Joshua
Chapter 5
The kings of the Amorites west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings living in the neighboring lands along the Mediterranean Sea learned how the Lord had dried up the Jordan River so that the Israelites could cross. As a result, they lost their courage and confidence to confront the Israelites.
Circumcision
At that time, the Lord told Joshua: “Make flint knives and celebrate a new circumcision for the sons of Israel.”
Joshua obeyed the Lord’s command and circumcised the Israelites at the Hill of the Foreskins.
This is the reason why Joshua performed the second circumcision: all the men of Israel who left Egypt were circumcised, but they died during their journey in the desert.
But not everyone born in the desert was circumcised.
The Israelites walked in the desert for forty years until the entire nation died—the whole generation that did not obey the Lord. For the Lord had sworn they would not enter the land flowing with milk and honey, which he had promised to their ancestors.
But it was their children whom Joshua circumcised.
After circumcising everyone, they rested in the camp until they were healed.
Then the Lord told Joshua: “Today I have taken away the shame of Egypt from you.” To this day, that place is called Gilgal.
Passover
The Israelites encamped in Gilgal, where they celebrated the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month in the plains of Jericho.
On the following day, they ate of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain on that very day.
And from that day on, when they ate of the produce of the land, the manna ceased. There was no more manna for the Israelites, so that year, they ate the fruit of the land of Canaan.
When Joshua was near Jericho, he lifted his eyes and saw a man with a drawn sword in his hand before him. Joshua approached him and asked: “Are you for us or our enemies?”
And he answered: “No, I have come as the commander of the army of the Lord.” Joshua lay prostrate on the ground, worshiped him, and said: “What does my Lord ask of his servant?”
The commander of the army of the Lord said to him: “Take off your sandals from your feet; the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.
Commentaries
Crossing the Jordan.
According to the Deuteronomistic tradition (D), the journey from the desert to the fertile land—especially the land of freedom—centers on this extraordinary event: the waters of the Jordan part to allow passage for a free people who have passed the desert test. Emphasis is placed on the fact that the waters only part for the crowd when the ark of the covenant enters them. If people do not prioritize their commitment to God or follow the plan of life he proposes, they cannot survive, and obstacles will continue to be in their way. The waters of the Jordan will close again once the ark, symbolizing God’s presence, is removed; similarly, Israel’s life will be overwhelmed if they turn away from the living God. But if they remain faithful to him, they will have life, and the entire world will tremble before them. They will have clear signs and arguments to show what it means to have the God of life with them.
Circumcision.
The immediate goal of this requirement is to prepare people for the Passover, which requires circumcision as a prerequisite. This practice was common among many cultures in Mesopotamia and Canaan, and it gained religious significance for the Israelites, serving as a sign of exclusive belonging to God. Unfortunately, this practice became merely a mark on the flesh (Dt 10:16); this is what the Lord denounces through Jeremiah when he calls for a circumcision of the heart (Jr 4:4). In some ways, we can also see traces of prophetic condemnation here; let us remember that this is a reinterpretation of the history of the Deuteronomistic tradition (D), which aims to address the questions raised by the people due to various historical setbacks, especially those that occurred in 587 B.C.: the fall of Judah, the destruction of the temple, and the deportation to Babylon. Perhaps the editors suggest that the disconnect between circumcision and a genuine commitment to life is the root of the nation’s troubles.
Passover.
Once “the shame of Egypt” (9) has been removed through circumcision, the people celebrate Passover. There is no intention here to establish or regulate the feast, but to note that they celebrated it after crossing the desert, where it had never been observed, and after crossing the Jordan, the sign of their definitive passage to freedom. Behind this lies a significant theological truth: Passover is the celebration of life and freedom. Along with the announcement of the Passover celebration, we are told that the next day the people began to eat the fruits of the land, and that there was no more manna, signifying that Passover must always mark new and different life experiences. Verses 13-15 introduce the account of the conquest of Jericho, reaffirming God’s assistance and presence in this conquest.