Study notes

Joshua 5

Introducing JoshuaWho wrote it, when, why, and what to look for as you read

3:1–5:12 Section

When God saved the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, he did a miracle with water.

God divided the water of the Red Sea and the Israelites walked through on dry ground. God did another miracle with water to bring his people into Canaan. He stopped the flow of the River Jordan. Once again the Israelites walked through on dry ground.

The ark of the covenant was a sign that God was with them as they crossed the river. The Canaanite rulers were terrified when they learnt what had happened.

In Gilgal, the Israelites set up 12 stones collected from the riverbed. The stones would remind them to teach their children what God had done for them.

Also in Gilgal, the Israelites obeyed God’s instructions about circumcising men. This was a sign that they were committed to the Mount Sinai covenant.

When the Israelites celebrated the Passover Feast, they no longer ate manna. They ate food grown in Canaan. This showed that God was keeping one of his promises to Abraham. It was the promise to give that land to Abraham’s family line.

5:1

  • After hearing that Israel crossed the Jordan River, all of southern Canaan was in a state of alert, expecting an invasion.

  • The Canaanites became completely terrified by Israel's amazing crossing of the Jordan River. They realized they were going to encounter a people whose God was more powerful than any false gods they worshiped.

5:2

  • Before the Israelites turned their attention to Jericho, God directed Joshua to perform the covenant renewal ceremony of circumcising all the males born in the forty years since the exodus from Egypt. Because the land was part of the covenant promise, Israel’s men needed to demonstrate their personal participation in the covenant through circumcision in order to enter into the land.

  • Flint occurs in nature without human shaping. For this reason, people used flint knives for circumcision as a symbol of purity and holiness.

5:3

The name Gibeath-haaraloth means "hill of foreskins." This suggests the circumcision ceremony happened on a hill near Israel's camp at Gilgal.

5:4–7

This unexpected change in the story reminds us of Israel's earlier refusal to believe that God would safely bring them into Canaan (Numbers 14). This summary of God's judgment against their ancestors was a reminder to the current generation. They still needed to trust God in order to occupy the land their ancestors lost. Additionally, it marked the end of God's judgment on the previous generation.

5:8

until they were healed: Recovery from circumcision, which was a minor surgery, usually takes about three days if there are no complications.

5:9

Gilgal sounds like the Hebrew word galal, which means "to roll." At this place, God removed the shame of Egypt from his people.

5:10

  • The Israelites killed the Passover lamb on the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month. Just as the Passover in Egypt marked the exodus from slavery, the celebration of this Passover in Canaan marked the attainment of the goal God had been leading the Israelites toward. This Passover also anticipated God's promised rest for his people in their new land.

  • This was apparently the first Passover feast Israel celebrated since camping at Mount Sinai (Numbers 9:1–5). For the younger Israelites, it was their first Passover feast ever. For the older ones, it was their first since childhood.

    Celebrating Passover after such a long break increased both the joy and the serious nature of the occasion. This was especially true because it was before the campaign to capture the land God promised to give the Israelites.

5:11

Israel again celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which lasts seven days after Passover (Leviticus 23:6). During this time, the people ate unleavened bread and roasted grain, a common food at harvest time (see Ruth 2:14).

5:12

Israel harvested the crops that the people of Jericho did not have time to harvest before Israel crossed the Jordan.

5:13

Joshua was scouting the land and the city’s defenses near the town of Jericho to follow up on the report of the two spies (2:23–24). Joshua showed personal courage when he went toward the unknown man, who was holding a sword in his hand.

5:13–15

The commander of the LORD’s army gave Joshua instructions for the attack of Jericho (6:2–5). Like God's earlier message to Joshua, this meeting intended to encourage Joshua before confronting the enemy (1:1–9).

5:13–8:29 Section

The commander of the Lord’s army was a spiritual being. He made something clear to Joshua.

The Israelites’ battles in Canaan weren’t simply a way to take control of the land. And they weren’t to be fought in the way wars were usually fought between people groups. The battles were ways that God would bring judgement against the Canaanites. God chose to work through the Israelites to bring this judgement.

Sometimes God did all the fighting. Other times the Israelites had to plan and fight while still depending on God. When they obeyed God, the Israelites had success in battle. This meant that the Canaanites were destroyed. Many years before God had warned that the Canaanites would be judged. This was recorded in Genesis 15:16.

The Israelites had success in the battle against Jericho. They also won the second battle against Ai. When the Israelites didn’t obey God, they didn’t have success. This meant that the Israelites were destroyed instead of the Canaanites. This happened in the first battle against Ai.

Achan had kept things from Jericho that were set apart for the Lord. God didn’t allow the Israelites to keep everything that had belonged to the Canaanites. In some battles, everything and every living being was to be destroyed. Other times some things were to be destroyed and some things the Israelites could keep.

5:14

  • When Joshua realized who was standing before him, he fell facedown in reverence. This action showed that Joshua was ready to serve God fully and without reservation.

  • Scholars disagree about who this commander was. Some think he was an appearance of God, others think he was Christ before becoming human, and others think he was an angel. The commander called himself the leader of the Lord’s army, which may suggest that he was an angel. However, he did not stop Joshua from worshiping him, as angels usually do (for example, Revelation 22:8–9; compare Acts 10:25–26).

5:15

Take off your sandals, for the place … is holy: This was what God told Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:5). Joshua clearly recognized the connection. This encounter assured him of God’s blessing on Israel’s first action against Canaan.

Verse notes: Adapted by Mission Mutual (Aquifer Open Study Notes) from Tyndale Open Study Notes © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. CC BY-SA 4.0. Section notes: Biblica Study Notes © 2023 Biblica, Inc. CC BY-SA 4.0, via BibleAquifer. About the sources