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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Joshua 5:1-9

A vast show, no doubt, the numerous camp of Israel made in the plains of Jericho, where now they had pitched their tents. Who can count the dust of Jacob? That which had long been the church in the wilderness has now come up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved, and looks forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners. How terrible she was in the eyes of her enemies we are here told, Josh. 5:1. How fair and clear she was made in the eyes... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Joshua 5:10-12

We may well imagine that the people of Canaan were astonished, and that when they observed the motions of the enemy they could not but think them very strange. When soldiers take the field they are apt to think themselves excused from religious exercises (they have not time nor thought to attend to them), yet Joshua opens the campaign with one act of devotion after another. What was afterwards said to another Joshua might truly be said to this, Hear now, O Joshua! thou and thy fellows that sit... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 5:9

And the Lord said unto Joshua ,.... Out of the tabernacle: this day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you ; either the reproach of being reckoned office same religion with the Egyptians, they now having observed the command of the Lord, and thereby declared themselves to be his servants and worshippers, which sense Ben Gersom mentions; or else the reproach with which the Egyptians reproached them, that they were brought out from them into the wilderness for evil, to be... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 5:10

And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal ,.... Not after their circumcision, but before, and where they continued encamped during that, and until the passover had been kept by them; this was little more than a mile from Jericho; see Gill on Joshua 4:19 , and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even ; exactly as it was ordered to be observed, and was observed when first kept, Exodus 12:6 , in the plains of Jericho : a proper place both for their... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 5:11

And they did eat the old corn of the land ,.... That of the last year, as some versions F7 מעבור "de frumento praeteriti anni", Montanus; sic, Munster, Tigurine version, Vatablus. , which agree with ours; in which they seem to follow the Jewish writers, who, as particularly Kimchi, Gersom, and Ben Melech, interpret it of the old corn, for this reason, because they might not eat of the new until the wave sheaf was offered up, Leviticus 23:10 ; of which old corn they suppose the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 5:12

And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land ,.... There being now no further need of it; miracles are not wrought or continued when unnecessary; for the ceasing of the manna shows, that it was not a common but an extraordinary provision. The ceasing of the manna, which was a type of Christ, may signify the cessation of Gospel ordinances, in which Christ is held forth as food for his people. These are to continue till all the spiritual Israel of God... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 5:9

The reproach of Egypt - Their being uncircumcised made them like the uncircumcised Egyptians; and the Hebrews ever considered all those who were uncircumcised as being in a state of the grossest impurity. Being now circumcised, the reproach of uncircumcision was rolled away. This is another proof that the Israelites did not receive circumcision from the Egyptians; for they could not have considered those in a state of abomination, from whom they received that rite by which they... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 5:10

Kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month - If the ceremony of circumcision was performed on the eleventh day of the month, as many think; and if the sore was at the worst on the thirteenth, and the passover was celebrated on the fourteenth, the people being then quite recovered; it must have been rather a miraculous than a natural healing. We have already seen from the account of Sir J. Chardin, that it required about three weeks to restore to soundness adults... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 5:11

They did eat of the old corn of the land - The Hebrew word עבור abur , which we translate old corn, occurs only in this place in such a sense, if that sense be legitimate. The noun, though of doubtful signification, is evidently derived from עבר abar , to pass over, to go beyond; and here it may be translated simply the produce, that which passes from the land into the hands of the cultivator; or according to Cocceius, what passes from person to person in the way of... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 5:12

And the manna ceased - after they had eaten of the old corn - This miraculous supply continued with them as long as they needed it. While they were in the wilderness they required such a provision; nor could such a multitude, in such a place, be supported without a miracle. Now they are got into the promised land, the anathematized inhabitants of which either fall or flee before them, they find an old stock, and they are brought in just at the commencement of the... read more

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