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Dialogue with Trypho

Justin Martyr

Chapter 16

About this work

A literary dialogue in which Justin recounts his conversion to Christianity and debates Scripture, covenant, messianic prophecy, law, and the identity of God’s people with a Jewish interlocutor.

Author: Justin Martyr
Date: Mid-2nd century
Origin: Rome
Genre: Dialogue

Chapter XVI.—Circumcision given as a sign, that the Jews might be driven away for their evil deeds done to Christ and the Christians.

“And God himself proclaimed by Moses, speaking

‹ Chapter 15 Chapter 17 ›

thus

:

‘

And

circumcise

the

hardness

of

your

hearts

,

and

no

longer

stiffen

the

neck

.

For

the

Lord

your

God

is

both

Lord

of

lords

,

and

a

great

,

mighty

,

and

terrible

God

,

who

regardeth

not

persons

,

and

taketh

not

rewards

.

’

And

in

Leviticus

:

‘

Because

they

have

transgressed

against

Me

,

and

despised

Me

,

and

because

they

have

walked

contrary

to

Me

,

I

also

walked

contrary

to

them

,

and

I

shall

cut

them

off

in

the

land

of

their

enemies

.

Then

shall

their

uncircumcised

heart

be

turned

.

For

the

circumcision

according

to

the

flesh

,

which

is

from

Abraham

,

was

given

for

a

sign

;

that

you

may

be

separated

from

other

nations

,

and

from

us

;

and

that

you

alone

may

suffer

that

which

you

now

justly

suffer

;

and

that

your

land

may

be

desolate

,

and

your

cities

burned

with

fire

;

and

that

strangers

may

eat

your

fruit

in

your

presence

,

and

not

one

of

you

may

go

up

to

Jerusalem

.

’

For

you

are

not

recognised

among

the

rest

of

men

by

any

other

mark

than

your

fleshly

circumcision

.

For

none

of

you

,

I

suppose

,

will

venture

to

say

that

God

neither

did

nor

does

foresee

the

events

,

which

are

future

,

nor

foreordained

his

deserts

for

each

one

.

Accordingly

,

these

things

have

happened

to

you

in

fairness

and

justice

,

for

you

have

slain

the

Just

One

,

and

His

prophets

before

Him

;

and

now

you

reject

those

who

hope

in

Him

,

and

in

Him

who

sent

Him

—

God

the

Almighty

and

Maker

of

all

things

—

cursing

in

your

synagogues

those

that

believe

on

Christ

.

For

you

have

not

the

power

to

lay

hands

upon

us

,

on

account

of

those

who

now

have

the

mastery

.

But

as

often

as

you

could

,

you

did

so

.

Wherefore

God

,

by

Isaiah

,

calls

to

you

,

saying

,

‘

Behold

how

the

righteous

man

perished

,

and

no

one

regards

it

.

For

the

righteous

man

is

taken

away

from

before

iniquity

.

His

grave

shall

be

in

peace

,

he

is

taken

away

from

the

midst

.

Draw

near

hither

,

ye

lawless

children

,

seed

of

the

adulterers

,

and

children

of

the

whore

.

Against

whom

have

you

sported

yourselves

,

and

against

whom

have

you

opened

the

mouth

,

and

against

whom

have

you

loosened

the

tongue

?

’

Notes

35
Deut. x. 16 f.
36
Lev. xxvi. 40, 41.
37
See Apol., i. 47. The Jews [By Hadrian’s recent edict] were prohibited by law from entering Jerusalem on pain of death. And so Justin sees in circumcision their own punishment.
38
Isa. lvii. 1–4.