Joshua Chapter 5

From The Open Bible Project

5:1 It happened, when all the kings of the Amorites, who were beyond the Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, who were by the sea, heard how that Yahweh had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we had passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel.

• (a) The Amorites were on both sides of Jordan, of which two kings were slain already on the side toward Moab.

5:2 At that time, Yahweh said to Joshua, "Make flint knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time."

• (b) For now they had left it off, about 40 years.

5:3 Joshua made himself flint knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.

• (c) Gilgal was so called, because they were there circumcised.

5:4 This is the reason Joshua circumcised: all the people who came out of Egypt, who were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of Egypt.

5:5 For all the people who came out were circumcised; but all the people who were born in the wilderness by the way as they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised.

• (d) For they looked daily to move at the Lord’s command, which they who were newly circumcised could not do without great danger.

5:6 For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, even the men of war who came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they didn't listen to the voice of Yahweh. Yahweh swore to them that he wouldn't let them see the land which Yahweh swore to their fathers that he would give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.

5:7 Their children, whom he raised up in their place, were circumcised by Joshua; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them on the way.

5:8 It happened, when they were done circumcising all the nation, that they stayed in their places in the camp until they were healed.

• (e) For their sore was so grievous, that they were not able to move.

5:9 Yahweh said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you." Therefore the name of that place was called [6] Gilgal, [See Joshua Footnotes 6] to this day.

• (f) By bringing you into this promised land, contrary to the wicked opinion of the Egyptians or the foreskin by which you were like the Egyptians.

5:10 The children of Israel encamped in Gilgal. They kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at evening in the plains of Jericho.

5:11 They ate unleavened cakes and parched grain of the produce of the land on the next day after the Passover, in the same day.

5:12 The manna ceased on the next day, after they had eaten of the produce of the land. The children of Israel didn't have manna any more; but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.

5:13 It happened, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man stood in front of him with his sword drawn in his hand. Joshua went to him, and said to him, "Are you for us, or for our adversaries?"

5:14 He said, "No; but I have come now as commander of Yahweh's army." Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and worshipped, and said to him, "What does my lord say to his servant?"

• (g) In that Joshua worships him, he acknowledges him to be God: and in that he calls himself the Lord’s captain he declares himself to be Christ.

5:15 The prince of Yahweh's army said to Joshua, "Take your shoes off of your feet; for the place on which you stand is holy." Joshua did so.