God’s Word Translation
Joshua 5:6
6For 40 years the Israelites wandered through the desert until all their soldiers who left Egypt died. They died because they disobeyed the Lord. The Lord swore that he would not let them see this land flowing with milk and honey which he had sworn to give our ancestors.
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 the reason Joshua circumcised them: All the soldiers had died on the way through the desert after they left Egypt. 5The men who left Egypt had been circumcised. However, the men born later, on the way through the desert, were not circumcised. For 40 years the Israelites wandered through the desert until all their soldiers who left Egypt died. They died because they disobeyed the Lord. The Lord swore that he would not let them see this land flowing with milk and honey which he had sworn to give our ancestors. 7The sons who took their place had not been circumcised on the way. So Joshua circumcised them. 8When all the men had been circumcised, they remained in the camp until they recovered.
Read all of Joshua 5Joshua 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 14:32However, your bodies will drop dead in this desert.
- Deuteronomy 1:3On the first day of the eleventh month in the fortieth year ⌞after they had left Egypt⌟, Moses told the Israelites everything the Lord had commanded him to tell them.
- Deuteronomy 2:7The Lord your God has blessed you in everything you have done. He has watched over you as you traveled through this vast desert. For 40 years now the Lord your God has been with you, and you haven’t needed a thing.
- Deuteronomy 8:4Your clothes didn’t wear out, and your feet didn’t swell these past 40 years.
- Psalms 95:10For 40 years I was disgusted with those people. So I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts continue to stray. They have not learned my ways.’
- Jeremiah 2:2“Go and announce to Jerusalem, ‘This is what the Lord says: I remember the unfailing loyalty of your youth, the love you had for me as a bride. I remember how you followed me into the desert, into a land that couldn’t be farmed.
- Numbers 14:23None of those who treat me with contempt will see it!
- Hebrews 3:11So I angrily took a solemn oath that they would never enter my place of rest.”
- Exodus 3:8I have come to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and to bring them from that land to a good land with plenty of room ⌞for everyone⌟. It is a land flowing with milk and honey where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites live.
- Ezekiel 20:6At that time I promised to bring them out of Egypt to a land that I had chosen for them. This land is the most beautiful land, a land flowing with milk and honey.
- Joel 3:18On that day new wine will cover the mountains. Milk will flow on the hills. Water will flow in all the brooks of Judah. A spring will flow from the Lord’s temple. It will water the valley of Shittim.
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
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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