Joshua 5 Footnotes

5:2-12 The Israelites were circumcised because the new generation had not undergone this rite during the forty years in the wilderness. Circumcision was the sign of the Lord’s covenant with Abraham (Gn 17:10-14) and signified faith in him. Through the ritual of circumcision the nation renewed its fidelity to the covenant. The celebration of the Passover commemorated the exodus. It marked a new chapter in the history of Israel, for with it the people began to live on the produce of the land of Canaan and no longer on the manna which the Lord provided in the wilderness.

5:13-15 As he approached Jericho, Joshua encountered the “commander of the LORD’s army.” This must be understood as an appearance of the Lord through his angelic messenger. In such appearances, Scripture usually makes no distinction between the angel of the Lord and God himself (Gn 16:9-14; 18:1-33). Joshua’s act of prostration “in worship” (the Hb word for “worship” means “to bow, or lie prostrate”) is not reverence for a lesser being than God himself. The encounter reminded Joshua that it was the Lord who would lead the battle against Jericho and insure victory for the Israelites. The looming battle with Jericho required spiritual, not military, preparation.