Joshua 5:7-10

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Joshua 5:1-9

A vast show, no doubt, the numerous camp of Israel made in the plains of Jericho, where now they had pitched their tents. Who can count the dust of Jacob? That which had long been the church in the wilderness has now come up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved, and looks forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners. How terrible she was in the eyes of her enemies we are here told, Josh. 5:1. How fair and clear she was made in the eyes... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Joshua 5:10-12

We may well imagine that the people of Canaan were astonished, and that when they observed the motions of the enemy they could not but think them very strange. When soldiers take the field they are apt to think themselves excused from religious exercises (they have not time nor thought to attend to them), yet Joshua opens the campaign with one act of devotion after another. What was afterwards said to another Joshua might truly be said to this, Hear now, O Joshua! thou and thy fellows that sit... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 5:7

And the children whom he raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised ,.... Who were born to them in the wilderness, and succeeded them, some of which might be near forty years of age; as for those that were born before, of which there might be many now living, they had been circumcised already, but others, were not: for they were circumcised, because they had not circumcised them by the way ; or while journeying the forty years in the wilderness; which, as before observed, seems... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 5:8

And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people ,.... Which seems as if it was done in one day, even on the same day they passed over Jordan, and came to Gilgal; though Bishop Usher F1 Annales Vet. Test. p. 38. thinks it was the day following; and so the Jews F2 Seder Olam Rabba, c. 11. p. 31. say it was on the eleventh of Nisan: that they abode in their places in the camp till they were whole : till the wound made by circumcision was healed; now as it was... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 5:9

And the Lord said unto Joshua ,.... Out of the tabernacle: this day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you ; either the reproach of being reckoned office same religion with the Egyptians, they now having observed the command of the Lord, and thereby declared themselves to be his servants and worshippers, which sense Ben Gersom mentions; or else the reproach with which the Egyptians reproached them, that they were brought out from them into the wilderness for evil, to be... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 5:10

And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal ,.... Not after their circumcision, but before, and where they continued encamped during that, and until the passover had been kept by them; this was little more than a mile from Jericho; see Gill on Joshua 4:19 , and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even ; exactly as it was ordered to be observed, and was observed when first kept, Exodus 12:6 , in the plains of Jericho : a proper place both for their... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 5:8

They abode - in the camp , till they were whole - This required several days; see the notes on Genesis 34:24 , Genesis 34:25 . Sir J. Chardin informs us that when adults were circumcised they were obliged to keep their beds for about three weeks, or at least during that time they are not able to walk about but with great difficulty. The account he had from several renegadoes, who had received circumcision among the Mohammedans. Is it not strange that during this time they... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 5:9

The reproach of Egypt - Their being uncircumcised made them like the uncircumcised Egyptians; and the Hebrews ever considered all those who were uncircumcised as being in a state of the grossest impurity. Being now circumcised, the reproach of uncircumcision was rolled away. This is another proof that the Israelites did not receive circumcision from the Egyptians; for they could not have considered those in a state of abomination, from whom they received that rite by which they... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 5:10

Kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month - If the ceremony of circumcision was performed on the eleventh day of the month, as many think; and if the sore was at the worst on the thirteenth, and the passover was celebrated on the fourteenth, the people being then quite recovered; it must have been rather a miraculous than a natural healing. We have already seen from the account of Sir J. Chardin, that it required about three weeks to restore to soundness adults... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 5:9

Verse 9 9.And the Lord said unto Joshua, etc The disgrace of Egypt is expounded by some as meaning that the want of circumcision rendered them similar to the Egyptians, in other words, profane and marked with a stigma; as if it had been said that they were again made the peculiar property of God when they were anew stamped with this mark, to distinguish them from the nations that were unclean. Others understand it actively, as meaning that they would no longer be scorned by the Egyptians, as if... read more

Group of Brands