Joshua Chapter 5 — Renewal and the Commander of the Lord
The Israelites renew their covenant with God through circumcision and the Passover at Gilgal before the manna stops and Joshua meets a divine visitor.
1When all the kings of the Amorites, who were beyond the Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, who were by the sea, heard how the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel until we had crossed over, their heart melted, and there was no more spirit in them, because of the children of Israel.
2At that time, the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives, and circumcise again the sons of Israel the second time.”
3Joshua made himself flint knives, and circumcised the sons of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.
4This is the reason Joshua circumcised them: all the people who came out of Egypt, who were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness along the way, after they came out of Egypt.
5For all the people who came out were circumcised; but all the people who were born in the wilderness along the way as they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised.
6For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness until all the nation, even the men of war who came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they didn’t listen to the LORD’s voice. The LORD swore to them that he wouldn’t let them see the land which the LORD swore to their fathers that he would give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.
7Their children, whom he raised up in their place, were circumcised by Joshua, for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them on the way.
8When they were done circumcising the whole nation, they stayed in their places in the camp until they were healed.
9The LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” Therefore the name of that place was called Gilgal*“Gilgal” sounds like the Hebrew for “roll.” to this day.
10The children of Israel encamped in Gilgal. They kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at evening in the plains of Jericho.
11They ate unleavened cakes and parched grain of the produce of the land on the next day after the Passover, in the same day.
12The manna ceased on the next day, after they had eaten of the produce of the land. The children of Israel didn’t have manna any more, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
13When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man stood in front of him with his sword drawn in his hand. Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our enemies?”
14He said, “No; but I have come now as commander of the LORD’s army.”
15The prince of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals, for the place on which you stand is holy.” Joshua did so.
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Joshua 5:9
“The LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” Therefore the name of that place was called Gilgal to this day.”
This verse explains the naming of Gilgal and signifies the end of the shame associated with their time in Egypt and the wilderness.
Joshua 5:12
“The manna ceased on the next day, after they had eaten of the produce of the land. The children of Israel didn’t have manna any more, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.”
This marks a major turning point from the miraculous provision of the wilderness to the inheritance of the Promised Land.
Joshua 5:14
“He said, “No; but I have come now as commander of the LORD’s army.””
This encounter reminds Joshua that the upcoming conquest is led by divine authority and not merely human military strategy.
Chapter Summary
Following the crossing of the Jordan River, the surrounding kings are gripped by fear. At the Lord's command, Joshua circumcises the generation born during the forty years of wilderness wandering, rolling away the 'reproach of Egypt' at Gilgal. The nation then celebrates the Passover on the plains of Jericho. Significantly, the manna that sustained them for decades ceases as they begin to eat the produce and parched grain of Canaan. As Joshua prepares for the siege of Jericho, he encounters a man with a drawn sword who identifies himself as the commander of the Lord's army. Joshua is told to remove his sandals because he is standing on holy ground, marking a divine commissioning for the upcoming battles.
Frequently Asked Questions
The generation born in the wilderness during the forty-year journey had not been circumcised. Before beginning the conquest of Canaan, the people needed to renew this sign of their covenant with God at Gilgal.
The manna ceased once the Israelites began to eat the produce and grain of the land of Canaan. This transition marked the end of their nomadic dependence and the beginning of life in their new inheritance.
Joshua encountered a man with a drawn sword who identified himself as the commander of the Lord's army. This divine figure instructed Joshua to remove his sandals, indicating the ground was holy, similar to Moses' encounter at the burning bush.
Study Note
The name Gilgal is associated with the Hebrew word galal, meaning 'to roll,' signifying the rolling away of Egypt's reproach.
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