Neglect of Circumcision
33I am now telling you that the Israelites will prove false to this ordinance. They will not circumcise their sons in accord with this entire law because they will leave some of the flesh of their circumcision when they circumcise their sons. All the people of Beliala will leave their sons uncircumcised just as they were born. 34Then there will be great anger from the Lord against the Israelites because they abandoned his covenant, departed from his word, provoked, and blasphemed in that they did not perform the ordinance of this sign. For they have made themselves like the nations so as to be removed and uprooted from the earth. They will no longer have forgiveness or pardon so that they should be pardoned and forgiven for every sin, for [their] violation of this eternal [ordinance].
Notes
[In the Bible, the phrase “person of belial” or “son of belial” refers to a base, worthless, or depraved person. In Jewish literature of the Second Temple period, especially the Dead Sea Scrolls, Belial is one of the names for the leader of the demonic forces. It is not clear which meaning is intended here, as the usual name for the leader of the demons in Jubilees is Mastema.—Ed.]
Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 2: Emerging Judaism.
