Joshua 5
יהושע פרק ה׳
Section: נביאים · נביאים ראשונים | Book: Joshua | Chapter: 5 of 24 | Day: 5 of 742
Date: February 16, 2026
קלאוד על הנ״ך
Joshua chapter 5 marks a crucial transition: Israel has crossed the Jordan, and before the conquest can begin, three acts of spiritual preparation must take place. The chapter opens with the psychological impact of the Jordan crossing on the Canaanite kings—their hearts melted and their spirit was gone. Israel’s enemies are demoralized, yet God does not command an immediate attack. Instead, He commands circumcision.
The entire generation born in the wilderness had not been circumcised during the forty years of wandering. God commands Joshua to perform mass circumcision at Gilgal using flint knives (חַרְבוֹת צֻרִים). The text explains that the generation that left Egypt had been circumcised, but all the men of military age who left Egypt had died in the wilderness due to their disobedience. Their sons, born during the wandering, had never received the covenant sign. The place is named Gilgal, as God declares: “Today I have rolled away (גַּלּוֹתִי) the reproach of Egypt from upon you.” This wordplay connects the place name to the removal of shame—Israel is now fully covenanted and ready for their mission.
After the circumcision, the Israelites observe Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month in the plains of Jericho. The next day they eat from the produce of the land—unleavened bread and parched grain—and the manna, which had sustained them for forty years, ceases. The wilderness period is definitively over. Israel must now sustain itself from the Promised Land itself.
The chapter closes with a mysterious and powerful encounter. Joshua, near Jericho, sees a man standing before him with a drawn sword. Joshua challenges him: “Are you for us or for our enemies?” The figure responds: “Neither—I am the captain of God’s host.” Joshua falls on his face and is told to remove his sandals, for the ground is holy. This scene deliberately echoes Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:5), signaling that Joshua’s leadership carries divine authority. The angelic commander’s answer—“No”—reminds us that God does not take sides in human conflicts; rather, humans must align themselves with God’s purposes.
פרק ה׳ · Chapter 5
פסוק א׳ · Verse 1
Hebrew:
וַיְהִ֣י כִשְׁמֹ֣עַ כׇּל־מַלְכֵ֣י הָאֱמֹרִ֡י אֲשֶׁר֩ בְּעֵ֨בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֜ן יָ֗מָּה וְכׇל־מַלְכֵ֤י הַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־הַיָּ֔ם אֵ֠ת אֲשֶׁר־הוֹבִ֨ישׁ יְהֹוָ֜ה אֶת־מֵ֧י הַיַּרְדֵּ֛ן מִפְּנֵ֥י בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עַד־[עׇבְרָ֑ם] (עברנו) וַיִּמַּ֣ס לְבָבָ֗ם וְלֹא־הָ֨יָה בָ֥ם עוֹד֙ ר֔וּחַ מִפְּנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ {פ}
English:
When all the kings of the Amorites on the western side of the Jordan, and all the kings of the Canaanites near the Sea, heard how GOD had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the sake of the Israelites until they crossed over, they lost heart, and no spirit was left in them because of the Israelites.
פסוק ב׳ · Verse 2
Hebrew:
בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֗יא אָמַ֤ר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַ עֲשֵׂ֥ה לְךָ֖ חַֽרְב֣וֹת צֻרִ֑ים וְשׁ֛וּב מֹ֥ל אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל שֵׁנִֽית׃
English:
At that time GOD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and proceed with a second circumcision of the Israelites.”
פסוק ג׳ · Verse 3
Hebrew:
וַיַּעַשׂ־ל֥וֹ יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ חַֽרְב֣וֹת צֻרִ֑ים וַיָּ֙מׇל֙ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶל־גִּבְעַ֖ת הָעֲרָלֽוֹת׃
English:
So Joshua had flint knives made, and the Israelites were circumcised at Gibeath-haaraloth.aGibeath-haaraloth I.e., “the Hill of Foreskins.”
פסוק ד׳ · Verse 4
Hebrew:
וְזֶ֥ה הַדָּבָ֖ר אֲשֶׁר־מָ֣ל יְהוֹשֻׁ֑עַ כׇּל־הָעָ֣�� הַיֹּצֵא֩ מִמִּצְרַ֨יִם הַזְּכָרִ֜ים כֹּ֣ל ׀ אַנְשֵׁ֣י הַמִּלְחָמָ֗ה מֵ֤תוּ בַמִּדְבָּר֙ בַּדֶּ֔רֶךְ בְּצֵאתָ֖ם מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃
English:
This is the reason why Joshua had the circumcision performed: All the people who had come out of Egypt, all the males of military age, had died during the desert wanderings after leaving Egypt.
פסוק ה׳ · Verse 5
Hebrew:
כִּֽי־מֻלִ֣ים הָי֔וּ כׇּל־הָעָ֖ם הַיֹּצְאִ֑ים וְכׇל־הָ֠עָ֠ם הַיִּלֹּדִ֨ים בַּמִּדְבָּ֥ר בַּדֶּ֛רֶךְ בְּצֵאתָ֥ם מִמִּצְרַ֖יִם לֹא־מָֽלוּ׃
English:
Now, whereas all such people who came out of Egypt had been circumcised, none of those born after the exodus, during the desert wanderings, had been circumcised.
פסוק ו׳ · Verse 6
Hebrew:
כִּ֣י ׀ אַרְבָּעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֗ה הָלְכ֣וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ בַּמִּדְבָּר֒ עַד־תֹּ֨ם כׇּל־הַגּ֜וֹי אַנְשֵׁ֤י הַמִּלְחָמָה֙ הַיֹּצְאִ֣ים מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־שָׁמְע֖וּ בְּק֣וֹל יְהֹוָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר נִשְׁבַּ֤ע יְהֹוָה֙ לָהֶ֔ם לְבִלְתִּ֞י הַרְאוֹתָ֣ם אֶת־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֩ נִשְׁבַּ֨ע יְהֹוָ֤ה לַֽאֲבוֹתָם֙ לָ֣תֶת לָ֔נוּ אֶ֛רֶץ זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָֽשׁ׃
English:
For the Israelites had traveled in the wilderness forty years, until the entire nation—the men of military age who had left Egypt—had perished; because they had not obeyed GOD, and GOD had sworn never to let them see the land that GOD had sworn to their fathersbfathers See note at 1.6. to assign to us, a land flowing with milk and honey.
פסוק ז׳ · Verse 7
Hebrew:
וְאֶת־בְּנֵיהֶם֙ הֵקִ֣ים תַּחְתָּ֔ם אֹתָ֖ם מָ֣ל יְהוֹשֻׁ֑עַ כִּֽי־עֲרֵלִ֣ים הָי֔וּ כִּ֛י לֹֽא־מָ֥לוּ אוֹתָ֖ם בַּדָּֽרֶךְ׃
English:
But [God] had raised up their sons in their stead; and it was these that Joshua circumcised, for they were uncircumcised, not having been circumcised on the way.
פסוק ח׳ · Verse 8
Hebrew:
וַיְהִ֛י כַּאֲשֶׁר־תַּ֥מּוּ כׇל־הַגּ֖וֹי לְהִמּ֑וֹל וַיֵּשְׁב֥וּ תַחְתָּ֛ם בַּֽמַּחֲנֶ֖ה עַ֥ד חֲיוֹתָֽם׃ {פ}
English:
After the circumcising of the whole nation was completed, they remained where they were, in the camp, until they recovered.
פסוק ט׳ · Verse 9
Hebrew:
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַ הַיּ֗וֹם גַּלּ֛וֹתִי אֶת־חֶרְפַּ֥ת מִצְרַ֖יִם מֵעֲלֵיכֶ֑ם וַיִּקְרָ֞א שֵׁ֣ם הַמָּק֤וֹם הַהוּא֙ גִּלְגָּ֔ל עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃
English:
And GOD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt.”cdisgrace of Egypt I.e., of the Egyptian bondage. So that place was called Gilgal,dGilgal Interpreted as “rolling.” as it still is.
פסוק י״ · Verse 10
Hebrew:
וַיַּחֲנ֥וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בַּגִּלְגָּ֑ל וַיַּעֲשׂ֣וּ אֶת־הַפֶּ֡סַח בְּאַרְבָּעָה֩ עָשָׂ֨ר י֥וֹם לַחֹ֛דֶשׁ בָּעֶ֖רֶב בְּעַֽרְב֥וֹת יְרִיחֽוֹ׃
English:
Encamped at Gilgal, in the steppes of Jericho, the Israelites offered the passover sacrifice on the fourteenth day of the month, toward evening.
פסוק י״א · Verse 11
Hebrew:
וַיֹּ֨אכְל֜וּ מֵעֲב֥וּר הָאָ֛רֶץ מִמׇּחֳרַ֥ת הַפֶּ֖סַח מַצּ֣וֹת וְקָל֑וּי בְּעֶ֖צֶם הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃
English:
On the day after the passover offering, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the country, unleavened bread and parched grain.
פסוק י״ב · Verse 12
Hebrew:
וַיִּשְׁבֹּ֨ת הַמָּ֜ן מִֽמׇּחֳרָ֗ת בְּאׇכְלָם֙ מֵעֲב֣וּר הָאָ֔רֶץ וְלֹא־הָ֥יָה ע֛וֹד לִבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מָ֑ן וַיֹּאכְל֗וּ מִתְּבוּאַת֙ אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן בַּשָּׁנָ֖ה הַהִֽיא׃ {ס}
English:
On that same day,eOn that same day Lit. “on the day after.” when they ate of the produce of the land, the manna ceased. The Israelites got no more manna; that year they ate of the yield of the land of Canaan.
פסוק י״ג · Verse 13
Hebrew:
וַיְהִ֗י בִּֽהְי֣וֹת יְהוֹשֻׁ֘עַ֮ בִּֽירִיחוֹ֒ וַיִּשָּׂ֤א עֵינָיו֙ וַיַּ֔רְא וְהִנֵּה־אִישׁ֙ עֹמֵ֣ד לְנֶגְדּ֔וֹ וְחַרְבּ֥וֹ שְׁלוּפָ֖ה בְּיָד֑וֹ וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ יְהוֹשֻׁ֤עַ אֵלָיו֙ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔וֹ הֲלָ֥נוּ אַתָּ֖ה אִם־לְצָרֵֽינוּ׃
English:
Once, when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a figure standing before him, drawn sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and asked him, “Are you one of us or of our enemies?”
פסוק י״ד · Verse 14
Hebrew:
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ׀ לֹ֗א כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י שַׂר־צְבָֽא־יְהֹוָ֖ה עַתָּ֣ה בָ֑אתִי וַיִּפֹּל֩ יְהוֹשֻׁ֨עַ אֶל־פָּנָ֥יו אַ֙רְצָה֙ וַיִּשְׁתָּ֔חוּ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔וֹ מָ֥ה אֲדֹנִ֖י מְדַבֵּ֥ר אֶל־עַבְדּֽוֹ׃
English:
He replied, “No, I am captain of GOD’s host. Now I have come!” Joshua threw himself face down to the ground and, prostrating himself, said to him, “What does my lord command his servant?”
פסוק ט״ו · Verse 15
Hebrew:
וַיֹּ֩אמֶר֩ שַׂר־צְבָ֨א יְהֹוָ֜ה אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁ֗עַ שַׁל־נַֽעַלְךָ֙ מֵעַ֣ל רַגְלֶ֔ךָ כִּ֣י הַמָּק֗וֹם אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתָּ֛ה עֹמֵ֥ד עָלָ֖יו קֹ֣דֶשׁ ה֑וּא וַיַּ֥עַשׂ יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ כֵּֽן׃
English:
The captain of GOD’s host answered Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.