Joshua 5:2-9

2 At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel once again. ^[a]”

3 So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. ^[b]

4 Now this is why Joshua circumcised them: All those who came out of Egypt—all the men of war—had died on the journey in the wilderness after they had left Egypt.

5 Though all who had come out were circumcised, none of those born in the wilderness on the journey from Egypt had been circumcised.

6 For the Israelites had wandered in the wilderness forty years, until all the nation’s men of war who had come out of Egypt had died, since they did not obey the LORD. So the LORD vowed never to let them see the land He had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.

7 And He raised up their sons in their place, and these were the ones Joshua circumcised. Until this time they were still uncircumcised, since they had not been circumcised along the way.

8 And after all the nation had been circumcised, they stayed there in the camp until they were healed.

9 Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So that place has been called Gilgal ^[c] to this day.

Joshua 5:2-9 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 5

The Canaanites being dispirited on the passage of the children of Israel through Jordan, Jos 5:1; Joshua is ordered to circumcise such of the people of Israel that were uncircumcised, Jos 5:2-9; in order to their eating of the passover, which was now to be kept, Jos 5:10; and they being now provided with corn sufficient, the manna ceased, Jos 5:11,12; and there appeared to Joshua a divine Person, in an human form, to encourage and direct him what to do in the conquest of the land, and particularly Jericho, Jos 5:13-15.

Footnotes

• [a] Literally again the second time
• [b] Gibeath-haaraloth means the hill of the foreskins.
• [c] Gilgal sounds like the Hebrew for roll.