Jeremiah 9:25Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The days are approaching, declares the Lord, when I will bring judgment upon all those who are circumcised in the flesh, including Egypt, Judah, and the descendants of Ammon. Until now, He had addressed those who, in the sight of the temple, did not foresee their own exile. They viewed circumcision as a mark of their closeness to God. However, God asserts that He will also punish the other nations that bear this mark. True proximity to Me is not found in circumcision, but rather in seeking life. Additionally, He reveals that the Jews are in a worse state, as indicated in the ancient translations, where the reference to Judah is absent in some manuscripts but appears in the Hebrew text.

I will bring judgment upon all who have their flesh circumcised and upon those who perform circumcision on their breasts in the wilderness. In this passage, the prophet removes the expectation of fleshly circumcision from the Jews, indicating that the practice they uphold holds no significance for the other nations. He makes it clear that the Jews, who disregard the circumcision of their hearts, will encounter the same judgment destined for the nations wandering in the wilderness – nations that may not be circumcised in body but maintain a ritual of trimming their beards. Yet, as the Lord declares through the prophet, even if you, the Jews, observe the circumcision of the flesh, you remain uncircumcised in spirit.

The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will address each person who has undergone physical circumcision—those from Egypt, Judah, Edom, the children of Ammon, Moab, and all those who trim their hair in the wilderness. For while all nations practice physical circumcision, the entire house of Israel lacks true circumcision of the heart.

Jeremiah 9:26 states, "And I will visit upon Egypt, and upon Judah, and upon Edom, and upon the children of Ammon, and upon the children of Moab, and upon all them that circumcise the hair of their faces, that dwell in the wilderness." The Idumeans, descendants of Esau, practiced circumcision according to the covenant established with Abraham. The Ammonites and Moabites, sharing proximity to the Israelites, competed with them based on common ancestry. Additionally, those descended from Ishmael and the Hittites followed the circumcision traditions of their forebears. The Prophet refers to them as "those who show the hairs of their faces," highlighting their custom of trimming facial hair. In contrast, the Egyptians learned of circumcision during the time God’s people lived among them.