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Joshua 5

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The Kings’ Fear and the Circumcision at Gilgal 1–9

1
And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, that were beyond the Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, that were by the sea, heard how that Jehovah had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel. ​
2
At that time Jehovah said unto Joshua, Make thee knives of flint, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time. ​
3
And Joshua made him knives of flint, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.
4
And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise: all the people that came forth out of Egypt, that were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came forth out of Egypt.
5
For all the people that came out were circumcised; but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, they had not circumcised. ​
6
For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the nation, even the men of war that came forth out of Egypt, were consumed, because they hearkened not unto the voice of Jehovah: unto whom Jehovah sware that he would not let them see the land which Jehovah sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. ​
7
And their children, whom he raised up in their stead, them did Joshua circumcise: for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them by the way.
8
And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the nation, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole. ​
9
And Jehovah said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of that place was called Gilgal, unto this day. ​

Passover Observed and Manna Ceases 10–12

10
And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal; and they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho. ​
11
And they did eat of the produce of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes and parched grain, in the selfsame day.
12
And the manna ceased on the morrow, after they had eaten of the produce of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. ​

Joshua Meets the Commander of the Lord's Army 13–15

13
And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? ​
14
And he said, Nay; but as prince of the host of Jehovah am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? ​
15
And the prince of Jehovah’s host said unto Joshua, Put off thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Joshua 5

Verse 1

their heart melted — 'Melted' is masas, the word Rahab used of Jericho: 'our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage' (Josh 2:11). The kings of the west heard how 'the LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan', which Josh 4:23 sets beside the Red Sea; 'neither was there spirit in them any more'.

Verse 2

sharp knives — 'Sharp' is tsur, the word the KJV renders 'rock' in Ps 95:1. 'Again' (shub) and 'the second time' (sheni) mark a rite already given: 'Every man child among you shall be circumcised' (Gen 17:10). It is renewed for those who had not received it, as v.5 explains.

Verse 5

born in the wilderness — Two generations are divided by one sign: those who 'came out' of Egypt were circumcised, those born 'by the way' were not. The standing command was Gen 17:10, 14, where the uncircumcised 'hath broken my covenant'. The reason given in v.7 is that 'they had not circumcised them by the way'.

Verse 6

till all the people… were consumed — 'Consumed' is tamam, to be finished, the verb of Num 14:35: 'in this wilderness they shall be consumed'. Deut 2:14 counts 'thirty and eight years' from Kadesh-barnea 'until all the generation of the men of war were wasted out'. The cause was that they 'obeyed not the voice of the LORD'.

Verse 8

till they were whole — 'Whole' is chayah, to live, to revive. 'Done' (v.8) is tamam, the verb of v.6: as the old generation was finished, the circumcising is finished. Simeon and Levi attacked Shechem 'on the third day, when they were sore' (Gen 34:25); here Jericho 'was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel' (Josh 6:1).

Verse 9

rolled away the reproach of Egypt — Galal, to roll, gives the name Gilgal, where the camp had already been set and the twelve stones laid (Josh 4:19–20). The verse does not say what the reproach was. Moses had pleaded the taunt of Egypt, 'Because the LORD was not able to bring them into the land which he promised them' (Deut 9:28).

Verse 10

kept the passover on the fourteenth day — They came up from Jordan 'on the tenth day of the first month' (Josh 4:19), the day the lamb was to be taken (Ex 12:3), and kept the feast 'at even' on the fourteenth (Ex 12:6). The Passover of Num 9:5 had been kept in 'the wilderness of Sinai'; this is in the plains (arabah) of Jericho.

Verse 12

the manna ceased — Shabath, to cease, the verb behind 'sabbath'. It stopped 'on the morrow' after they ate the 'old corn' (abur, found only here and in v.11), as Ex 16:35 foretold: 'until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan'. The 'fruit' (tebuah) is the land's own increase.

Verse 13

a man over against him with his sword drawn — The posture matches Num 22:23, 'the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand'. Joshua's question allows only two sides, 'for us, or for our adversaries' (tsar, an opponent); the answer in v.14 is 'Nay'.

Verse 14

captain of the host of the LORD — 'Nay' answers Joshua's either-or: he comes as sar tsaba, commander of the LORD's army. Joshua 'did worship' (shachah) and is not stopped, unlike the angel of Rev 22:9, 'See thou do it not'. Many readers take him to be the Son of God before his birth, others a created angel; Josh 6:2 goes on, 'And the LORD said unto Joshua'.

Verse 15

Loose thy shoe — The words are those of Ex 3:5, 'put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground', spoken at the bush, where 'the angel of the LORD' is then called 'the LORD' and 'God' (Ex 3:2, 4). Nashal, to slip off, is the same verb in both places.