3637. oktaémeros
Lexical Summary
oktaémeros: Eight days old

Original Word: ὀκταήμερος
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: oktaémeros
Pronunciation: ok-tah-AY-mer-os
Phonetic Spelling: (ok-tah-ay'-mer-os)
KJV: the eighth day
NASB: eighth day
Word Origin: [from G3638 (ὀκτώ - eight) and G2250 (ἡμέρα - day)]

1. an eight-day old person or act

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
the eighth day.

From oktos and hemera; an eight-day old person or act -- the eighth day.

see GREEK oktos

see GREEK hemera

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from októ and hémera
Definition
of the eighth day, eight days old
NASB Translation
eighth day (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 3637: ὀκταήμερος

ὀκταήμερος, ὀκταημερον (ὀκτώ, ἡμέρα), eight days old; passing the eighth day: περιτομή (cf. Winers Grammar, § 31, 6 a.; Buttmann, § 133, 21; but Rec. περιτομή) ὀκταήμερος, circumcised on the eighth day, Philippians 3:5; see τεταρταῖος; (`the word denotes properly, not interval but duration' (see Lightfoot on Philippians, the passage cited). Graecus Venetus, Genesis 17:12; ecclesiastical writings).

Topical Lexicon
Biblical Context

The sole New Testament occurrence of ὀκταήμερος is found in Philippians 3:5, where the Apostle Paul describes himself as being “circumcised on the eighth day”. In doing so, Paul invokes the longstanding covenant requirement given to Abraham (Genesis 17:12) and codified in the Law of Moses (Leviticus 12:3). By calling attention to the eighth-day rite, Paul stresses that, from infancy, he stood within the covenant community of Israel and therefore possessed every natural credential valued by his contemporaries.

Covenantal Significance of the Eighth Day

1. Divine command: Circumcision on the eighth day served as the outward sign of God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 17:10–14).
2. Continuity through generations: From Isaac (Genesis 21:4) to John the Baptist (Luke 1:59) and Jesus Himself (Luke 2:21), Scripture records obedience to the eighth-day ordinance, underscoring its enduring place in redemptive history.
3. Symbol of belonging: Compliance with the exact timing demonstrated complete submission to God’s revealed will, marking the child as a participant in the promises and responsibilities given to the nation.

Paul’s Testimony in Philippians 3

In Philippians 3:4–11 Paul lists inherited and earned distinctions—beginning with eighth-day circumcision—only to declare them insufficient for righteousness. His point is twofold:
• Authentic credentials: No one could legitimately accuse Paul of neglecting Jewish identity; his eighth-day circumcision attests to strict covenant observance from the start.
• Superseding worth of Christ: All advantages “are rubbish” compared with “the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:8). The physical sign cannot secure what only faith in the risen Lord provides.

Typological and Theological Reflections

• New creation motif: The eighth day follows the completed week of creation, foreshadowing renewal and resurrection. Jesus rose on “the first day of the week,” functionally an eighth day, inaugurating the new covenant reality toward which earlier rites pointed.
• Heart circumcision: The prophets anticipated an inner transformation (Jeremiah 4:4; Ezekiel 36:26). Paul connects the type with its fulfillment: “circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit” (Romans 2:29). Thus ὀκταήμερος highlights external conformity that anticipates the deeper work of grace.
• Corporate identity: Just as male infants entered the Abrahamic covenant on day eight, believers today are united with Christ through the “circumcision made without hands” (Colossians 2:11), signifying membership in the people of God beyond ethnic lines.

Historical Observations

Early Jewish sources (e.g., Josephus, Antiquities 1.12.2) note meticulous observance of the eighth-day requirement during the Second Temple era. Paul’s claim in Philippians fits this backdrop, illustrating the high value placed on precise Torah fidelity among diasporic Jews such as those of Tarsus.

Medical and Practical Considerations

Modern medicine confirms that neonatal clotting factors peak around the eighth day, providing a providential safeguard for the surgical rite. While Scripture does not invoke medical reasons, the timing reflects divine wisdom benefiting the infant while teaching parents prompt obedience.

Ministry Applications

• Identity and humility: Heritage and religious accomplishments have no power to justify; ministry must direct hearts to Christ rather than to pedigree or ritual.
• Teaching covenant continuity: The eighth-day ordinance opens conversation on God’s unfolding plan—from Abraham to Christ—and helps believers appreciate the Old Testament foundation of New Testament faith.
• Pastoral care for tradition-minded backgrounds: Paul’s example encourages gentle yet firm proclamation that true righteousness is “through faith in Christ” (Philippians 3:9), inviting all, whether raised inside or outside covenant traditions, to depend wholly on Him.

Summary

ὀκταήμερος encapsulates the precision of covenant obedience in Israel and serves Paul’s greater argument that every earthly distinction yields to the surpassing glory of Christ. For modern readers, the term calls both for gratitude that God faithfully kept His promises and for renewed reliance on the finished work of the Savior, in whom the outward sign finds its ultimate fulfillment.

Forms and Transliterations
οκταημερος οκταήμερος ὀκταήμερος οκτακισχίλια οκτακισχίλιοι οκτακόσια οκτακόσιαι οκτακοσίαις οκτακοσίας οκτακόσιοι οκτακοσίους οκταπήχεσι oktaemeros oktaēmeros oktaḗmeros
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Philippians 3:5 Adj-NMS
GRK: περιτομῇ ὀκταήμερος ἐκ γένους
NAS: circumcised the eighth day, of the nation
KJV: Circumcised the eighth day, of
INT: [as to] circumcision on [the] eighth day of [the] race

Strong's Greek 3637
1 Occurrence


ὀκταήμερος — 1 Occ.

3636
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