EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Joshua 5:1
1Many people heard how the Lord had caused the Jordan River to become dry. This included all the Amorite kings on the west side of the Jordan River, and all the Canaanite kings who lived near the sea. They heard how the Lord had made the river become dry until all the Israelites had crossed to the other side. So the kings became very afraid of the Israelite people. They felt too weak to fight against them.
Joshua 5:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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 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.
- New International Version (NIV)Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the Lord had dried up the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over, their hearts melted in fear and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites.
- English Standard Version (ESV)As soon as all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the people of Israel until they had crossed over, their hearts melted and there was no longer any spirit in them because of the people of Israel.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So it was, when all the kings of the Amorites who were on the west side of the Jordan, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel until we had crossed over, that their heart melted; and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the children of Israel.
Context of Joshua 5:1
Many people heard how the Lord had caused the Jordan River to become dry. This included all the Amorite kings on the west side of the Jordan River, and all the Canaanite kings who lived near the sea. They heard how the Lord had made the river become dry until all the Israelites had crossed to the other side. So the kings became very afraid of the Israelite people. They felt too weak to fight against them. 2The Lord said to Joshua at that time, ‘Make knives of stone and circumcise the Israelite men.’ 3So Joshua made the knives and he circumcised the men at Gibeath Haaraloth.
Read all of Joshua 5Joshua 5:1 word by word
וַיְהִ֣י כִשְׁמֹ֣עַ כָּל־מַלְכֵ֣י הָאֱמֹרִ֡י אֲשֶׁר֩ בְּעֵ֨בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֜ן יָ֗מָּה וְכָל־מַלְכֵ֤י הַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־הַיָּ֔ם אֵ֠ת אֲשֶׁר־הוֹבִ֨ישׁ יְהוָ֜ה אֶת־מֵ֧י הַיַּרְדֵּ֛ן מִפְּנֵ֥י בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עַד־עָבְרָ֑ם וַיִּמַּ֣ס לְבָבָ֗ם וְלֹא־הָ֨יָה בָ֥ם עוֹד֙ ר֔וּחַ מִפְּנֵ֖י בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And it came to pass, when all the kingsמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- of the Amoritesאֱמֹרִי'ĕmôrîy · AmoriteH567
- on the sideעֵ֫בֶר‛êber · side: beyondH5676
- of Jordanיַרְדֵּןyardên · JordanH3383
- westwardיָםyâm · sea: westH3220
- of the Canaanitesכְּנַעֲנִיkena‛anîy · CanaaniteH3669
- by the seaיָםyâm · seaH3220
- heardשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- that the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- had dried upיָבֵשׁyâbêsh · to witherH3001
- the watersמַיmayim · waterH4325
- from beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- until we were passed overעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
- that their heartלֵבָבlêbâb · heartH3824
- meltedמָסַסmâsas · to meltH4549
- neither was there spiritרוּחַrûach · spiritH7307
- in them any more, becauseפָּנֶהpânîym · face: becauseH6440
Cross-references for Joshua 5:1
- Joshua 12:9Joshua took the land of these kings: king of Jericho, king of Ai (near Bethel),
- Joshua 24:15But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then you should choose another god to worship. Decide today! Will you serve the gods that your ancestors worshipped across the river? Will you serve the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are now living? You choose! But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.’
- Genesis 10:15Canaan was the father of Sidon, who was born first. Canaan was also the ancestor of the Hittites,
- Genesis 15:18On that day, the Lord made a covenant with Abram. The Lord promised, ‘I give this land to your descendants. The land starts from the river of Egypt and continues as far as the River Euphrates.
- Genesis 48:22I give to you more than I give to your brothers. I give to you the good part of the land that I took from the Amorites. I fought against them with my weapons to take that land.’
- Jeremiah 11:23All those men in Anathoth who wanted to kill you will die. At the right time, I will punish them with great trouble.’
- 2 Samuel 21:2The Gibeonites were not descendants of Israel. They were the only Amorite people who still lived. The Israelites had promised not to kill them. But Saul thought that he should kill them. He thought that this would help Israel and Judah to rule their land. Now King David told the Gibeonites to come to speak with him.
- Ezekiel 16:3Say to them, “This is what the Almighty Lord says to Jerusalem's people: You were born in the land of Canaan. That is where you came from. Your father was an Amorite and your mother was a Hittite.
- Amos 2:9Remember the Amorites. They were big and strong. They were like the tallest cedar trees and the strongest oak trees. But I destroyed all of them.
- Joshua 17:12But the men of Manasseh could not chase out the people who lived in those cities. So the Canaanite people continued to live there.
- Genesis 12:6Abram walked through the land. He went as far as Shechem, to the special oak tree of Moreh. At that time, Canaanites lived in this land.
- Exodus 23:28I will send great fear on the people as you move into the land. That will chase out the Hivites, the Canaanites and the Hittites.
- Judges 1:1After Joshua had died, the Israelites asked the Lord, ‘Which of our tribes should be the first to attack the Canaanites?’
- Judges 4:2So the Lord put them under the power of King Jabin. He was a Canaanite king who ruled in Hazor. The leader of Jabin's army was called Sisera. Sisera lived in Harosheth Haggoyim.
- Ezra 9:1When we had done all these things, the Jewish leaders came to speak to me. They said, ‘Some of the Israelites have done disgusting things, like the people of other nations do. Some priests and Levites have done the same bad things. They live in the same way as the other people who live in this land, the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites. They have not kept themselves separate.
- Psalms 135:11He killed Sihon, the king of the Amorites. He killed Og, the king of Bashan, and all the other kings of Canaan.
Commentaries on Joshua 5:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1The Amorites which were on the side of Jordan westward - It has already been remarked that the term Amorite is applied sometimes to signify all the nations or tribes of Canaan. It appears from this verse that there were people thus denominated that dwelt on both sides of the Jordan. Those on the east side had already been destroyed in the war which the Israelites had with Sihon and Og; with those on the west side Joshua had not yet waged war. It is…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1The Amorites were the principal of those nations which occupied the hill country of Judaea (Genesis 10:16 note); the Canaanites of those that dwelt on the coast and low lands. These words are therefore equivalent to “all the kings of the highlanders, and all the kings of the lowlanders:” i. e. the kings of all the tribes of the country. Until we were passed over - The use of the first person has been noted here, and in Joshua 5:6 (compare Acts 16:10), as…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The Canaanites are afraid, Circumcision renewed. (1-9) The passover at Gilgal, The manna ceases. (10-12) The Captain of the Lord's host appears to Joshua. (13-15) Verses 1-9 How dreadful is their case, who see the wrath of God advancing towards them, without being able to turn it aside, or escape it! Such will be the horrible situation of the wicked; nor can words express the anguish of their feelings, or the greatness of their terror. Oh that they would…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1After hearing that Israel crossed the Jordan River, all of southern Canaan was in a state of alert, expecting an invasion. The Canaanites became completely terrified by Israel's amazing crossing of the Jordan River. They realized they were going to encounter a people whose God was more powerful than any false gods they worshiped.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 11. 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--Under the former designation were included the people who inhabited the mountainous region, and under the latter those who were on the seacoast of Palestine. heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of Jordan ... that their heart melted--They had probably reckoned on the swollen river interposing for a time a sure barrier…Read the comment
Topics related to Joshua 5:1
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Joshua 5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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