Joshua 5:8-9

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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 5:8

And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people ,.... Which seems as if it was done in one day, even on the same day they passed over Jordan, and came to Gilgal; though Bishop Usher F1 Annales Vet. Test. p. 38. thinks it was the day following; and so the Jews F2 Seder Olam Rabba, c. 11. p. 31. say it was on the eleventh of Nisan: that they abode in their places in the camp till they were whole : till the wound made by circumcision was healed; now as it was... 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

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 5:8

They abode - in the camp , till they were whole - This required several days; see the notes on Genesis 34:24 , Genesis 34:25 . Sir J. Chardin informs us that when adults were circumcised they were obliged to keep their beds for about three weeks, or at least during that time they are not able to walk about but with great difficulty. The account he had from several renegadoes, who had received circumcision among the Mohammedans. Is it not strange that during this time they... 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

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 5:9

Verse 9 9.And the Lord said unto Joshua, etc The disgrace of Egypt is expounded by some as meaning that the want of circumcision rendered them similar to the Egyptians, in other words, profane and marked with a stigma; as if it had been said that they were again made the peculiar property of God when they were anew stamped with this mark, to distinguish them from the nations that were unclean. Others understand it actively, as meaning that they would no longer be scorned by the Egyptians, as if... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Joshua 5:1-9

The great renewal of the covenant. Matthew Henry very felicitously quotes here and combines the two passages (So Matthew 8:5 and Matthew 6:10 ), "Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved, who looks forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?" Terrible as an army in the eyes of her enemies (verse 1); fair as the moon, clear as the sun, when the reproach of Egypt is rolled away (verse 9). I. ISRAEL ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Joshua 5:6-11

The Two Sacraments of the Old Covenant Circumcision and the passover were the two sacraments of the old covenant. The first set forth the truth that enrolment among the people of God must be accompanied with the putting away of evil. The second represented the past deliverance from the bondage of Egypt, and the future deliverance from all the perils of the wilderness by entrance into Canaan, and the final possession of the land of promise. On the eve of the decisive conflict, God commands... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Joshua 5:8

Till they were whole. Literally, till they revived, as in Genesis 20:7 ; 2 Kings 1:2 ; 2 Kings 8:8 . Objections have been raised (see Keil and Delitzsch in loc) to the possibility of this circumcision taking place in one day. But it has been shown by calculation that between one-third and one-fourth of the people who remained had been circumcised already, and that therefore such an operation as this could be performed with the utmost ease in a very short time. The word גוִו is... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Joshua 5:9

The reproach of Egypt. Either Keil incorrectly states that" the genitive always denotes the person from whom the reproach comes" (see Isaiah 54:4 , "the reproach of thy widowhood," i.e; the reproach which is cast upon thee for being a widow; Ezekiel 36:30 , "reproach of famine," i.e; the reproach which comes from being doomed to suffer famine). If we accept HOMILETICS read more

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