to circumcise
mul denotes circumcising persons or bodily flesh, extends to the heart, and in Psalms describes cutting off or down.
The dominant use concerns circumcising males or the flesh of the foreskin, whether as an act performed or a condition undergone. The same term is applied to the heart in commands and promises, while Psalm passages use it for cutting off surrounding nations or cutting down what withers.
Senses in use
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Circumcising males or the foreskin · dominant
In Genesis 17:23, the Qal sequential imperfect describes Abraham acting on the flesh of the foreskins of the males in his household; the APB renders the clause “circumcised the flesh of their foreskins.” Niphal forms describe males as undergoing the act in Genesis 17:12 and Leviticus 12:3, while Joshua 5:8 places completion of the act before the nation's recovery in camp.
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Circumcising the heart · occasional
Deuteronomy 10:16 uses a Qal sequential perfect in the command concerning “the foreskin of your heart,” followed by the command not to harden the neck. In Deuteronomy 30:6, the same action is said of God upon the heart and the heart of the seed, with love for God and life stated as the result; Jeremiah 4:4 likewise addresses people of Judah and Jerusalem and names the foreskins of their hearts.
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Cutting off or cutting down · rare
The Hiphil imperfect in Psalm 118:10, Psalm 118:11, and Psalm 118:12 occurs after surrounding nations are described; in each verse the APB renders the clause “I cut them off.” In Psalm 90:6, a Poel imperfect appears in the evening sequence after blossoming and passing away, which the APB renders “it is cut down and withers.”
In the Anselm Project Bible: Across the bodily and heart passages, the APB commonly uses “circumcised” or “circumcise.” In the Psalm passages it renders the clauses “I cut them off” and “it is cut down”; These renderings identify the verse-level presentation rather than a fixed English equivalent.