Joshua 5:2

Joshua 5:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)At that time the Lord said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time.
• New International Version (NIV)At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites again.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)At that time the Lord said to Joshua, "Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time."
• New Living Translation (NLT)At that time the Lord told Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise this second generation of Israelites.”

Context of Joshua 5:2

1So 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. At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives for yourself, and circumcise the sons of Israel again the second time.” 3So Joshua made flint knives for himself, and circumcised the sons of Israel at the hill of the foreskins. 4And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: All the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way, after they had come out of Egypt.

Joshua 5:2 word by word

בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֗יא אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַ עֲשֵׂ֥ה לְךָ֖ חַֽרְב֣וֹת צֻרִ֑ים וְשׁ֛וּב מֹ֥ל אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל שֵׁנִֽית׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• At that timeעֵת‛êth · timeH6256
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto Joshuaיְהוֹשׁוּעַyehôshûa‛ yehôshûa‛ · JoshuaH3091
• Makeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
• thee sharpצוּרtsûr tsûr · rockH6697
• knivesחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
• and circumciseמָלַלmûl · to circumciseH4135
• againשׁוּבshûb · to return: againH7725
• the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• the second timeשֵׁנִיshênîy · secondH8145

Cross-references for Joshua 5:2

• Genesis 17:10This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised;
• Deuteronomy 10:16Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer.
• Deuteronomy 30:6And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.
• Romans 2:29but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.
• Romans 4:11And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also,
• Colossians 2:11In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,

Commentaries on Joshua 5:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Make thee sharp knives - צרים חרבות charboth tsurim, knives of rock, stone, or flint. Before the use of iron was common, all the nations of the earth had their edge-tools made of stones, flints, etc. In the lately discovered islands this is found to be a common case. Our ancestors in these countries made their arrow and spear-heads of flint: these I have often seen turned up by the plough. But we cannot suppose that at the time here referred to the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Make thee sharp knives - Render rather as marg., and compare marginal reference and note. Knives of flint or stone were in fact used for circumcision, and retained for that and other sacred purposes, even after iron had become in common use. The rendering of the margin is adopted by almost all ancient versions, by most commentators, and by the fathers generally, who naturally regarded circumcision performed by Joshua and by means of knives of stone or…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Before the Israelites turned their attention to Jericho, God directed Joshua to perform the covenant renewal ceremony of circumcising all the males born in the forty years since the exodus from Egypt. Because the land was part of the covenant promise, Israel’s men needed to demonstrate their personal participation in the covenant through circumcision in order to enter into the land. Flint occurs in nature without human shaping. For this reason, people…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2-122. At that time--on the encampment being made after the passage. the Lord said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives--Stone knives, collect and make them ready. Flints have been used in the early times of all people; and although the use of iron was known to the Hebrews in the days of Joshua, probably the want of a sufficient number of metallic implements dictated the employment of flints on this occasion (compare Ex 4:25). circumcise again the children of…Read the comment

Topics related to Joshua 5:2

• Circumcision
• Gilgal
• Revivals

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Joshua
• Children of Israel
• Circumcision
• Knife
• Loose
• Flint
• Foreskin
• Joshua, Book of
• Sacrifice

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