Joshua 5:6

Joshua 5:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For 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.
• New International Version (NIV)The Israelites had moved about in the wilderness forty years 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, a land flowing with milk and honey.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For the people of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished, because they did not obey the voice of the Lord; the Lord swore to them that he would not let them see the land that the Lord had sworn to their fathers to give to us, a land flowing with milk and honey.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people who were men of war, who came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they did not obey the voice of the Lord—to whom the Lord swore that He would not show them the land which the Lord had sworn to their fathers that He would give us, “a land flowing with milk and honey.”

Context of Joshua 5:6

4This is why Joshua had to circumcise them: All the men who were old enough to fight when they came out of Egypt had now died. They died in the desert as they travelled to Canaan. 5All those men who came out of Egypt had already been circumcised. But all the sons who were born on the journey through the desert had not been circumcised. The Israelites had travelled in the desert for 40 years. But all the men who were old enough to fight when they left Egypt had now died. This happened because they had not obeyed the Lord. The Lord had promised to give to them the land of Canaan, a land where there is plenty of food and drink. But he made a strong promise that those men would not see that land, because they had turned against him. 7Now Joshua circumcised their sons, who had taken their place. Their fathers had not circumcised them while they travelled in the desert. 8All of the Israelite men were circumcised. Then they stayed there in Gilgal until they were strong again.

Joshua 5:6 word by word

כִּ֣י׀ אַרְבָּעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֗ה הָלְכ֣וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ בַּמִּדְבָּר֒ עַד־תֹּ֨ם כָּל־הַגּ֜וֹי אַנְשֵׁ֤י הַמִּלְחָמָה֙ הַיֹּצְאִ֣ים מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־שָׁמְע֖וּ בְּק֣וֹל יְהוָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר נִשְׁבַּ֤ע יְהוָה֙ לָהֶ֔ם לְבִלְתִּ֞י הַרְאוֹתָ֣ם אֶת־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֩ נִשְׁבַּ֨ע יְהוָ֤ה לַֽאֲבוֹתָם֙ לָ֣תֶת לָ֔נוּ אֶ֛רֶץ זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָֽשׁ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• For the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• walkedהָלַךְhâlak · to go: walkH1980
• fortyאַרְבָּעִים'arbâ‛îym · fortyH705
• yearsשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
• in the wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
• till all the peopleגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
• menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
• of warמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
• which came outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• of Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
• were consumedתָּמַםtâmam · to finishH8552
• because they obeyedשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: obeyH8085
• not the voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• swareשָׁבַעshâba‛ · to swearH7650
• that he would not shewרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• them the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• unto their fathersאָב'âb · fatherH1
• that he would giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• that flowethזוּבzûb · to flow: flowingH2100
• with milkחָלָבchâlâb · milkH2461
• and honeyדְּבַשׁdebash · honeyH1706

Cross-references for Joshua 5:6

• Numbers 14:32But as for you, your dead bodies will fall to the ground in this desert.
• Deuteronomy 1:3Moses spoke to the Israelites on the first day of the 11th month, in the 40th year of their journey. He told the Israelites the message that the Lord had commanded him to speak.
• Deuteronomy 2:7I, the Lord your God, have blessed you in everything that you have done. I have taken care of you as you travelled through this great desert. I have been with you for 40 years. You have received everything that you needed.” ’
• Deuteronomy 8:4During those 40 years in the desert, your clothes did not spoil. Your feet did not become big with pain.
• Psalms 95:10So I was angry with those people all the time for 40 years. I said, “These people love to go the wrong way. They refuse to follow my ways.”
• Jeremiah 2:2He said, ‘Go and tell this to the people in Jerusalem: “This is what the Lord says: I remember how you used to love me when you were young. You loved me as a young wife loves her husband. You followed me through the wilderness, where no crops were growing.
• Numbers 14:23So I tell you, none of them will ever see the land that I promised to give to their ancestors. None of those men who did not trust me will see that place.
• Hebrews 3:11Because of that, I promised to punish them. Because I was angry with them, I said, “They will never arrive in my special place of rest.” ’
• Exodus 3:8So now I have come down to save them from the power of the Egyptians. I will bring them out from Egypt to go to another land. That will be a good land and a big land. The land will give them plenty of good food and drink, enough for everyone. These are the nations who live there now: the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites.
• Ezekiel 20:6On that day, I promised them that I would bring them out of Egypt. I promised to take them to a land that I had chosen for them. That land would give them plenty of good food and drink, enough for everyone. It was more beautiful than any other land.
• Joel 3:18In that day new wine will run from the mountains. And milk will run from the hills. All the valleys of Judah will have rivers of water. Water will come from the house of the Lord and it will water the Valley of Acacias.

Commentaries on Joshua 5:6

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4-7Verses 4-7 Of the whole nation those only were already circumcised at the time of the passage of the Jordan who had been under twenty years of age at the time of the complaining and consequent rejection at Kadesh (compare the marginal reference). These would have been circumcised before they left Egypt, and there would still survive of them more than a quarter of a million of thirty-eight years old and upward. The statements of these verses are of a…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-7This unexpected change in the story reminds us of Israel's earlier refusal to believe that God would safely bring them into Canaan (Numbers 14). This summary of God's judgment against their ancestors was a reminder to the current generation. They still needed to trust God in order to occupy the land their ancestors lost. Additionally, it marked the end of God's judgment on the previous generation.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4-74-7. this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise--The omission to circumcise the children born in the wilderness might have been owing to the incessant movements of the people; but it is most generally thought that the true cause was a temporary suspension of the covenant with the unbelieving race who, being rejected of the Lord, were doomed to perish in the wilderness, and whose children had to bear the iniquity of their fathers (Nu 14:33), though, as…Read the comment

Topics related to Joshua 5:6

• Circumcision
• Disobedience to God
• Gilgal
• Revivals

In the dictionaries

• Egypt
• Israel
• Egypt, Egyptian
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Children of Israel
• Circumcision
• Loose
• Milk
• Wandering

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