1 The Canaanites are afraid of the Israelites. 2 Circumcision is commanded the second time. 10 The passover is kept. 12 Manna ceaseth. 13 The Angel appeareth unto Joshua.

Now when all the Kings of the [a]Amorites, which were beyond Jordan Westward, and all the Kings of the Canaanites which were by the Sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of Jordan before the children of Israel until they were gone over, their hearts fainted: and there was no courage in them anymore because of the children of Israel.

¶ That same time the Lord said unto Joshua, (A)Make thee sharp knives, [b]and return, and circumcise the sons of Israel the second time.

Then Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the sons of Israel in [c]the hill of the foreskins.

And this is the cause why Joshua circumcised all the people, even the males that came out of Egypt, because all the men of war were dead in the wilderness by the way after they came out of Egypt.

For all the people that came out, were circumcised: but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way after they came out of Egypt, were [d]not circumcised.

For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people of the men of war that came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord: unto whom the Lord sware that he would not show them the land, (B)which the Lord had sworn unto their fathers, that he would give us, even a land that floweth with milk and honey.

So their sons whom he raised up in their stead, Joshua circumcised: for they were uncircumcised, because they circumcised them not by the way.

And when they had made an end of circumcising all the people, they abode in the places in the camp till they [e]were whole.

After, the Lord said unto Joshua, This day I have taken away the [f]shame of Egypt from you: wherefore he called the name of that place, Gilgal, unto this day.

10 ¶ So the children of Israel abode in Gilgal, and kept the feast of the Passover the fourteenth day of the month at even, in the plain of Jericho.

11 And they did eat of the corn of the land, on the morrow after the Passover, unleavened bread, and parched corn in the same day.

12 And the Manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the corn of the land, neither had the children of Israel Manna anymore, but did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.

13 ¶ And when Joshua was by Jericho, he lift up his eyes and looked: and behold, there stood a (C)man against him, having a sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou on our side, or on our adversaries?

14 And he said, Nay, but as a captain of the host of the Lord am I now come: then Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and [g]did worship, and said unto him, What saith the Lord unto his servant?

15 And the captain of the Lord’s host said unto Joshua, (D)Loose thy shoe of thy foot: for the place whereon thou standest, is holy: and Joshua did so.

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 5:1 The Amorites were on both sides [of] Jordan, whereof two kings were slain already on the side toward Moab.
  2. Joshua 5:2 For now they had left it off, about 40 years.
  3. Joshua 5:3 Gilgal was so called, because they were there circumcised.
  4. Joshua 5:5 For they looked daily to remove at the Lord’s commandment, which thing they that were new circumcised, could not do without great danger.
  5. Joshua 5:8 For their sore was so grievous, that they were not able to remove.
  6. Joshua 5:9 By bringing you into this promised land, contrary to the wicked opinion of the Egyptians: or the foreskin whereby you were like to the Egyptians.
  7. Joshua 5:14 In that that Joshua worshippeth him, he acknowledgeth him to be God: and in that that he calleth himself the Lord’s captain, he declareth himself to be Christ.

Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast(A) heard how the Lord had dried up the Jordan before the Israelites until they[a] had crossed over, their hearts melted in fear(B) and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites.

Circumcision and Passover at Gilgal

At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives(C) and circumcise(D) the Israelites again.” So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath Haaraloth.[b]

Now this is why he did so: All those who came out of Egypt—all the men of military age(E)—died in the wilderness on the way after leaving Egypt.(F) All the people that came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness during the journey from Egypt had not. The Israelites had moved about in the wilderness(G) forty years(H) until all the men who were of military age when they left Egypt had died, since they had not obeyed the Lord. For the Lord had sworn to them that they would not see the land he had solemnly promised their ancestors to give us,(I) a land flowing with milk and honey.(J) So he raised up their sons in their place, and these were the ones Joshua circumcised. They were still uncircumcised because they had not been circumcised on the way. And after the whole nation had been circumcised, they remained where they were in camp until they were healed.(K)

Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So the place has been called Gilgal[c](L) to this day.

10 On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month,(M) while camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the Passover.(N) 11 The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land:(O) unleavened bread(P) and roasted grain.(Q) 12 The manna stopped the day after[d] they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate the produce of Canaan.(R)

The Fall of Jericho

13 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man(S) standing in front of him with a drawn sword(T) in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”

14 “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown(U) to the ground(V) in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord[e] have for his servant?”

15 The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.”(W) And Joshua did so.

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 5:1 Another textual tradition we
  2. Joshua 5:3 Gibeath Haaraloth means the hill of foreskins.
  3. Joshua 5:9 Gilgal sounds like the Hebrew for roll.
  4. Joshua 5:12 Or the day
  5. Joshua 5:14 Or lord