Joshua5

Joshua 5 details Israel's preparations for conquering Canaan. The men born in the wilderness were circumcised as a renewal of the covenant, and the Passover was observed at Gilgal. Following this, the miraculous manna ceased as they began to eat the land's produce. Finally, Joshua encountered a divine figure, the Captain of the LORD's host, who affirmed God's leadership.

Canaanite Kings Acknowledge God's Power

1
When all the kings of the Emori on the west side of the Yarden and all the kings of the Kena'ani near the sea heard how ADONAI had dried up the Yarden River ahead of the people of Isra'el until they had crossed it, their hearts failed them, and they fell into depression because of the people of Isra'el. ​

Covenant Renewal: The Circumcision at Gilgal

2
It was at that time that ADONAI said to Y'hoshua, "Make yourself knives of flint, and circumcise the people of Isra'el again, a second time. ​
3
So Y'hoshua made himself knives of flint and circumcised the people of Isra'el at Giv'at-Ha'Aralot [the hill of foreskins].
4
The reason Y'hoshua circumcised was that all the people who had left Egypt who were males, all the fighting men, had died in the desert along the way after leaving Egypt.
5
For although all the people who left Egypt had been circumcised, all those who had been born in the desert on the way as they went on from Egypt had not been circumcised; ​
6
because the people of Isra'el walked forty years in the desert until the whole nation, that is, the fighting men who had left Egypt, had died out; because they had not heeded what ADONAI said. ADONAI had sworn that he would not allow them to see the land which ADONAI swore to their ancestors that he would give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. ​
7
So he raised up their children to take their place, and it was these whom Y'hoshua circumcised; till then they had been uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised while traveling.
8
When all the nation had been circumcised, every one of them, they stayed where they were in camp until they had healed. ​
9
ADONAI said to Y'hoshua, "Today I have rolled off from you the stigma of Egypt." This is why the place has been called Gilgal [rolling] ever since. ​

Passover Observed and Manna Ceases

10
The people of Isra'el camped at Gilgal, and they observed Pesach on the fourteenth day of the month, there on the plains of Yericho. ​
11
The day after Pesach they ate what the land produced, matzah and roasted ears of grain that day.
12
The following day, after they had eaten food produced in the land, the man ended. From then on the people of Isra'el no longer had man; instead, that year, they ate the produce of the land of Kena'an. ​

Joshua Meets the Commander of the Lord's Army

13
One day, when Y'hoshua was there by Yericho, he raised his eyes and looked; and in front of him stood a man with his drawn sword in his hand. Y'hoshua went over to him and asked him, "Are you on our side or on the side of our enemies?" ​
14
"No," he replied, "but I am the commander of ADONAI's army; I have come just now." Y'hoshua fell down with his face to the ground and worshipped him, then asked, "What does my lord have to say to his servant?" ​
15
The commander of ADONAI's army answered Y'hoshua, "Take your sandals off your feet, because the place where you are standing is holy." And Y'hoshua did so. ​

Study Notes for Joshua 5

Verse 1

This verse highlights the psychological impact of the Jordan miracle. The melting of the enemy's heart fulfills God's promise to dishearten Israel's foes (Ex. 23:27), setting the stage for conquest before the first battle is even fought.

Verse 2

The command to circumcise 'the second time' refers to performing the rite on the generation born during the 40 years of wandering, as the covenant sign had been neglected during the wilderness journey.

Verse 5

The failure to circumcise the male children during the wilderness journey was a significant lapse in covenant obedience, likely due to the instability of nomadic life or as a sign of God's judgment on the rebellious older generation.

Verse 6

This verse explicitly links the death of the older generation to their disobedience, specifically referencing their rebellion following the report of the spies (Num. 14), which resulted in the forty-year delay.

Verse 8

The waiting period ('till they were whole') demonstrates that obedience to the covenant rites took immediate precedence over military action, emphasizing the priority of spiritual readiness.

Verse 9

Gilgal, meaning 'to roll,' symbolizes the rolling away of the 'reproach of Egypt.' This reproach likely refers to the shame of slavery, the stigma of being uncircumcised, or the status of being a rootless, covenant-breaking people.

Verse 10

This celebration marks the first Passover observed inside the Promised Land. The timing emphasizes the immediate restoration of covenant worship upon arrival in Canaan, connecting the current generation to the Exodus event.

Verse 12

The abrupt cessation of the manna confirms the definitive end of the wilderness period. God's provision shifts from miraculous daily bread to sustenance derived from the land itself, symbolizing entrance into the covenant blessing.

Verse 13

As Joshua prepares for the battle of Jericho, he encounters a mysterious figure identified as the 'Captain of the host of the LORD,' signaling divine readiness to lead the military campaign.

Verse 14

The Captain's refusal to take sides ('Nay') indicates that he is not merely an ally of Israel, but the sovereign leader of God's army, demanding Joshua's submission. This figure is often interpreted as a Christophany (a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ).

Verse 15

This command echoes Moses' encounter at the burning bush (Ex. 3:5), confirming the sacred nature of the ground and validating Joshua's leadership commissioning as Moses' successor before the start of the conquest.

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