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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

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

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

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 5:10

Verse 10 10.And the children of Israel. kept the Passover, etc Here it is stated that the Passover was celebrated on the regular day, although there are some who think that the words used imply that the practice was unusual. They hence infer that, like circumcision, it had been interrupted for a period of forty years, as it would have been absurd for persons uncircumcised to take part in a sacred feast. To confirm this view, they observe that we do not read of the Passover having been observed... 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

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