The big picture
Joshua 5 opens in verse 1 with “And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 8 with “And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in…”, and closes in verse 15 with “And the captain of the LORD’s host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot…” Repeated or prominent terms include Joshua, children, LORD, Israel, circumcised. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Joshua · King James Version · 15Joshua 5:1-8
1–8: It came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the…
Joshua 5:1–8 opens with “And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan…” and reaches “And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Passover at Gilgal and Joshua encountering the captain of the Lord’s host, with particular weight carried by children, circumcised, Israel.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings…” This familiar narrative signal moves the clock forward. What follows is a new scene, consequence, or answer to an earlier tension.
“And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.” Naming Israel and Joshua keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“Now all the people that came out were circumcised: but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as…” Naming Egypt keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And their children, whom he raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised: for they were uncircumcised, because…” Naming Joshua keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till…” This familiar narrative signal moves the clock forward. What follows is a new scene, consequence, or answer to an earlier tension.
Joshua 5:1-8
King James Version1And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel.
2At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time.
3And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.
4And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise: All the people that came out of Egypt, that were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of Egypt.
5Now all the people that came out were circumcised: but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised.
6For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD : unto whom the LORD sware that he would not shew them the land, which the LORD sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey.
7And their children, whom he raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised: for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them by the way.
8And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole.
Joshua 5:9-15
9–15: The LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of…
Joshua 5:9–15 opens with “And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you…” and reaches “And the captain of the LORD’s host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Passover at Gilgal and Joshua encountering the captain of the Lord’s host, with particular weight carried by Joshua, corn, land.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 2 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of…” Naming Egypt and Gilgal keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the…” Naming Gilgal and Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in…” The line’s distinctive content terms include corn, cakes, land. Its relationship to verses 10 and 12 shows what work it does in this passage.
Joshua 5:9-15
King James Version9And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day.
10And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho.
11And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day.
12And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
13And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?
14And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?
15And the captain of the LORD’s host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Joshua 5:1 begins with “And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the…”
Where the chapter turns
Joshua 5:8 forms a natural hinge: “And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole.”
The final note
Joshua 5:15 leaves the reader with “And the captain of the LORD’s host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words Joshua, children, LORD, Israel, circumcised, Egypt help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
What does the repeated ending make readers feel?
Death becomes the chapter's persistent refrain, even as generation follows generation.
What two interruptions offer hope?
Enoch's walk with God and Lamech's hope attached to Noah.
KJV words made clear
- behold
- look, or pay close attention
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.