Joshua 5
5
Rites at Gilgal. 1When all the kings of the Amorites to the west of the Jordan and all the kings of the Canaanites by the sea heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the Israelites until they crossed over, their hearts melted and they were utterly dispirited because of the Israelites.
2#Gn 17; 34; Ex 4:24–26. On this occasion the Lord said to Joshua: Make flint knives and circumcise Israel for the second time. 3So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath-haaraloth.#Gibeath-haaraloth: “Hill of the Foreskins.” 4This was the reason for the circumcision: Of all the people who had come out of Egypt, every male of military age had died in the wilderness#Nm 14:29; 26:64–65; 1 Cor 10:5. during the journey after they came out of Egypt. 5Though all the men who came out were circumcised, none of those born in the wilderness during the journey after the departure from Egypt were circumcised. 6Now the Israelites wandered forty years in the wilderness, until all the warriors among the people that came forth from Egypt died off because they had not listened to the voice of the Lord. For the Lord swore#Nm 14:33–34; Heb 3:11, 17. that he would not let them see the land he had sworn to their ancestors to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7#Gn 17:8–14. It was the children God raised up in their stead whom Joshua circumcised, for these were yet with foreskins, not having been circumcised on the journey. 8When the circumcision of the entire nation was complete, they remained in camp where they were, until they recovered. 9Then the Lord said to Joshua: Today I have removed the reproach of Egypt from you.#Jos 4:19; Eph 2:11–22. Therefore the place is called Gilgal#The place is called Gilgal: by popular etymology, because of the similarity of sound with the Hebrew word gallothi, “I have removed.” Gilgal probably means “circle,” i.e., the place of the circle of standing stones. Cf. 4:4–8. to the present day.
10#Ex 12:6; Nm 9:3–5. While the Israelites were encamped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they celebrated the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month.#The month: the first month of the year, later called Nisan; see note on 3:15. The crossing of the Jordan occurred, therefore, about the same time of the year as did the crossing of the Red Sea; cf. Ex 12–14. 11On the day after the Passover they ate of the produce of the land in the form of unleavened cakes and parched grain. On that same day 12after they ate of the produce of the land, the manna ceased. No longer was there manna for the Israelites, who that year ate of the yield of the land of Canaan.#Ex 16:35.
Siege at Jericho. 13#5:13–6:26] The account of the siege of Jericho embraces: (1) the command of the Lord to Joshua (5:13–6:5); (2) Joshua’s instructions to the Israelites, with a brief summary of how these orders were carried out (6:6–11); (3) a description of the action on each of the first six days (6:12–14); (4) the events on the seventh day (6:15–26). While Joshua was near Jericho, he raised his eyes and saw one who stood facing him, drawn sword in hand.#Ex 23:20. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you one of us or one of our enemies?” 14He replied, “Neither. I am the commander#Commander: the leader of the heavenly army of the Lord of hosts is either the Lord or an angelic warrior; if the latter, he is a messenger who speaks in the person of the one who sent him. I have come: the solemn language of theophany; cf., e.g., Ps 50:3; 96:13. of the army of the Lord: now I have come.” Then Joshua fell down to the ground in worship, and said to him, “What has my lord to say to his servant?” 15The commander of the army of the Lord replied to Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy.”#Ex 3:5; Acts 7:33. And Joshua did so.
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Joshua 5
5
1When all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings who lived along the Mediterranean coast#5:1 Hebrew along the sea. heard how the Lord had dried up the Jordan River so the people of Israel could cross, they lost heart and were paralyzed with fear because of them.
Israel Reestablishes Covenant Ceremonies
2At that time the Lord told Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise this second generation of Israelites.#5:2 Or circumcise the Israelites a second time.” 3So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the entire male population of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth.#5:3 Gibeath-haaraloth means “hill of foreskins.”
4Joshua had to circumcise them because all the men who were old enough to fight in battle when they left Egypt had died in the wilderness. 5Those who left Egypt had all been circumcised, but none of those born after the Exodus, during the years in the wilderness, had been circumcised. 6The Israelites had traveled in the wilderness for forty years until all the men who were old enough to fight in battle when they left Egypt had died. For they had disobeyed the Lord, and the Lord vowed he would not let them enter the land he had sworn to give us—a land flowing with milk and honey. 7So Joshua circumcised their sons—those who had grown up to take their fathers’ places—for they had not been circumcised on the way to the Promised Land. 8After all the males had been circumcised, they rested in the camp until they were healed.
9Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the shame of your slavery in Egypt.” So that place has been called Gilgal#5:9 Gilgal sounds like the Hebrew word galal, meaning “to roll.” to this day.
10While the Israelites were camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they celebrated Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month.#5:10 This day in the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar occurred in late March, April, or early May. 11The very next day they began to eat unleavened bread and roasted grain harvested from the land. 12No manna appeared on the day they first ate from the crops of the land, and it was never seen again. So from that time on the Israelites ate from the crops of Canaan.
The Lord’s Commander Confronts Joshua
13When Joshua was near the town of Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and demanded, “Are you friend or foe?”
14“Neither one,” he replied. “I am the commander of the Lord’s army.”
At this, Joshua fell with his face to the ground in reverence. “I am at your command,” Joshua said. “What do you want your servant to do?”
15The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did as he was told.
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
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