Joshua 5:5

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 forth out of Mitzrayim, they had not circumcised.

Joshua 5:5 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 5:5

Now all the people that came out were circumcised
All that came out of Egypt, and males, were circumcised, whether under or above twenty years of age; for though it is possible all were circumcised before they came out of Egypt, which favours the opinion of Dr. Lightfoot, that they might be circumcised during the three nights' darkness of the Egyptians, when they could take no advantage of it, as Levi and Simeon did of the Shechemites; and which seems more probable than that it should be on the night they came out of Egypt, when many must have been unfit for travelling, and seems preferable to that of their being circumcised at Mount Sinai, which was a year after their coming out of Egypt:

but all the people [that were] born in the wilderness by the way, as
they came forth out of Egypt, [them] they had not circumcised;
the reasons of which neglect; (See Gill on Joshua 5:2). The phrase, "by the way", seems to point at the true reason of it, at least to countenance the reason there given, which was on account of their journey; that is, their stay at any place being uncertain and precarious; so the Jews say {z}, because of the affliction or trouble of journeying, the Israelites did not circumcise their children. This is to be understood of all males only born in the wilderness, they only being the subjects of circumcision.

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FOOTNOTES:

F26 Pirke Eliezer, ut supra. (c. 29.)

Joshua 5:5 In-Context

3 Yehoshua made himself flint knives, and circumcised the children of Yisra'el at the hill of `Aralot.

4 This is the cause why Yehoshua did circumcise: all the people who came forth out of Mitzrayim, who were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came forth out of Mitzrayim.

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 forth out of Mitzrayim, they had not circumcised.

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

7 Their children, whom he raised up in their place, them did Yehoshua circumcise: for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them by the way.