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The Israelites Are Circumcised

And it happened, when all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites[a] who were by the sea heard that Yahweh dried up the waters of the Jordan in front of the Israelites[b] until they crossed over, their hearts melted, and there was no courage left in them[c] because of the presence of the Israelites. [d]

At that time Yahweh said to Joshua, “Make for yourself knives of flint, and circumcise the Israelites[e] a second time.” So Joshua made knives of flint, and he circumcised the Israelites[f] at the hill of the foreskins.[g] This is the reason why Joshua circumcised all the people: all the males who went out from Egypt, all the warriors, died in the wilderness as they went out from Egypt on the journey.[h] For all the people who left were circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness on the journey[i] after they left from Egypt were not circumcised. For forty years the Israelites[j] traveled in the wilderness until all the nation, the warriors that left Egypt, perished, because they did not listen to the voice of Yahweh. To them Yahweh swore that they would not see the land that he[k] swore to their ancestors[l] to give to us, a land flowing with milk and honey. And it was their children whom he raised in their place that Joshua circumcised, for they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the journey.[m]

The Israelites Celebrate Passover in Canaan

And it happened, when all the nation had finished circumcising, they remained where they were in the camp until they recovered. And Yahweh said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the disgrace of Egypt from you.” Therefore, the name of that place is called Gilgal[n] to this day. 10 And the Israelites[o] camped at Gilgal, and they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month, in the evening, on the plains of Jericho. 11 On the next day after the Passover, on that[p] very day, they ate from the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and roasted corn. 12 And the manna ceased the day after, when they started eating the produce of the land, and there was no longer manna for the Israelites.[q] They ate from the crop of the land of Canaan in that year.

The Commander of Yahweh’s Army Appears Before Joshua

13 And it happened, when Joshua was by Jericho, he looked up,[r] and he saw a man standing opposite him[s] with his sword drawn in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said, “Are you with us, or with our adversaries?” 14 And he said, “Neither. I have come now as the commander of Yahweh’s army.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and he bowed down[t] and said to him, “What is my lord commanding his servant?” 15 The commander of Yahweh’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals[u] from your feet,[v] for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 5:1 Hebrew “Canaanite”
  2. Joshua 5:1 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  3. Joshua 5:1 Literally “a spirit was no longer in them”
  4. Joshua 5:1 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  5. Joshua 5:2 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  6. Joshua 5:3 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  7. Joshua 5:3 Hebrew “Gibeath-haaraloth”
  8. Joshua 5:4 Literally “on the road”
  9. Joshua 5:5 Literally “on the road”
  10. Joshua 5:6 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  11. Joshua 5:6 Hebrew “Yahweh”
  12. Joshua 5:6 Or “fathers”
  13. Joshua 5:7 Literally “on the road”
  14. Joshua 5:9 Hebrew “rolling”
  15. Joshua 5:10 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  16. Joshua 5:11 Literally “this”
  17. Joshua 5:12 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  18. Joshua 5:13 Literally “he lifted up his eyes”
  19. Joshua 5:13 Literally “against him”
  20. Joshua 5:14 Or “he worshiped”
  21. Joshua 5:15 Hebrew “sandal”
  22. Joshua 5:15 Hebrew “foot”

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