Joshua 5

1 Now when all [every single one] the Amorite [a Canaanite tribe] kings west [toward the Mediterranean sea] of the Jordan and all [every] the Canaanite [descendants of Canaan] kings along [by, near] the coast [sea, Mediterranean] heard [listened, obeyed] how the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] had dried up [withened, made to disappear] the waters [liquid, source of refreshment] of the Jordan before [in the presence of] the Israelites [Jacob’s descendants] until [as far as, to the point] they had crossed over [passed, transitioned], their hearts [innermost part, mind and emotions] melted [wasted away, became weak] and their spirits [breath of life, mind and emotions] failed [ceased to be, disappeared] for fear [dread, reverence] of the Israelites. word study 2 At that [specific, appointed] time the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] said to Joshua [leader, savior], “Make [create, fashion] flint [stone, rock] knives [cutting instruments, swords] and circumcise [cut off, dedicate] the sons [descendants, children] of Israel [God’s chosen people] once [a second time] again.” word study 3 So Joshua [the leader, Yahweh is salvation] made [crafted, prepared] flint knives [stone knives, sharp tools] and circumcised [to cut off, remove the foreskin] the sons [descendants, children] of Israel [God’s chosen people] at Gibeath-haaraloth [the hill of foreskins, Gibeah of the uncircumcised]. word study 4 Now this [the reason, the explanation] is why Joshua [the leader, the one who helps] circumcised [performed the rite of, cut off] them: All those who came out [departed, left] of Egypt [the land of bondage, the nation]—all the men of war [soldiers, fighters, those who battled]—had died [passed away, perished] on the journey [the path, the way] in the wilderness [the desert, the barren land] after they had left [departed, gone out of] Egypt. word study 5 Though all [every single one] who had come out [from Egypt, as they departed] were circumcised [had received the covenant sign, were cut off from the flesh], none of those born [brought into existence, given life] in the wilderness [the desert, a place of testing] on the journey [the path, the way] from Egypt had been circumcised [given the covenant sign, cut off from the flesh]. word study 6 For the Israelites [children of Israel, descendants of Jacob] had wandered [traveled, roamed] in the wilderness [desert, open field] forty [a significant period of time, a generation] years, until all the nation’s [Gentile, large group] men of war [soldiers, fighting-men] who had come out [departed, escaped] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa] had died, since they did not obey [listen to, heed] the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God]. So the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] vowed [swore an oath, made a promise] never to let them see [show them, reveal to them] the land [earth, territory] He had sworn [promised, vowed] to their fathers [ancestors, forefathers] to give us, a land [country, region] flowing [abundant, rich] with milk and honey [a sweet and valuable food]. word study 7 And Joshua [the leader, Yahweh is salvation] raised up their sons [descendants, children] in their place, and these were the ones he circumcised [to cut off, dedicate to God]. Until this time they were still uncircumcised [without the covenant sign, uncommitted], since they had not been circumcised [marked as God’s people] along the way [on their journey, in their travels]. word study 8 And after all [the entire, every single one] the nation [Gentile, a large group of people] had been circumcised [to circumcise, cut off, or destroy], they stayed [to dwell, remain, or abide] there in the camp [a group of people, an army] until [till, as far as, or up to the point] they were healed [to live, revive, or be quickened, made whole]. word study 9 Then the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] said to Joshua [a leader, whose name means’God is salvation’], “Today [this day, at this moment] I have rolled away [removed, taken off] the reproach [shame, disgrace] of Egypt [the land of the Egyptians] from you [from upon you, from your midst].” So that place [location, region] has been called [named, designated] Gilgal [a wheel, rolling, a place of spiritual transformation] to this day [until now, continually]. word study 10 On the evening [at sunset, in the late afternoon] of the fourteenth day of the month, while the Israelites [sons of Israel, descendants of Jacob] were camped [encamped, dwelling] at Gilgal [in the region of Galilee] on the plains [in the lowlands, wilderness] of Jericho [the city of the moon], they kept [celebrated, observed] the Passover [the Jewish festival, a memorial of liberation]. word study 11 The day [morrow, tomorrow] after the Passover [the Jewish festival, a time of remembrance], on that very day [this specific day, a day of celebration], they ate [devoured, consumed] unleavened bread [a sweet bread made without yeast] and roasted [parched, cooked] grain [produce, stored grain] from the produce [stored grain, crops] of the land [the earth, a country, territory]. word study 12 And the day after [on the morrow, the next day] they had eaten from the produce [old corn, stored grain] of the land [the earth, the territory of Canaan], the manna [a special food from God, heavenly bread] ceased [stopped, came to an end]. There was no more [not any longer, none] manna [a gift from God, spiritual nourishment] for the Israelites [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people], so that year [in that period of time, during that season] they began to eat [devour, consume] the crops [fruit, produce] of the land [the earth, the territory] of Canaan [the promised land, the land of milk and honey]. word study 13 Now when Joshua [the leader] was near Jericho [a city of great spiritual significance], he looked up and saw a man [an angelic being, a divine messenger] standing in front of him with a drawn sword [a knife or cutting tool] in His hand. Joshua approached Him and asked, “Are You for us [on our side, for our benefit] or for our enemies [those who oppose us, our adversaries]?” word study 14 “Neither,” He replied [as a negative response, indicating a change in plans]. “I have now [at this present time, currently] come as Commander [leader, captain] of the LORD’s [Yehovah’s, the covenant God] army [host, large group of heavenly beings].” Then Joshua fell [prostrated himself, bowed down] facedown [with his face to the ground] in reverence [awe, worship] and asked Him, “What [what message, what instruction] does my Lord [Adonai, the sovereign Master] have to say [to speak, to communicate] to His servant [one who serves, a bondservant]?” word study 15 The Commander [Captain, Prince] of the LORD’s [Yehovah, the supreme God] army [host, large group] replied, “Take off [loose, remove] your sandals [shoes, foot coverings], for the place [location, sacred area] where you are standing [on which you stand, in this holy position] is holy [set apart, sacred].” And Joshua [leader, servant of God] did so [obeyed, acted in faith]. word study