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.
• 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.”
• New Living Translation (NLT)The Israelites had traveled in the wilderness for forty years until all the men who were old enough to fight in battle when they left Egypt had died. For they had disobeyed the Lord, and the Lord vowed he would not let them enter the land he had sworn to give us—a land flowing with milk and honey.

Context of Joshua 5:6

4Now this is why he did so: All those who came out of Egypt—all the men of military age—died in the wilderness on the way after leaving Egypt. 5All the people that came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness during the journey from Egypt had not. 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. 7So he raised up their sons in their place, and these were the ones Joshua circumcised. They were still uncircumcised because they had not been circumcised on the way. 8And after the whole nation had been circumcised, they remained where they were in camp until they were healed.

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 bodies will fall in this wilderness.
• Deuteronomy 1:3In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses proclaimed to the Israelites all that the Lord had commanded him concerning them.
• Deuteronomy 2:7The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.
• Deuteronomy 8:4Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years.
• Psalms 95:10For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways.’
• Jeremiah 2:2“Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem: “This is what the Lord says: “ ‘I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the wilderness, through a land not sown.
• Numbers 14:23not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it.
• Hebrews 3:11So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ ”
• Exodus 3:8So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.
• Ezekiel 20:6On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands.
• Joel 3:18“In that day the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk; all the ravines of Judah will run with water. A fountain will flow out of the Lord’s house and 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