Josua 5:1

1 Und es geschah, als alle Könige der Amoriter, die diesseit des Jordan westwärts, und alle Könige der Kanaaniter, die am Meere waren, hörten, daß Jehova die Wasser des Jordan vor den Kindern Israel ausgetrocknet hatte, bis wir hinübergezogen waren, da zerschmolz ihr Herz, und es war kein Mut mehr in ihnen vor den Kindern Israel.

Josua 5:1 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 5:1

And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which
[were] on the side of Jordan westward
On the side the Israelites were now on; and this is observed, to distinguish them from the other kings of the Amorites beyond Jordan, on the eastern side, who were already conquered by the Israelites, Sihon and Og, who seem to be a colony that went over from the Amorites in Canaan, and possessed themselves of that part of the land of Moab. These seem to be put for several others of the nations of the land not mentioned, who doubtless were as much dispirited as they; and they are the rather mentioned, because they were a principal nation, and a very powerful and warlike one, see ( Amos 2:9 ) .

and all the kings of the Canaanites which [were] by the sea;
the Mediterranean sea; the Septuagint version calls them the kings of Phoenicia; and that which was strictly and property so lay on that coast, in which were the cities of Tyre and Sidon, though the whole land of Canaan was sometimes so called; unless this is to be understood, either of the dead sea, or of the sea of Galilee; of which Canaanites, see ( Numbers 13:29 ) ; however, be they the one or the other, or both, as most likely, when they

heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the
children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted,
neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of
Israel;
they lost all their courage, and never recovered it any more; concluding it was all over with them, since such wonderful things were done for them by the Lord: the word "we" shows that the writer of this history was one that passed over Jordan, and who can be supposed but Joshua himself? this circumstance, I think, strongly corroborates that opinion.

Josua 5:1 In-Context

1 Und es geschah, als alle Könige der Amoriter, die diesseit des Jordan westwärts, und alle Könige der Kanaaniter, die am Meere waren, hörten, daß Jehova die Wasser des Jordan vor den Kindern Israel ausgetrocknet hatte, bis wir hinübergezogen waren, da zerschmolz ihr Herz, und es war kein Mut mehr in ihnen vor den Kindern Israel.

2 In selbiger Zeit sprach Jehova zu Josua: Mache dir Steinmesser und beschneide wiederum die Kinder Israel zum zweiten Male.

3 Und Josua machte sich Steinmesser und beschnitt die Kinder Israel am Hügel Araloth.

4 Und dies ist die Sache, warum Josua sie beschnitt: Das ganze Volk, das aus Ägypten gezogen war, die Männlichen, alle Kriegsleute, waren in der Wüste gestorben, auf dem Wege, als sie aus Ägypten zogen.

5 Denn das ganze Volk, welches auszog, war beschnitten; aber das ganze Volk, das in der Wüste geboren war, auf dem Wege, als sie aus Ägypten zogen, hatte man nicht beschnitten.