Cut, Cutting
Cut, Cutting
(, karath, , gadha, , kahadh, , nathah; , 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 (Gen 9:11; Deu 12:29; 1Ki 11:16; Psa 101:8, etc.), also for cutting off transgressors from the community of Yahweh, which meant probably separation, or exclusion, rather than death or destruction (Gen 17:14; Exo 12:15, Exo 12:19). Other words are damam, to be silent, cease Jer 25:37 the King James Version; Jer 48:2); camath to destroy (Psa 54:5 the King James Version; Psa 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, (Deu 14:1; 1Ki 18:28; Jer 16:6; Jer 41:5; Jer 47:5); seret, sareteth, incision, are also used of those cuttings of the flesh (Lev 19:28; compare Lev 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 Isa 15:2; Every, beard is cut off (gadha), and Jer 7:29, gazaz, Cut off thy hair (the Revised Version, margin thy crown), O Jerusalem (compare Isa 22:12; Jer 16:6; Eze 7:18; Amo 8:10). This early and widespread practice was also forbidden to the Israelites as being unworthy of them in their relation to Yahweh (Lev 19:27; Deu 14:1).
Harosheth, carving, engraving, is used for the cutting of stones (Exo 31:5; Exo 35:33).
In the New Testament we have apokopto to cut away (Mar 9:43, Mar 9:15; Gal 5:12 the King James Version; see CONCISION); diapro, to saw through (Act 5:33, they were cut to the heart); dichotomeo, to cut in two (Mat 24:51); suntemno, to cut together (Rom 9:28), finishing it and cutting it short, i.e; making it conclusive and brief.
Among the changes of the Revised Version (British and American) are brought to silence for cut down (Jer 25:37), also for cut off (Jer 49:26; Jer 50:30); sore wounded for cut in pieces (Zec 12:3); for cut off, pass through (Job 11:10), gone (Psa 90:10); rolled up (Isa 38:12); cut off for destroy (Psa 18:40; Psa 69:4; Psa 118:10, Psa 118:11, Psa 118:12); for cut them in the head (Amo 9:1), break them in pieces on the head of; for in the cutting off of my days (Isa 38:10; Hebrew dem, silence, 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 (Gal 5:12), the English Revised Version has cut themselves off, margin mutilate themselves, the American Standard Revised Version go beyond circumcision, margin, Greek: mutilate themselves.