At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelite men again.”(A) So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelite men at Gibeath-haaraloth.[a] This is the reason Joshua circumcised them: All the people who came out of Egypt who were males—all the men of war—had died in the wilderness along the way after they had come out of Egypt. Though all the people who came out were circumcised, none of the people born in the wilderness along the way were circumcised after they had come out of Egypt. For the Israelites wandered in the wilderness 40 years until all the nation’s men of war who came out of Egypt had died off because they did not obey the Lord.(B) 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.(C) Joshua raised up their sons in their place; it was these he circumcised. They were still uncircumcised, since they had not been circumcised along the way. After the entire nation had been circumcised, they stayed where they were in the camp until they recovered.(D) The Lord then said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the disgrace of Egypt from you.” Therefore, that place is called Gilgal[b] to this day.(E)

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Footnotes

  1. Joshua 5:3 Or The Hill of Foreskins
  2. Joshua 5:9 = to roll

Israel Reestablishes Covenant Ceremonies

At that time the Lord told Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise this second generation of Israelites.[a] So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the entire male population of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth.[b]

Joshua had to circumcise them because all the men who were old enough to fight in battle when they left Egypt had died in the wilderness. Those who left Egypt had all been circumcised, but none of those born after the Exodus, during the years in the wilderness, had been circumcised. The Israelites had traveled in the wilderness for forty years until all the men who were old enough to fight in battle when they left Egypt had died. For they had disobeyed the Lord, and the Lord vowed he would not let them enter the land he had sworn to give us—a land flowing with milk and honey. So Joshua circumcised their sons—those who had grown up to take their fathers’ places—for they had not been circumcised on the way to the Promised Land. After all the males had been circumcised, they rested in the camp until they were healed.

Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the shame of your slavery in Egypt.” So that place has been called Gilgal[c] to this day.

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Footnotes

  1. 5:2 Or circumcise the Israelites a second time.
  2. 5:3 Gibeath-haaraloth means “hill of foreskins.”
  3. 5:9 Gilgal sounds like the Hebrew word galal, meaning “to roll.”

Circumcision and Passover at Gilgal

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

Now this is why he did so: All those who came out of Egypt—all the men of military age(C)—died in the wilderness on the way after leaving Egypt.(D) 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(E) forty years(F) 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,(G) a land flowing with milk and honey.(H) 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.(I)

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

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Footnotes

  1. Joshua 5:3 Gibeath Haaraloth means the hill of foreskins.
  2. Joshua 5:9 Gilgal sounds like the Hebrew for roll.