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(A)On this occasion the Lord said to Joshua: Make flint knives and circumcise Israel for the second time. So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath-haaraloth.[a] This was the reason for the circumcision: Of all the people who had come out of Egypt, every male of military age had died in the wilderness(B) during the journey after they came out of Egypt. Though all the men who came out were circumcised, none of those born in the wilderness during the journey after the departure from Egypt were circumcised. Now the Israelites wandered forty years in the wilderness, until all the warriors among the people that came forth from Egypt died off because they had not listened to the voice of the Lord. For the Lord swore(C) that he would not let them see the land he had sworn to their ancestors to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. (D)It was the children God raised up in their stead whom Joshua circumcised, for these were yet with foreskins, not having been circumcised on the journey. When the circumcision of the entire nation was complete, they remained in camp where they were, until they recovered. Then the Lord said to Joshua: Today I have removed the reproach of Egypt from you.(E) Therefore the place is called Gilgal[b] to the present day.

10 (F)While the Israelites were encamped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they celebrated the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month.[c]

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Footnotes

  1. 5:3 Gibeath-haaraloth: “Hill of the Foreskins.”
  2. 5:9 The place is called Gilgal: by popular etymology, because of the similarity of sound with the Hebrew word gallothi, “I have removed.” Gilgal probably means “circle,” i.e., the place of the circle of standing stones. Cf. 4:4–8.
  3. 5:10 The month: the first month of the year, later called Nisan; see note on 3:15. The crossing of the Jordan occurred, therefore, about the same time of the year as did the crossing of the Red Sea; cf. Ex 12–14.

Circumcision and Passover at Gilgal

At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives(A) and circumcise(B) the Israelites again.” So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath Haaraloth.[a]

Now this is why he did so: All those who came out of Egypt—all the men of military age(C)—died in the wilderness on the way after leaving Egypt.(D) All the people that came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness during the journey from Egypt had not. The Israelites had moved about in the wilderness(E) forty years(F) until all the men who were of military age when they left Egypt had died, since they had not obeyed the Lord. For the Lord had sworn to them that they would not see the land he had solemnly promised their ancestors to give us,(G) a land flowing with milk and honey.(H) So he raised up their sons in their place, and these were the ones Joshua circumcised. They were still uncircumcised because they had not been circumcised on the way. And after the whole nation had been circumcised, they remained where they were in camp until they were healed.(I)

Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So the place has been called Gilgal[b](J) to this day.

10 On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month,(K) while camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the Passover.(L)

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Footnotes

  1. Joshua 5:3 Gibeath Haaraloth means the hill of foreskins.
  2. Joshua 5:9 Gilgal sounds like the Hebrew for roll.