Circumcision of the Israelites
1When all the Amorite kings across the Jordan to the west and all the Canaanite kings near the seaa heard how theLORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over,b they lost heart and their courage failedc because of the Israelites.
2At that time theLORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelite men again.”d3So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelite men at Gibeath-haaraloth.e4This 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.5Though 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.6For 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 theLORD.f So theLORD vowed never to let them see the land He had sworn to their fathers to give us,a land flowing with milk and honey.g7Joshua 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.8After the entire nation had been circumcised,they stayed where they were in the camp until they recovered.h9TheLORD then said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the disgrace of Egypt from you.”Therefore,that place is called Gilgali to this day.j
Food from the Land
10While the Israelites camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho,they kept the•Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month.kl11The day after Passover they ate unleavened bread and roasted grain from the produce of the land.m12And the day after they ate from the produce of the land,the manna ceased.n Since there was no more manna for the Israelites,they ate from the crops of the land of Canaan that year.
Commander of theLord’s Army
13When Joshua was near Jericho,he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in His hand.o Joshua approached Him and asked, “Are You for us or for our enemies? ”
14“Neither,”He replied. “I have now come as commander of theLORD’s army.”p
Then Joshua bowed with his face to the ground in worshipq and asked Him, “What does my Lord want to say to His servant? ”
15The commander of theLORD’s army said to Joshua, “Remove the sandals from your feet,for the place where you are standing is holy.”r And Joshua did so.
Footnotes:
a.5:1 Nm 13:29; Dt 1:7; Jos 11:3
b.5:1 Jos 2:11
c.5:1 Litand they did not have spirit in them any more
d.5:2 Gn 17:10-14; Ex 4:24-26; 12:44,48; Lv 12:3
e.5:3 OrThe Hill of Foreskins
f.5:6 Dt 2:7,14
g.5:6 Nm 14:23-24; Dt 11:9
h.5:8 Dt 30:6; Hs 6:1-2
i.5:9 = to roll
j.5:9 Jos 6:25
k.5:10 = Nisan (March–April)
l.5:10 Ex 12:11,18,21; Lv 23:5; Nm 28:16; Ezk 45:21
m.5:11 Lv 23:14
n.5:12 Ex 16:35; Ps 78:25; Jn 6:48-51
o.5:13 Gn 18:2; 32:24; Nm 22:31
p.5:14 Ex 7:4; 12:41; 1Sm 17:45
q.5:14 Gn 17:3
r.5:15 Ex 3:5