Joshua 5

Joshua 5 details Israel's spiritual preparation and re-consecration at Gilgal immediately following their crossing of the Jordan River, setting the stage for the military conquest of Canaan. The passage transitions from the fear of the enemy to the renewal of the covenant sign of circumcision, the celebration of the Passover, the cessation of manna, and a theophanic encounter with the Captain of the Lord's host.

• The Canaanite kings react with terror upon hearing how the Lord dried up the Jordan, leaving them dispirited.
• Joshua leads the Israelites in the renewal of circumcision at Gilgal, removing the 'reproach of Egypt' by restoring the covenant sign to the new generation.
• The nation celebrates the Passover in the land of Canaan, marking a transition from wilderness provisions (manna) to the fruits of the Promised Land.
• Joshua encounters the Captain of the Lord's host, receives a divine command to revere the holy ground, and submits to the Lord's military leadership.

• Kings of the Amorites and Canaanites (v. 1)
• The hill of the foreskins (v. 3)
• The reproach of Egypt (v. 9)
• Gilgal (v. 9)
• The transition from manna to the produce of the land (vv. 11-12)
• The Captain of the Lord's host (v. 14)

This passage highlights that Israel's military success is contingent upon covenantal faithfulness and submission to divine authority. It marks the transition from the wilderness state of dependency to the possession of the promise, emphasizing that the battle is the Lord's.

Before Israel could conquer the land, they had to be ritually and spiritually consecrated, recognizing that God, not Joshua, is the true Commander of the host.

The chapter moves from the external circumstances of enemy fear toward an internal focus on covenant identity, culminating in a direct encounter with divine leadership.

• The implication of God's covenant with the fathers to give the land (v. 6)
• The restoration of covenant standing: 'This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt' (v. 9)

• Make thee sharp knives and circumcise (v. 2)
• Loose thy shoe from off thy foot (v. 15)

• The implicit warning found in the account of the previous generation who died in the wilderness because they 'obeyed not the voice of the Lord' (v. 6)

• The 'reproach of Egypt' (v. 9) likely refers to the Egyptian view that Israel was either a runaway slave people or a group that God had abandoned to die in the desert (cf. Ex 32:12; Num 14:13-16).
• Gilgal becomes the base of operations for the campaign into Canaan.

• Circumcision (מוּל - H4135) was the distinctive mark of the covenant between God and Abraham's descendants (Genesis 17). Neglecting it in the wilderness made the generation distinctively 'un-covenanted' in their outward sign.

• This chapter bridges the miraculous entry into the land (Joshua 3-4) and the beginning of the conquest of Jericho (Joshua 6).

• The appearance of the 'Captain of the Lord's host' mirrors the commissioning of Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:5), establishing Joshua as the legitimate successor to Moses by echoing the same call to holiness.
• Matthew Henry observes that Christ will be to his people what their faith needs, noting that this Captain appears with a sword drawn, ready to defend and save his people.

• Genesis 17:10-14 (The institution of circumcision)
• Exodus 12 (The Passover)
• Exodus 3:5 (The command to remove shoes on holy ground)
• Revelation 22:8-9 (Angels refuse worship; the Captain of the Host accepts it, supporting the interpretation that this is a pre-incarnate appearance of the Son of God).

• כֹּל (kol) [H3605]: Used in v.1 to emphasize 'all' the kings, showing the widespread impact of the crossing of the Jordan.
• מֶלֶךְ (melek) [H4428]: Denotes the royal power of the Canaanite inhabitants.
• צוּר (tsur) [H6697]: Properly a cliff or sharp rock, used here to describe the material of the knives used for circumcision.
• חֶרֶב (chereb) [H2719]: Generally a cutting instrument or sword, here specifically used for the act of circumcision (v. 2).
• רוּחַ (ruach) [H7307]: In v.1, used to describe the 'spirit' or courage that left the Canaanites.

• The manna did not stop because God forgot to provide, but because the need for miraculous provision had ended; they were now in the land and eating its fruit.
• Joshua's question to the Captain, 'Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?', assumes a binary allegiance, but the Captain corrects him by claiming the position of leadership over the entire conflict.

• Regarding the identity of the 'Captain of the Lord's host': Historically, there is a split between those who argue this is a created angel (given the title) and those who argue this is a Christophany (a pre-incarnate appearance of the Son of God). The primary argument for the Christophany is that he accepts Joshua's worship (v. 14) and claims ownership of the host (the Lord's army), whereas angels elsewhere strictly refuse worship.