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Selected Verse: Joshua 5:4 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Jos 5:4	Strong Concordance	And this is the cause [01697] why Joshua [03091] did circumcise [04135]: All the people [05971] that came out [03318] of Egypt [04714], that were males [02145], even all the men [0582] of war [04421], died [04191] in the wilderness [04057] by the way [01870], after they came out [03318] of Egypt [04714].
	King James	And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise: All the people that came out of Egypt, that were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of Egypt.

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise--The omission to circumcise the children born in the wilderness might have been owing to the incessant movements of the people; but it is most generally thought that the true cause was a temporary suspension of the covenant with the unbelieving race who, being rejected of the Lord, were doomed to perish in the wilderness, and whose children had to bear the iniquity of their fathers (Num 14:33), though, as the latter were to be brought into the promised land, the covenant would be renewed with them.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise--The omission to circumcise the children born in the wilderness might have been owing to the incessant movements of the people; but it is most generally thought that the true cause was a temporary suspension of the covenant with the unbelieving race who, being rejected of the Lord, were doomed to perish in the wilderness, and whose children had to bear the iniquity of their fathers (Num 14:33), though, as the latter were to be brought into the promised land, the covenant would be renewed with them.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
Of the whole nation those only were already circumcised at the time of the passage of the Jordan who had been under twenty years of age at the time of the complaining and consequent rejection at Kadesh (compare the marginal reference). These would have been circumcised before they left Egypt, and there would still survive of them more than a quarter of a million of thirty-eight years old and upward. The statements of these verses are of a general kind. The "forty years" of Jos 5:6 is a round number, and the statement in the latter part of Jos 5:5 cannot be strictly accurate. For there must have been male children born in the wilderness during the first year after the Exodus, and these must have been circumcised before the celebration of the Passover at Sinai in the first month of the second year (compare Num 9:1-5, and Exo 12:48). The statements of the verses are, however, sufficiently close to the facts for the purpose in hand; namely, to render a reason for the general circumcising which is here recorded. The reason why circumcision was omitted in the wilderness, was that the sentence of Num 14:28 ff placed the whole nation for the time under a ban; and that the discontinuance of circumcision, and the consequent omission of the Passover, was a consequence and a token of that ban. The rejection was not, indeed, total, for the children of the complainers were to enter into the rest; nor final, for when the children had borne the punishment of the fathers' sins for the appointed years, and the complainers were dead, then it was to be removed, as now by Joshua. But for the time the covenant was abrogated, though God's purpose to restore it was from the first made known, and confirmed by the visible marks of His favor which He still vouchsafed to bestow during the wandering. The years of rejection were indeed exhausted before the death of Moses (compare Deu 2:14): but God would not call upon the people to renew their engagement to Him until He had first given them glorious proof of His will and power to fulfill His engagements to them. So He gave them the first fruits of the promised inheritance - the kingdoms of Sihon and Og; and through a miracle planted their feet on the very soil that still remained to be conquered; and then recalled them to His covenant. It is to be noted, too, that they were just about to go to war against foes mightier than themselves. Their only hope of success lay in the help of God. At such a crisis the need of full communion with God would be felt indeed; and the blessing and strength of it are accordingly granted. The revival of the two great ordinances - circumcision and the Passover - after so long an intermission could not but awaken the zeal and invigorate the faith and fortitude of the people. Both as seals and as means of grace and God's good purpose toward them then, the general circumcision of the people, followed up by the solemn celebration of the Passover - the one formally restoring the covenant and reconciling them nationally to God, the other ratifying and confirming all that circumcision intended - were at this juncture most opportune.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]

Of the whole nation those only were already circumcised at the time of the passage of the Jordan who had been under twenty years of age at the time of the complaining and consequent rejection at Kadesh (compare the marginal reference). These would have been circumcised before they left Egypt, and there would still survive of them more than a quarter of a million of thirty-eight years old and upward.

The statements of these verses are of a general kind. The "forty years" of Jos 5:6 is a round number, and the statement in the latter part of Jos 5:5 cannot be strictly accurate. For there must have been male children born in the wilderness during the first year after the Exodus, and these must have been circumcised before the celebration of the Passover at Sinai in the first month of the second year (compare Num 9:1-5, and Exo 12:48). The statements of the verses are, however, sufficiently close to the facts for the purpose in hand; namely, to render a reason for the general circumcising which is here recorded.

The reason why circumcision was omitted in the wilderness, was that the sentence of Num 14:28 ff placed the whole nation for the time under a ban; and that the discontinuance of circumcision, and the consequent omission of the Passover, was a consequence and a token of that ban. The rejection was not, indeed, total, for the children of the complainers were to enter into the rest; nor final, for when the children had borne the punishment of the fathers' sins for the appointed years, and the complainers were dead, then it was to be removed, as now by Joshua. But for the time the covenant was abrogated, though God's purpose to restore it was from the first made known, and confirmed by the visible marks of His favor which He still vouchsafed to bestow during the wandering. The years of rejection were indeed exhausted before the death of Moses (compare Deu 2:14): but God would not call upon the people to renew their engagement to Him until He had first given them glorious proof of His will and power to fulfill His engagements to them. So He gave them the first fruits of the promised inheritance - the kingdoms of Sihon and Og; and through a miracle planted their feet on the very soil that still remained to be conquered; and then recalled them to His covenant. It is to be noted, too, that they were just about to go to war against foes mightier than themselves. Their only hope of success lay in the help of God. At such a crisis the need of full communion with God would be felt indeed; and the blessing and strength of it are accordingly granted.

The revival of the two great ordinances - circumcision and the Passover - after so long an intermission could not but awaken the zeal and invigorate the faith and fortitude of the people. Both as seals and as means of grace and God's good purpose toward them then, the general circumcision of the people, followed up by the solemn celebration of the Passover - the one formally restoring the covenant and reconciling them nationally to God, the other ratifying and confirming all that circumcision intended - were at this juncture most opportune.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
Out of Egypt - This is to be restrained to such as were then above twenty years old, and such as were guilty of that rebellion, Num. 14:1-25, as it is expressed below, Jos 5:6.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
This is the cause why Joshua did circumcise - The text here explains itself. Before the Israelites left Egypt all the males were circumcised; and some learned men think that all those who were born during their encampment at Sinai were circumcised also, because there they celebrated the passover; but after that time, during the whole of their stay in the wilderness, there were none circumcised till they entered into the promised land. Owing to their unsettled state, God appears to have dispensed, for the time being, with this rite; but as they were about to celebrate another passover, it was necessary that all the males should be circumcised; for without this they could not be considered within the covenant, and could not keep the passover, which was the seal of that covenant. As baptism is generally understood to have succeeded to circumcision, and the holy eucharist to the passover, hence, in the Church of England, and probably in most others, no person is permitted to receive the sacrament of the Lord's Supper till he has been baptized.

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³³ And your children [01121] shall wander [07462] in the wilderness [04057] forty [0705] years [08141], and bear [05375] your whoredoms [02184], until your carcases [06297] be wasted [08552] in the wilderness [04057].

¹⁴ And the space [03117] in which we came [01980] from Kadeshbarnea [06947], until we were come over [05674] the brook [05158] Zered [02218], was thirty [07970] and eight [08083] years [08141]; until all the generation [01755] of the men [0582] of war [04421] were wasted out [08552] from among [07130] the host [04264], as the LORD [03068] sware [07650] unto them.

²⁸ Say [0559] unto them, As truly as [03808] I live [02416], saith [05002] the LORD [03068], as ye have spoken [01696] in mine ears [0241], so will I do [06213] to you:

⁴⁸ And when a stranger [01616] shall sojourn [01481] with thee, and will keep [06213] the passover [06453] to the LORD [03068], let all his males [02145] be circumcised [04135], and then let him come near [07126] and keep [06213] it; and he shall be as one that is born [0249] in the land [0776]: for no uncircumcised person [06189] shall eat [0398] thereof.

¹ And the LORD [03068] spake [01696] unto Moses [04872] in the wilderness [04057] of Sinai [05514], in the first [07223] month [02320] of the second [08145] year [08141] after they were come out [03318] of the land [0776] of Egypt [04714], saying [0559],
² Let the children [01121] of Israel [03478] also keep [06213] the passover [06453] at his appointed season [04150].
³ In the fourteenth [0702] [06240] day [03117] of this month [02320], at even [06153], ye shall keep [06213] it in his appointed season [04150]: according to all the rites [02708] of it, and according to all the ceremonies [04941] thereof, shall ye keep [06213] it.
⁴ And Moses [04872] spake [01696] unto the children [01121] of Israel [03478], that they should keep [06213] the passover [06453].
⁵ And they kept [06213] the passover [06453] on the fourteenth [0702] [06240] day [03117] of the first [07223] month [02320] at even [06153] in the wilderness [04057] of Sinai [05514]: according to all that the LORD [03068] commanded [06680] Moses [04872], so did [06213] the children [01121] of Israel [03478].

⁵ Now [03588] all the people [05971] that came out [03318] were circumcised [04135]: but all the people [05971] that were born [03209] in the wilderness [04057] by the way [01870] as they came forth [03318] out of Egypt [04714], them they had not circumcised [04135].

⁶ For the children [01121] of Israel [03478] walked [01980] forty [0705] years [08141] in the wilderness [04057], till all the people [01471] that were men [0582] of war [04421], which came out [03318] of Egypt [04714], were consumed [08552], because they obeyed [08085] not the voice [06963] of the LORD [03068]: unto whom the LORD [03068] sware [07650] that he would not shew [07200] them the land [0776], which the LORD [03068] sware [07650] unto their fathers [01] that he would give [05414] us, a land [0776] that floweth [02100] with milk [02461] and honey [01706].