuse, but was resumed by the command of Joshua before they entered the Promised Land (Joshua 5:2-9). It was observed always afterwards among the tribes of israel, although it is not expressly mentioned from the time of the settlement in Canaan till the time of Christ, about 1,450 years. The Jews prided themselves in the possession of this covenant distinction (Judges 14:3; 15:18; 1 Samuel 14:6; 17:26; 2 Samuel
1:20; Ezekiel 31:18).
As a rite of the church it ceased when the New Testament times began (Galatians 6:15; Colossians 3:11). Some Jewish Christians sought to impose it, however, on the Gentile converts; but this the apostles resolutely resisted (Acts 15:1; Galatians 6:12). Our Lord was circumcised, for it “became him to fulfil all righteousness,” as of the seed of Abraham, according to the flesh; and Paul “took and circumcised” Timothy (Acts 16:3), to avoid giving offence to the Jews. It would render Timothy’s labours more acceptable to the Jews. But Paul would by no means consent to the demand that Titus should be circumcised (Galatians 2:3-5). The great point for which he contended was the free admission of uncircumcised Gentiles into the church. He contended successfully in behalf of Titus, even in Jerusalem.
In the Old Testament a spiritual idea is attached to circumcision. It was the symbol of purity (Isaiah 52:1). We read of uncircumcised lips (Exodus 6:12, 30), ears (Jeremiah 6:10), hearts (Leviticus 26:41). The fruit of a tree that is unclean is spoken of as uncircumcised (Leviticus 19:23).
It was a sign and seal of the covenant of grace as well as of the national covenant between God and the Hebrews. (1.) It sealed the promises made to Abraham, which related to the commonwealth of Israel, national promises. (2.) But the promises made to Abraham included the promise of redemption (Galatians 3:14), a promise which has come upon us. The covenant with Abraham was a dispensation or a specific form of the covenant of grace, and circumcision was a sign and seal of that covenant. It had a spiritual meaning. It signified purification of the heart, inward circumcision effected by the Spirit (Deuteronomy 10:16; 30:6; Ezekiel 44:7; Acts 7:51; Romans 2:28; Colossians 2:11). Circumcision as a symbol shadowing forth sanctification by the Holy Spirit has now given way to the symbol of baptism (q.v.). But the truth embodied in both ordinances is