Charles Ellicott Commentary Joshua 5
Charles Ellicott Commentary
Joshua 5
Charles Ellicott Commentary
Joshua 5
"And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, that were beyond the Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, that were by the sea, heard how that Jehovah had dried up the waters of the 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." — Joshua 5:1 (ASV)
The Amorites ... and ... Canaanites. —Two principal nations seem to be here mentioned as representatives of the rest.
We. —See Note on Joshua 5:6.
"And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, that were beyond the Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, that were by the sea, heard how that Jehovah had dried up the waters of the 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. At that time Jehovah said unto Joshua, Make thee knives of flint, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time. And Joshua made him knives of lint, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins. And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise: all the people that came forth out of Egypt, that were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came forth out of Egypt. For 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, they had not circumcised. For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the nation, even the men of war that came forth out of Egypt, were consumed, because they hearkened not unto the voice of Jehovah: unto whom Jehovah sware that he would not let them see the land which Jehovah sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. And their children, whom he raised up in their stead, them did Joshua circumcise: for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them by the way. And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the nation, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole. And Jehovah said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of that place was called Gilgal, unto this day." — Joshua 5:1-9 (ASV)
(20—5:9) It would seem that these verses all belong to one section. The use of the first person in Joshua 5:1, until we were passed over, is most naturally explained by taking the verse as part of what the Israelites were to say to their children by the command of Joshua. The difficulty has been met in the Hebrew Bible by a Masoretic reading, in which “they” is substituted for “we.” But the more difficult reading is to be preferred. There is nothing else in the section that creates any difficulty.
The twenty-third verse authorises a comparison between the passage of the Jordan and the passage of the Red Sea. As the one is called baptising unto Moses in the New Testament, we may call the other a baptising unto Joshua. (Compare the us in Joshua 4:23 with the we of Joshua 5:1.) The first person also appears in Joshua 4:6, that he would give us. It would appear that, besides explaining the erection of the stones, the Israelites were also to explain to their children the meaning of Gilgal, the place where the stones were, and this explanation is not completed until the end of Joshua 4:9.
"At that time Jehovah said unto Joshua, Make thee knives of flint, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time." — Joshua 5:2 (ASV)
THE CIRCUMCISION OF ISRAEL BY JOSHUA (Joshua 5:2–9).
Make you sharp knives. —Authorities are divided between the rendering “sharp knives” and “knives of flint.” The first seems best supported, as far as the meaning of the words is concerned. The expression is “knives of tsurim.” The word tsûr does not seem anywhere to be connected with the material of the tool, but rather with the edge of it. Knives of keen edge is, therefore, the better translation. At the same time they may have been stone knives in this instance.
The idea that they were so is supported by an addition in the Septuagint to Joshua 24:30: “They put with him (Joshua) into the tomb ... the knives of stone with which he circumcised the children of Israel ... and there they are to this day.” The ceremony being a kind of special consecration, it is not unlikely to have been performed with special instruments, which were not used before or after. Compare Psalm 89:43, “You have turned the tsûr (keen edge) of his sword”; 2 Samuel 2:16, “Helkath Hazzurim”—that is, the field of keen blades; Exodus 4:25, “Zipporah took a tzôr”; Ezekiel 3:9, “an adamant harder than tzôr.”
"And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise: all the people that came forth out of Egypt, that were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came forth out of Egypt." — Joshua 5:4 (ASV)
The reason Joshua circumcised. —As the narrative stands, it is not entirely obvious why uncircumcision is called “the reproach of Egypt,” whereas all the people born in Egypt were circumcised. The uncircumcision pertained to those who were born in the wilderness during the years of wandering. But that period of wandering, between the departure from Kadesh-barnea and the return to Kadesh (thirty-seven and a half years, Numbers 15–19, inclusive), is a kind of blank in the story of the Exodus.
The five chapters which belong to it in the Book of Numbers contain no note of progress as to time or place. The people had turned back in their hearts to Egypt (Acts 7:39; Numbers 14:4), and were bearing the reproach of their apostasy all those years, “the reproach of Egypt.” Suffering under the breach of promise of Jehovah (Numbers 14:34), they appear to have omitted the sign of the covenant, as though they were no longer the people of God. The passage of the Jordan was the practical proof of Israel’s restoration to Divine favour, and they were brought into covenant with Him once more.
"For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the nation, even the men of war that came forth out of Egypt, were consumed, because they hearkened not unto the voice of Jehovah: unto whom Jehovah sware that he would not let them see the land which Jehovah sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land flowing with milk and honey." — Joshua 5:6 (ASV)
Us. —The first person is used here as in Joshua 4:23; Joshua 5:7. The whole passage from Joshua 4:22 to Joshua 5:6 seems intended to be the reply of the fathers to the children.
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