Cut; Cutting - International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

CUT; CUTTING

(karath, gadha`, kachadh, nathach; apokopto, ekkopto):

Many Hebrew words are translated "cut." Of these karath, "to cut down, out, off," is the most frequent. As "cut off" it is used in the sense of laying or destroying (Genesis 9:11; Deuteronomy 12:29; 1 Kings 11:16; Psalms 101:8, etc.), also for cutting off transgressors from the community of Yahweh, which meant probably separation, or exclusion, rather than death or destruction (Genesis 17:14; Exodus 12:15,19). Other words are damam, ("to be silent," "cease" Jeremiah 25:37 the King James Version; Jeremiah 48:2); tsamath "to destroy" (Psalms 54:5 the King James Version; Psalms 94:23, etc.); gadhadh, "to cut, one's self," is used of the cutting of one's flesh before heathen gods and in mourning for the dead, which was forbidden to the Israelites, (Deuteronomy 14:1; 1 Kings 18:28; Jeremiah 16:6; 41:5; 47:5); sereT, sareTeth, "incision," are also used of those "cuttings of the flesh" (Leviticus 19:28; compare Leviticus 21:5). See CUTTINGS IN THE FLESH. The cutting of the hair of head and beard in mourning for the dead is referred to in Isaiah 15:2; "Every, beard is cut off" (gadha`), and Jeremiah 7:29, gazaz, "Cut off thy hair" (the Revised Version, margin "thy crown"), O Jerusalem (compare Isaiah 22:12; Jeremiah 16:6; Ezekiel 7:18; Amos 8:10). This early and widespread practice was also forbidden to the Israelites as being unworthy of them in their relation to Yahweh (Leviticus 19:27; Deuteronomy 14:1).

Charosheth, "carving," "engraving," is used for the cutting of stones (Exodus 31:5; 35:33).

In the New Testament we have apokopto "to cut away" (Mark 9:43,15; Galatians 5:12 the King James Version; see CONCISION); diaprio, "to saw through" (Acts 5:33, "they were cut to the heart"); dichotomeo, "to cut in two" (Matthew 24:51); suntemno, "to cut together" (Romans 9:28), "finishing it and cutting it short," i. e; "making it conclusive and brief."

"mutilate themselves," the American Standard Revised Version "go "rest"), "noontide," margin "Or, tranquillity" (Gesenius, Delitzsch, etc., "in the quiet of my days"); instead of, "I would that they were even cut off which trouble you" (Galatians 5:12), Among the changes of the Revised Version (British and American) are "brought to silence" for "cut down" (Jeremiah 25:37), also for "cut off" (Zechariah 12:3); for "cut off," "pass through" (Job 11:10), head" (Amos 9:1), "break them in pieces on the head of"; for "in the cutting off of my days" (Isaiah 38:10; Hebrew demi, "silence," the English Revised Version has "cut themselves off," margin beyond circumcision," margin, Greek:

"mutilate themselves." W. L. Walker "gone" (Psalms 90:10); "rolled up" (Isaiah 38:12); "cut off" for "destroy" (Psalms 18:40; 69:4; 118:10,11,12); for "cut them in the (Jeremiah 49:26; 50:30); "sore wounded" for "cut in pieces"

Bibliography Information
Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Entry for 'CUT; CUTTING'". "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". 1915.