Bible Commentaries

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Joshua 5

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Introduction

1  The Canaanites are afraid.
2  Joshua renews circumcision.
10  The passover is kept at Gilgal
12  They eat the corn of the land and the manna ceases.
13  An angel appears to Joshua.
Verse 1

And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of 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 from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel.
all the kings
12:9-24, 24:15, Genesis 10:15-19, 15:18-21, 48:22, Judges 11:23, 2 Samuel 21:2, Ezekiel 16:3, Amos 2:9
Canaanites
17:12,18, Genesis 12:6, Exodus 23:28, Judges 1:1, 4:2, Ezra 9:1, Psalms 135:11
which were by
Numbers 13:29, Judges 3:3, Zephaniah 2:4-6
heard
2:9-11, Exodus 15:14,15, Psalms 48:4-6, Revelation 18:10
neither was
1 Samuel 25:37, 1 Kings 10:5, Isaiah 13:6-8, Ezekiel 21:7, Daniel 5:6
Verse 2

At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time.
sharp knives
or, knives of flints. Before the use of iron was common, all the nations of the earth had their edge tools made of stones, flints, etc. Our ancestors had their arrows and spearheads made of flint; which are frequently turned up by the plough. And even when iron became more common, stone knives seem to have been preferred for making incisions in the human body. The Egyptians used such to open the bodies for embalming; and the tribe of Alnajab in Ethiopia, who follow the Mosaic institution, perform the rite of circumcision, according to Ludolf, cultris lapidibus, with knives made of stone.
circumcise
Genesis 17:10-14, Deuteronomy 10:16, 30:6, Romans 2:29, 4:11, Colossians 2:11
Verse 3

And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.
Joshua
Genesis 17:23-27, Matthew 16:24
the hill of the foreskins
or, Gibeah haaraloth.
Verse 4

And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise: All the people that came out of Egypt, that were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of Egypt.
All the
Numbers 14:22, 26:64,65, Deuteronomy 2:16, 1 Corinthians 10:5, Hebrews 3:17-19
Verse 5

Now all the people that came out were circumcised: but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised.
they had not
Deuteronomy 12:8,9, Hosea 6:6,7, Matthew 12:7, Romans 2:26, 1 Corinthians 7:19, Galatians 5:6, 6:15
Verse 6

For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: unto whom the LORD sware that he would not shew them the land, which the LORD sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey.
walked
Numbers 14:32-34, Deuteronomy 1:3, 2:7,14, 8:4, Psalms 95:10,11, Jeremiah 2:2
sware that
Numbers 14:23, Hebrews 3:11
a land
Exodus 3:8,17, Ezekiel 20:6,15, Joel 3:18
Verse 7

And their children, whom he raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised: for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them by the way.
their children
Numbers 14:31, Deuteronomy 1:39
Verse 8

And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole.
when they, etc
Heb. when the people had made an end to be circumcised. till they were whole.
Genesis 34:25
Verse 9

And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day.
I rolled away
24:14, Genesis 34:14, Leviticus 24:14, 1 Samuel 14:6, 17:26,36, Psalms 119:39, Jeremiah 9:25, Ezekiel 20:7,8, 23:3,8, Ephesians 2:11,12
Gilgal
That is, rolling.
4:19
Verse 10

And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho.
kept the passover
Ezekiel 12:3,6,7-16, Numbers 9:1-5
Verse 11

And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day.
old corn
The people would find abundance of old corn in the deserted granaries of the affrighted inhabitants: and the barley harvest being ripe, after offering the sheaf of first-fruits, they ate also new parched corn; and thus the manna being no longer necessary, ceased, after having been sent them regularly for almost forty years. To Christians the manna for their souls shall never fail, till they arrive at the Canaan above, to feast on its rich and inexhaustible provisions.
unleavened cakes
Exodus 12:18-20, 13:6,7, Leviticus 23:6,14
Verse 12

And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
the manna
Exodus 16:35, Nehemiah 9:20,21, Revelation 7:16,17
but they did eat
Deuteronomy 6:10,11, Proverbs 13:22, Isaiah 65:13,14, John 4:38
Verse 13

And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?
he lifted
Genesis 33:1,5, Daniel 8:3, 10:5
a man
6:2, Genesis 18:2, 32:24-30, Exodus 23:23, Judges 13:8,9,11,22, Daniel 10:5, Hosea 12:3-5, Zechariah 1:8, Acts 1:10, Revelation 1:13
his sword
Numbers 22:23, 1 Chronicles 21:16,17,27,30
Art thou for us
1 Chronicles 12:17,18
Verse 14

And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?
but as captain
or, Prince.
Exodus 23:20-22, Isaiah 55:4, Daniel 10:13,21, 12:1, Hebrews 2:10, Revelation 12:7, Revelation 19:11-14
fell on his
Genesis 17:3,17, Leviticus 9:24, Numbers 16:22,45, Matthew 8:2, Luke 5:12, Acts 10:25,26, Revelation 19:10, 22:8,9
What saith
1 Samuel 3:9,10, Isaiah 6:8, Acts 9:6
my lord
Exodus 4:10,13, Psalms 110:1, Matthew 22:44, Luke 1:43, 20:42, John 20:28, Philippians 3:8
Verse 15

And the captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.
Loose
Exodus 3:5, Acts 7:32,33, 2 Peter 1:18
And Joshua
Many persons have been puzzled to know what was intended by this extraordinary appearance of the angel to Joshua, because they supposed that the whole business ends with the chapter; whereas it is continued in the succeeding one, the first verse of which is a mere parenthesis, simply relating to the state of Jericho at the time when Joshua was favoured with this encouraging vision; by which he was shewn that their help came from God alone, and that it was not by human might or power, but by the Lord of hosts they were to obtain the victory.

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