Joshua 5 is the fifth
chapter
Chapter or Chapters may refer to:
Books
* Chapter (books), a main division of a piece of writing or document
* Chapter book, a story book intended for intermediate readers, generally age 7–10
* Chapters (bookstore), Canadian big box bookstore ...
of the
Book of Joshua
The Book of Joshua is the sixth book in the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament, and is the first book of the Deuteronomistic history, the story of Israel from the conquest of Canaan to the Babylonian captivity, Babylonian exile. It tells of the ...
in the
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;["Tanach"](_blank)
. '' Old Testament
The Old Testament (OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew and occasionally Aramaic writings by the Isr ...
of the
Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
Bible
The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...
. According to Jewish tradition, the book was attributed to
Joshua
Joshua ( ), also known as Yehoshua ( ''Yəhōšuaʿ'', Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: ''Yŏhōšuaʿ,'' Literal translation, lit. 'Yahweh is salvation'), Jehoshua, or Josue, functioned as Moses' assistant in the books of Book of Exodus, Exodus and ...
, with additions by the high priests
Eleazar
Eleazar (; ) or Elazar was a priest in the Hebrew Bible, the second High Priest, succeeding his father Aaron after he died. He was a nephew of Moses.
Biblical narrative
Eleazar played a number of roles during the course of the Exodus, from ...
and
Phinehas
According to the Hebrew Bible, Phinehas (also spelled Phineas, ; , ''Phinees'', ) was a priest during the Exodus. The grandson of Aaron and son of Eleazar, the High Priests (), he distinguished himself as a youth at Shittim with his zeal again ...
,
[Gilad, Elon]
Who Really Wrote the Biblical Books of Kings and the Prophets?
''Haaretz'', June 25, 2015. Summary: The paean to King Josiah and exalted descriptions of the ancient Israelite empires beg the thought that he and his scribes lie behind the Deuteronomistic History. but modern scholars view it as part of the Deuteronomistic History, which spans the
books of Deuteronomy to
2 Kings
The Book of Kings (, '' Sēfer Məlāḵīm'') is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books (1–2 Kings) in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. It concludes the Deuteronomistic history, a history of ancient Israel also including ...
, attributed to nationalistic and devotedly Yahwistic writers during the time of the reformer Judean king
Josiah
Josiah () or Yoshiyahu was the 16th king of Judah (–609 BCE). According to the Hebrew Bible, he instituted major religious reforms by removing official worship of gods other than Yahweh. Until the 1990s, the biblical description of Josiah’s ...
in 7th century BCE.
[ This chapter focuses on the circumcision and Passover of the Israelites after crossing the ]Jordan River
The Jordan River or River Jordan (, ''Nahr al-ʾUrdunn''; , ''Nəhar hayYardēn''), also known as ''Nahr Al-Sharieat'' (), is a endorheic river in the Levant that flows roughly north to south through the Sea of Galilee and drains to the Dead ...
under the leadership of Joshua
Joshua ( ), also known as Yehoshua ( ''Yəhōšuaʿ'', Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: ''Yŏhōšuaʿ,'' Literal translation, lit. 'Yahweh is salvation'), Jehoshua, or Josue, functioned as Moses' assistant in the books of Book of Exodus, Exodus and ...
, a part of a section comprising Joshua 1:1–5:12 about the entry to the land of Canaan
CanaanThe current scholarly edition of the Greek Old Testament spells the word without any accents, cf. Septuaginta : id est Vetus Testamentum graece iuxta LXX interprets. 2. ed. / recogn. et emendavit Robert Hanhart. Stuttgart : Dt. Bibelges ...
, and the meeting of Joshua with the Commander of the Lord's army near
Text
This chapter was originally written in the Hebrew language
Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and remained in regular use as a first language unti ...
. It is divided into 15 verses.
Textual witnesses
Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew
Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...
are of the Masoretic Text
The Masoretic Text (MT or 𝕸; ) is the authoritative Hebrew and Aramaic text of the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible (''Tanakh'') in Rabbinic Judaism. The Masoretic Text defines the Jewish canon and its precise letter-text, with its vocaliz ...
tradition, which includes the Codex Cairensis
The Codex Cairensis (also: ''Codex Prophetarum Cairensis'', ''Cairo Codex of the Prophets'') is a Hebrew manuscript containing the complete text of the Hebrew Bible's Nevi'im (Prophets). It has traditionally been described as "the oldest dated He ...
(895), Aleppo Codex
The Aleppo Codex () is a medieval bound manuscript of the Hebrew Bible. The codex was written in the city of Tiberias in the tenth century CE (circa 920) under the rule of the Abbasid Caliphate, and was endorsed for its accuracy by Maimonides. ...
(10th century), and Codex Leningradensis (1008). Fragments containing parts of this chapter in Hebrew were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls
The Dead Sea Scrolls, also called the Qumran Caves Scrolls, are a set of List of Hebrew Bible manuscripts, ancient Jewish manuscripts from the Second Temple period (516 BCE – 70 CE). They were discovered over a period of ten years, between ...
including 4Q47 (4QJosh; 200–100 BCE) with extant verses 1?, 2–7.[Dead sea scrolls - Joshua]
/ref>
Extant ancient manuscripts of a translation into Koine Greek
Koine Greek (, ), also variously known as Hellenistic Greek, common Attic, the Alexandrian dialect, Biblical Greek, Septuagint Greek or New Testament Greek, was the koiné language, common supra-regional form of Greek language, Greek spoken and ...
known as the Septuagint
The Septuagint ( ), sometimes referred to as the Greek Old Testament or The Translation of the Seventy (), and abbreviated as LXX, is the earliest extant Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible from the original Biblical Hebrew. The full Greek ...
(originally was made in the last few centuries BCE) include Codex Vaticanus
The Codex Vaticanus ( The Vatican, Bibl. Vat., Vat. gr. 1209), is a manuscript of the Greek Bible, containing the majority of the Old Testament and the majority of the New Testament. It is designated by siglum B or 03 in the Gregory-Aland numb ...
(B; B; 4th century) and Codex Alexandrinus
The Codex Alexandrinus (London, British Library, Royal MS 1. D. V-VIII) is a manuscript of the Greek Bible,The Greek Bible in this context refers to the Bible used by Greek-speaking Christians who lived in Egypt and elsewhere during the early ...
(A; A; 5th century). Fragments of the Septuagint
The Septuagint ( ), sometimes referred to as the Greek Old Testament or The Translation of the Seventy (), and abbreviated as LXX, is the earliest extant Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible from the original Biblical Hebrew. The full Greek ...
Greek text containing this chapter is found in manuscripts such as Washington Manuscript I (5th century CE), and a reduced version of the Septuagint text is found in the illustrated Joshua Roll
The Joshua Roll is a Byzantine art, Byzantine illuminated manuscript of highly unusual format, probably of the 10th century Macedonian Renaissance, believed to have been created by artists of the imperial workshops in Constantinople, and now in ...
.[Facsimiles of Illuminated Manuscripts of the Medieval Period](_blank)
. Only contains Joshua chapter II to the end of chapter X
Analysis
The narrative of Israelites entering the land of Canaan comprises verses 1:1 to 5:12 of the Book of Joshua and has the following outline:
:A. Preparations for Entering the Land (1:1–18)
:B. Rahab and the Spies in Jericho (2:1–24)
:C. Crossing the Jordan (3:1–4:24)
:D. Circumcision and Passover (5:1–12)
::1. Canaanite Fear (5:1)
::2. Circumcision (5:2–9)
::3. Passover (5:10–12)
The second section of the book contains the narratives of Israelites conquering the land of Canaan comprising verses 5:13 to 12:24 and has the following outline:
:A. Jericho (5:13–6:27)
::1. Joshua and the Commander of the Lord's Army (5:13–15)
::2. Instructions for Capturing the City (6:1–5)
::3. Obeying the Instructions (6:6–21)
::4. The Deliverance of Rahab's Family and the City's Destruction (6:22–25)
::5. Curse and Renown (6:26–27)
:B. Achan and Ai (7:1–8:29)
:C. Renewal at Mount Ebal (8:30–35)
:D. The Gibeonite Deception (9:1–27)
:E. The Campaign in the South (10:1–43)
:F. The Campaign in the North and Summary List of Kings (11:1–12:24)
Circumcision of the new generation (5:1–9)
The main subject of chapter 5 is "beginning in new land", as the people of Israel finally entered the promised land "flowing with milk and honey" (verse 6), the male population having circumcision
Circumcision is a procedure that removes the foreskin from the human penis. In the most common form of the operation, the foreskin is extended with forceps, then a circumcision device may be placed, after which the foreskin is excised. T ...
, then the timely and correct celebration of the Passover
Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holidays, Jewish holiday and one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals. It celebrates the Exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Biblical Egypt, Egypt.
According to the Book of Exodus, God in ...
(cf. Exodus 12:43–49), followed by the cessation of Manna
Manna (, ; ), sometimes or archaically spelled Mahna or Mana, is described in the Bible and the Quran as an edible substance that God in Abrahamic religions, God bestowed upon the Israelites while they were wandering the desert during the 40-year ...
(cf. Exodus 16:35). Circumcision was widespread among ancient Semites, but for the people of Israel, it marked the covenantal relationship with God, traced back to Abraham, with a statement that 'no uncircumcised male can be regarded as an Israelite' (Genesis 17:9–14). it is also a condition to be ritually pure to celebrate Passover in the new land, in contrast to God's decree banning the previously circumcised generation from Egypt to step in the land of Canaan (verses 4, 6; cf. Numbers 14:22–23; Deuteronomy 1:34–40). The term 'a second time' shows, that Joshua did not initiate the practice in Israel. With the circumcision, the "disgrace of Egypt" has been 'rolled away' (the verb in Hebrew resembling the name "Gilgal").
Verse 1
:''And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel.''
The mention of 'Amorites' and 'Canaanites' for the inhabitants of the land of Canaan follows Deuteronomy 1–3, in which the Amorites are understood as the inhabitants of mountainous parts (Deuteronomy 1:7, 19, 20; Joshua 10:6), whereas the Canaanites are more to the west, toward the Mediterranean Sea, so geographically viewed from the position of the Israelites at this time, the Amorites are mentioned before the Canaanties. Earlier it was recorded how the Israelites' hearts 'melted' because of the Amorites and the sons of Anakim (Deuteronomy 1:27–28), and then rashly took on the enemy unprepared (Deuteronomy 1:41–45), now it is the Amorites and the Canaanites who tremble before the approach of Israel and YHWH.
Verse 5:1 shares the same language pattern as verses 9:1; 10:1 and 11:1, each of which introduces a new part of narrative.
In the Hebrew Masoretic Text, this verse is marked as an 'unconnected unit', bracketed with a ''parashah setumah'' ("closed portion marking") before and after.
First Passover in the land of Canaan (5:10–12)
The first Passover in the land of Canaan was held in Gilgal at the correct date as commanded in the Book of Exodus
The Book of Exodus (from ; ''Šəmōṯ'', 'Names'; ) is the second book of the Bible. It is the first part of the narrative of the Exodus, the origin myth of the Israelites, in which they leave slavery in Biblical Egypt through the strength of ...
, although here the rituals are not recorded in detail (cf. the Feast of Unleavened Bread that followed Passover for seven days, Leviticus 23:5–6). Rather, this Passover is associated with the ceasing of the Manna
Manna (, ; ), sometimes or archaically spelled Mahna or Mana, is described in the Bible and the Quran as an edible substance that God in Abrahamic religions, God bestowed upon the Israelites while they were wandering the desert during the 40-year ...
(cf. Exodus 16) and the eating of the produce of land. The 'unleavened cakes' recalls the 'unleavened bread' which had been the food of hasty flight from Egypt (Exodus 12:15-20; Deuteronomy 16:3), and eating along with 'parched grain' is consistent with a people not yet settled, but already begun to enjoy the legitimate possession of the land (Deuteronomy 6:10-11).
Verse 10
:''And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho.''
*"The fourteenth day of the month": The Passover in the land of Canaan on this exact date on the 41st years of the Israelites' wandering completes the bridge with the Exodus
The Exodus (Hebrew language, Hebrew: יציאת מצרים, ''Yəṣīʾat Mīṣrayīm'': ) is the Origin myth#Founding myth, founding myth of the Israelites whose narrative is spread over four of the five books of the Torah, Pentateuch (specif ...
which started with the Passover in Egypt
Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
.
Commander of the Lord's Army (5:13–15)
The narrative of Joshua's encounter with the 'commander of the army of the LORD' close to Jericho marks the beginning of the war of conquest. Joshua saw and presumed that this man is not an Israelite (hence the question "Are you for us or for our enemies?"). This commander indeed appears to be an 'angel (or messenger) of the LORD', who represents the presence of YHWH himself (cf. Judges 6
Judges 6 is the sixth chapter of the Book of Judges in the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel,Gilad, ElonWho Really Wrote the Biblical Books of Kings and the Prophets? '' ...
:14; 13:20–22), sometimes in military function (Numbers 22:23; 2 Samuel 24:16–17; 2 Kings 19:35) or at other times in commissioning, as with Gideon
Gideon (; ) also named Jerubbaal and Jerubbesheth, was a military leader, judge and prophet whose calling and victory over the Midianites is recounted in of the Book of Judges in both the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible.
Gideon was th ...
(Judges 6
Judges 6 is the sixth chapter of the Book of Judges in the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel,Gilad, ElonWho Really Wrote the Biblical Books of Kings and the Prophets? '' ...
:11–12); both are present here (cf. Moses' encounter with the angel of YHWH in the "burning bush
The burning bush (or the unburnt bush) refers to an event recorded in the Jewish Torah (as also in the biblical Old Testament and Islamic scripture). It is described in the third chapter of the Book of Exodus as having occurred on Mount Horeb ...
"; Exodus 3:2, 4–6). Joshua evidently realized the angel's military role (verse 13) and the representation of God when he bowed down to worship this figure, experiencing a direct commissioning from God, like that of Moses, at the beginning of the real test of his leadership.
Verse 14
:''And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.”''
:''And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?”''
*"Worshipped": or "paid homage"[Note on Joshua 5:14 in ESV]
The terse response "No" from the commander makes clear that Israel needs to join God's battle instead of God joins them, and indicates that it is possible for Israel in some way not to join God in the battles.
See also
*Related Bible
The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...
parts: Exodus 12
Bo (—in Hebrew language, Hebrew, the command form of "go," or "come," and the Incipit, first significant word in the parashah, in Book of Exodus, Exodus 10:1) is the fifteenth weekly Torah portion (, ''parashah'') in the annual Judaism, Jewish ...
, Exodus 16
Beshalach, Beshallach, or Beshalah (—Hebrew language, Hebrew for "when elet go" (literally: "in (having) sent"), the second word and first distinctive word in the parashah) is the sixteenth weekly Torah portion (, ''parashah'') in the annua ...
, Deuteronomy 1
''Devarim'', ''Dvarim'', or ''Debarim'' (, ) is the 44th weekly Torah portion (, ) in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the first in the Book of Deuteronomy. It comprises Deuteronomy 1:1–3:22. The parashah recounts how Moses appoint ...
, Joshua 3, Joshua 4
Joshua 4 is the fourth chapter of the Book of Joshua in the Hebrew Bible or in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to Joshua, with additions by the high priests Eleazar and Phinehas,Gila ...
. Joshua 6
Notes
References
Sources
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External links
* Jewish
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
translations:
*
Yehoshua - Joshua - Chapter 5 (Judaica Press)
Hebrew text and English translation ith Rashi's commentary">Rashi.html" ;"title="ith Rashi">ith Rashi's commentaryat Chabad.org
* Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
translations:
*
''Online Bible'' at GospelHall.org
(ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English)
*
Joshua chapter 5. Bible Gateway
{{DEFAULTSORT:Joshua 05
Book of Joshua chapters">05