The study of the Greek word for "insects" is interesting because the second part of the word is used in several words in the GNT (Greek New Testament). There is one word that is used once in the GNT and almost nowhere else.

The ancient Greek word "τομή" ≈ "notch, cut, intersection".


One meaning of the Greek word is a cutting of the harvest tops as a "cut".

The English word "cut" means to create an "incision", divide with a knife, scissors, etc. A simple idea can acquire many other meanings from the original meaning.

Paul uses the Greek word (used only once in the Bible) that could mean "incision" or "cut". It appears more likely that a non-cut and more abstract meaning was intended.

Whatever the meaning translated as "concision" it appears that Paul intended to connect "concision" with "circumcision" in the next verse.

The word "tome" is not related to the name "Thomas" as in "doubting Thomas" who, because of his nickname, appears to have been a "twin".

The English word "Thomas" is from the Latin word "Thomas" ≈ "Thomas" which is from the ancient Greek word "Θωμᾶς" ≈ "Thomas" which is a transliteration of the Hebrew word "תאמא" ≈ "Thomas".

The English word "Gemini" as a constellation is from the Latin word "geminus" ≈ "twin".

The idea of a twin is translated as the ancient Greek word "δίδυμος" ≈ "double, twofold, twin"which is a reduplication of the ancient Greek word "δύο" ≈ "two"

The context of the ancient Greek word "κατάτομη" ≈ "niche" (as in a building) which became translated as the Latin word "concisio" ≈ "to cut, destroy, mutilate" is at the start of Philippians 3.

More: Philippians 3:1-4 shifting gears to work the others

More: Philippians 3:5-8 not by works

Part of the context of the verse is that Paul starts all three categories with the Greek letter "K" or "Kappa". Sometimes to get a word pattern, one must invent or stretch words.

Paul invents many words, sometimes as a play-on-word or a pun, sometimes for other effects. Like Jesus, Paul uses a lot of double meanings that depend on the words used, the way the words are used, the context, etc.

The ancient Greek word "περιτομή" ≈ "circular incision, circumcision" and comes from "περιτέμνω" ≈ "to cut around, to circumcision"and comes from two Greek words.

• "περι" ≈ "around" as in the first part of the English word "perimiter".
• "τόμος" ≈ "slice" as in a "section" or "sub-part".

The ancient Greek word "ἀκροβυστία" ≈ "foreskin, uncircumcision". The etymology of the second part is not clear. The first part is from the ancient Greek word "ἄκρος" ≈ "point, top".

The English word "acrobat" comes, through French, from the ancient Greek word "ἀκροβάτης" ≈ "acrobat". The words comes from two Greek words meaning "walking point to point".

• "ἄκρος" ≈ "point, top" and is related to the English word "edge".
• "βαίνω" ≈ "walk" and is related to the English word "come" and the Latin word "venio" ≈ "come, approach".

The "point" at the end of a ridge such as the "Acropolis" tended to be "high" and at the "top" so the meaning gradually moved from "point" at the end of the ridge to point at the "top" with an assumption of "high".

The Latin word "acuo" ≈ "make pointed, sharpen" as in the English word "acumen" and is related to the (first part of the) words for "acropolis" and "acrobat" (from Greek). It is also the source of the English word "acid".

More: Genesis 1: Wedding your appetite on an observant Tuesday from a blah Monday

Both the words for "circumcision" and "uncircumcision" in the GNT (and elsewhere) are well established. Here we are interested in a word used one time by Paul. The KJV uses the word "beware" from "be aware" but the Greek word is that of "see" or "observe".


Paul appears to be pointing out extra and unneeded work that is being done and distracting from the true message of Christ. In that respect, it appears to be a problem important enough within the group, and not obvious to many, such that Paul needs to point it out. What might that be?

The Latin uses the Latin word "videte" ≈ "see" and the Latin word "concisio" ≈ "to cut, destroy, mutilate". Some say that the "concision" represents a group that believed in self-mutilation of the body.

The Latin word "concisus" ≈ "cut up, broken up" and is the source of the English word "concise".

Strongs gives the definition of "concision" as "false circumcision". It is not clear how this is determined. There is another Greek word for "cutting off".

The University of Chicago Ancient Greek search web page is at https://logeion.uchicago.edu. There appear to be only a few matches. One meaning is as "part of a theater". The only match with link to the source was the following result.

Greek: δεῖ τὸν μισθὸν πράττεσθαι. καὶ καθήμενος κάτω ὑπὸ τῇ κατατομῇ, οὗπερ εἴωθε καθῆσθαι, ἐκέλευε Μνησίθεον τὸν χορ Hyperides Against Demosthenes 1.1.

English: but to find out from how large a sum he was to collect his commission. Sitting below in his usual place in the niche, he told Mnesitheus the dancer Perseus at Tufts

The footnote at the web site says: It is not known what niche is meant. It may have been a cutting in the side of the Pnyx. The word κατατομή is cited by Harpocration as occurring in this speech.

In English, the words "notch", "niche" and "nest" are related.

Details are left as a future topic.

Chicago: https://artflsrv03.uchicago.edu/philologic4/Greek/navigate/403/1/1/1/?byte=23059

Tufts: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0140%3Aspeech%3D5%3Afragment%3D3

(as of 2023-01-16)

The English word "temple" comes from the Latin word "templum" ≈ "shrine, temple" which originally meant an "open space", much as a "niche" in English. Over time, the meaning narrowed from "open space" to a space used for worship purposes.

The "Knights Templar" were established by the Catholic church during the time of the Crusades. A few centuries later, however, many were arrested, tortured and executed.

Details are left as a future topic.

This Latin word "concision" is used in Joel in the LXX (Septuagint).


The Hebrew word appears to be that of "decision" so it is not clear why the Latin uses the word "concisio" ≈ "to cut, destroy, mutilate". The English word "decide" comes, through French, from the Latin word "decido" ≈ "cut off, decide".

• The Latin word "de" ≈ "down from".
• The Latin word "caedo" ≈ "cut".

The Latin word "inseco" ≈ "cut up, incise".

Aristotle coined the word "insect" from the idea that their bodies were "in sections".
Greek: Καλῶ δ’ ἔντομα ὅσα ἔχει κατὰ τὸ σῶμα ἐντομάς Aristotle, History of Animals 1.487a.33.
English: I call "notched" all those that have "notched" bodies.
English: I call "in sections" all those that have "in sectioned" bodies.

More: Aristotle

The ancient Greek word "έντομον" ≈ "insect", coined by Aristotle, is from the ancient Greek word "ἔντομος" ≈ "cut into pieces" and is from two Greek words

• The ancient Greek prefix "ἐν " ≈ "in".
• The ancient Greek word "τόμος" ≈ "slice" as in a "section" or "sub-part".

The calque of the Greek word is the Latin word "insectum" ≈ "with a notched body" as, from the Greek, "in sections", and is the source, through French, of the English word "insect".

The "lice" in the plagues of Moses in Egypt are a form of "bug".

Details are left as a future topic.

Leviticus covers some other insects.

A variation of the Greek word coined by Aristotle for "insect" appears three times in the LXX. All appear to have to do with making cuttings in the flesh.


The general category of such offenses appears to be that one is "rebelling" against the way that God has created that person.

Some other specific insects and insect parts are now covered.

A general term for many insects is a "bug".

The LXX includes a detailed discussion of the "bee" that is not in the KJV (based on the Hebrew).

Details are left as a future topic.