Yehoshua 5:3

3 And Yehoshua made him flint knives, and did Bris Milah to the Bnei Yisroel at Givat HaAralot.

Yehoshua 5:3 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 5:3

And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children
of Israel
Not that Joshua circumcised them himself, any more than he made the knives himself, but he ordered both to be done, and took care that they were done. And as any that had skill might make the knives, so might any circumcise; circumcision was not restrained to any order of men, not to the priests and Levites, but any might perform it; so that though the number to be circumcised was great, it might soon be finished: and this was done

at the hill of the foreskins;
as the place was afterward called from hence; these being heaped up one upon another, made a hill of them, as the Jews say ^F25, being covered with dust. This circumcision performed by Joshua, or his orders, was typical of the spiritual circumcision without hands, which those that believe in Jesus, the antitype of Joshua, partake of.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 Pirke Eliezer, ut supra. (c. 29.) Jarchi in loc.

Yehoshua 5:3 In-Context

1 And it came to pass, when all the melachim of the HaEmori, which were beyond the Yarden westward, and all the melachim of the Kena’ani, which were by the Yam, heard that Hashem had dried up the waters of the Yarden from before the Bnei Yisroel, until they had passed over, their levav sank, neither was there ruach in them any more, because of the Bnei Yisroel.

2 At that time Hashem said unto Yehoshua, Make thee knives of flint, and do a second time the Bris Milah to the Bnei Yisroel.

3 And Yehoshua made him flint knives, and did Bris Milah to the Bnei Yisroel at Givat HaAralot.

4 And this is the reason why Yehoshua did the Bris Milah: Kol HaAm that came out of Mitzrayim, that were zekharim (males), even Kol Anshei HaMilchamah, died in the midbar baderech, after they came out of Mitzrayim.

5 Now Kol HaAm that came out were Mulim (circumcised); but Kol HaAm that were born in the midbar baderech when they came forth out of Mitzrayim, them they had not given Bris Milah.