# Joshua 05 📖: Circumcision at Gilgal [[📚 Explore the Bible Books]] [[-Joshua Overview]] | [[Joshua 04]] | [[Joshua 06]] > [!info] Table of Contents > [[#📜 Scripture Text (NET)]] > [[#📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary]] > [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]] > [[#🧠 Chapter Summary]] > [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]] > [[#🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application]] > [[#💬 Discussion Questions]] > [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]] > [[#🔗 Related Passages/Cross Reference]] > [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]] > [[#📂 Internal Notes]] ## 📜 Scripture Text (NET) (The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005) [[#Verse 01.]] When all the Amorite kings on the west side of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the seacoast heard how the Lord had dried up the water of the Jordan before the Israelites while they crossed, they lost their courage and could not even breathe for fear of the Israelites. ### A New Generation is Circumcised [[#Verse 02.]] At that time the Lord told Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites once again.”  [[#Verse 03.]] So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites at the Hill of the Foreskins. [[#Verse 04.]] This is why Joshua had to circumcise them: All the men old enough to fight when they left Egypt died on the journey through the wilderness after they left Egypt. [[#Verse 05.]] Now all the men who left were circumcised, but all the sons born on the journey through the wilderness after they left Egypt were uncircumcised.  [[#Verse 06.]] Indeed, for forty years the Israelites traveled through the wilderness until all the men old enough to fight when they left Egypt, the ones who had disobeyed the Lord, died off. For the Lord had sworn a solemn oath to them that he would not let them see the land he had sworn by oath to their ancestors to give them, a land rich in milk and honey.  [[#Verse 07.]] He replaced them with their sons, whom Joshua circumcised. They were uncircumcised; their fathers had not circumcised them along the way.  [[#Verse 08.]] When all the men had been circumcised, they stayed there in the camp until they had healed.  [[#Verse 09.]] The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have taken away the disgrace of Egypt from you.” So that place is called Gilgal even to this day. [[#Verse 10.]] So the Israelites camped in Gilgal and celebrated the Passover in the evening of the fourteenth day of the month in the rift valley plains of Jericho.  [[#Verse 11.]] They ate some of the produce of the land the day after the Passover, including unleavened bread and roasted grain.  [[#Verse 12.]] The manna stopped appearing the day they ate some of the produce of the land; the Israelites never ate manna again. They ate from the produce of the land of Canaan that year. ### Israel Conquers Jericho [[#Verse 13.]] When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him holding a drawn sword. Joshua approached him and asked him, “Are you on our side or allied with our enemies?”  [[#Verse 14.]] He answered, “Truly I am the commander of the Lord’s army. Now I have arrived!” Joshua bowed down with his face to the ground and asked, “What does my master want to say to his servant?”  [[#Verse 15.]] The commander of the Lord’s army answered Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, because the place where you stand is holy.” Joshua did so. ## 📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary ###### Overall. ###### Verse 01. ###### Verse 02. ###### Verse 03. ###### Verse 04. ###### Verse 05. ###### Verse 06. ###### Verse 07. ###### Verse 08. ###### Verse 09. ###### Verse 10. ###### Verse 11. ###### Verse 12. ###### Verse 13. ###### Verse 14. ###### Verse 15. ###### Verse 16. ## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights 1. Joshua made flint knives for the circumcision (5:2). Zipporah also used a flint knife (Exodus 4:25). 2. The generation born in the wilderness had not been circumcised (5:5-7). 3. Gilgal sounds like the Hebrew word for "roll" (*galal*), connected to the Lord rolling away Israel's disgrace (5:9). 4. The circumcision site was called Gibeath Haaraloth, "the hill of foreskins" (5:3). 5. Israel celebrated Passover on the fourteenth day of the month on the plains of Jericho (5:10). 6. The manna stopped after forty years (5:12; Exodus 16:35). 7. Circumcising the army right before battle left Israel vulnerable, a risk shown in Genesis 34:25. 8. The command to remove sandals (5:15) mirrors God's words to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:5). 9. The commander held a drawn sword (5:13), like the angel who confronted Balaam (Numbers 22:31). 10. The kings of the Amorites and Canaanites lost heart when they heard how the Lord dried up the Jordan (5:1). ## 🧠 Chapter Summary > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter Christ is often seen in the commander of the Lord's army, who accepted Joshua's worship and called the ground holy (5:13-15). Jesus is the pioneer of our salvation (Hebrews 2:10) and leads the armies of heaven (Revelation 19:11-14). ## 🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## 💬 Discussion Questions 1. Why did God require circumcision and Passover before the first battle (5:2-10)? 2. The manna stopped the day after Israel ate the produce of the land (5:12). How does God's provision change in different seasons? 3. The commander said He was not for Israel or their enemies but came as commander of the Lord's army (5:13-14). What is the difference between asking whether God is on our side and whether we are on His? ## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember - 📖 verse 9: The Lord rolls away the disgrace of Egypt, and the place is named Gilgal. - 📖 verse 12: The manna stops, and Israel eats the produce of Canaan. - 📖 verses 14-15: The commander of the Lord's army tells Joshua to remove his sandals, for the place is holy. ## 🔗 Related Passages/Cross Reference - 🔗 [[Exodus 03#Verse 05.|Exodus 3:5]] - Moses removes his sandals at the burning bush. - 🔗 [[Genesis 17#Verse 09.|Genesis 17:9-11]] - Circumcision as the covenant sign. - 🔗 [[Exodus 16#Verse 35.|Exodus 16:35]] - Israel ate manna for forty years. - 🔗 [[Revelation 19#Verse 11.|Revelation 19:11-14]] - Christ leads the armies of heaven. - 🔗 [[Colossians 02#Verse 11.|Colossians 2:11-12]] - Circumcision of the heart in Christ. ## 🙏 Devotional Reflection 📝 SOAP: [[Joshua 5 - SOAP|Get Things in the Right Order]] ## 📂 Internal Notes