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Ramban on Genesis 17:14/רמב"ן על בראשית י״ז:י״ד

אוְעָרֵל זָכָר כָּאן לִמֶּדְךָ שֶׁהַמִּילָה הִיא בְּאוֹתוֹ מָקוֹם שֶׁהוּא נִכָּר בֵּין זָכָר לִנְקֵבָה, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית י"ז:י"ד). וְכֵן הִזְכִּירוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (ב"ר מו ד) גַּם טְעָמִים אֲחֵרִים. וְרַבִּי אַבְרָהָם אָמַר (ויקרא יב ג), "עָרְלָתוֹ" יְדוּעָה, כִּי הוּא בָּעֶרְוָה, וְאֵין כֵּן עָרְלַת לֵב (ירמיהו ט כה) וְשָׁפָה (שמות ו יב) וְאֹזֶן (ירמיהו ו י), כִּי כֻלָּם סְמוּכִים. וּלְפִי דַּעְתִּי הַדָּבָר מְפֹרָשׁ בַּכָּתוּב, כִּי לֹא אָמַר "וּנְמַלְתֶּם אֶת עָרְלַתְכֶם", שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַדָּבָר בְּסָפֵק, וְכֵן לֹא אָמַר "עָרְלַת בְּשַׂרְכֶם" כְּמוֹ שֶׁיֹּאמַר "עָרְלַת לְבַבְכֶם" (דברים י טז) וְעָרְלַת שְׂפַתְכֶם (עיי' שמות ו יב), אֲבָל אָמַר "בְּשַׂר עָרְלַתְכֶם", שֶׁתִּכְרְתוּ הַבָּשָׂר שֶׁהוּא עָרְלָה בָּכֶם, כְּלוֹמַר הַבָּשָׂר הָאוֹטֵם בָּכֶם, וְאֵין בַּגּוּף בָּשָׂר אוֹטֵם וְכוֹסֶה אֵבֶר שֶׁיִּכָּרֵת הַבָּשָׂר הַהוּא וְיִשָּׁאֵר בְּלֹא עָרְלָה זוּלָתִי בָּשָׂר הַחוֹפֶה אֶת הָעֲטָרָה שֶׁהִזְכִּירוּ חֲכָמִים (שבת קלז). וְ"עֶרֶל בָּשָׂר" (יחזקאל מד ט), כִּנּוּי, כְּמוֹ "גִּדְלֵי בָשָׂר" (שם טז כו) "זָב מִבְּשָׂרוֹ" (ויקרא טו ב):

1AND THE UNCIRCUMCISED MALE. Here Scripture teaches you that this circumcision must be at the location where the distinction between male and female is evident. Thus the words of Rashi. Our Rabbis have likewise mentioned other reasons.⁴¹⁸Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said:⁴¹⁹ “his foreskin,⁴²⁰ which is known, for it is in the genital organ. But not so are the expressions: uncircumcised in the heart;⁴²¹ uncircumcised lips;⁴²² their ear is uncircumcised.⁴²³ All of these latter are in a construct state.⁴²⁴ is not used in the construct state (as in Leviticus 12:3) it refers to the genital organ.In my opinion the matter is clearly explained in Scripture. It does not say, “And ye shall circumcise your foreskin,” thus leaving the meaning in doubt, nor does it say, “the foreskin of your flesh,” just as it says the foreskin of your heart,⁴²⁵ and “the foreskin of your lips.”⁴²⁶ But instead it says, And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin,⁴²⁷ meaning that you are to cut off the flesh which is your foreskin, namely, your flesh which obstructs, and there is no flesh in the body which obstructs and covers a limb [as is the case with the genital organ], where one can cut the flesh and remain without the foreskin, other than the “flesh that covers the corona,” which the Sages mentioned.⁴²⁸.) The word “flesh” in the expression, uncircumcised in flesh,⁴²⁹ is a euphemism for the genital organ, just as in the verses great of flesh,⁴³⁰, 16:26. and an issue of his flesh.⁴³¹