And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse highlights a significant shift: the day after the Passover, the Israelites transition from miraculous manna to eating the land's produce, signifying God's provision now flowing through the earthly realm. This immediately follows their re-circumcision, showing that entering God's promises involves both obedience and embracing His tangible blessings.
And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After celebrating Passover and renewing the covenant through circumcision, the Israelites finally eat from the land of Canaan for the first time. This marks a significant transition from relying on God's miraculous provision of manna to consuming the produce of the land He promised them. It's the culmination of forty years in the wilderness and a new season of provision and rest.
After forty years in the wilderness, the Israelites finally tasted the promised land. But what exactly were they eating, and why does the text call it 'old corn'?
The phrase 'old corn' (or 'produce of the land' as some translations suggest) points to the grain harvested before the Israelites arrived. This wasn't leftover stock; it was the current harvest of Canaan, likely purchased or found. This new food marks a significant transition: the end of manna, God's provision in the wilderness, and the beginning of sustenance from the land He promised.
Why does Joshua's account immediately connect eating the land's produce with Passover observance? It's more than just a meal; it's about obedience and fulfilling God's promises.
This passage intricately links the Israelites' first meal from the land of Canaan with specific religious observances, underscoring that entering and possessing the land was tied to faithfulness to God's covenant.
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Understand the original words
pesach · Hebrew Noun
A major annual feast commemorating the Lord’s deliverance of Israel from bondage in Egypt, centering on the sacrifice of a lamb.
The eating of the land's produce signifies a pivotal moment: the end of God's miraculous manna provision and the beginning of life sustained by the promised land, just as they renewed their covenant through Passover and circumcision.
c. 1406 BC— this verse
Israelites Cross the Jordan River
After forty years in the wilderness, the Israelites miraculously crossed the Jordan River on dry ground, marking their entry into the Promised Land. This event immediately precedes their renewed observance of Passover and the eating of the land's produce.
c. 1406 BC
Renewal of Circumcision
Before celebrating the Passover, Joshua was commanded by God to circumcise the Israelite men. This ritual had been neglected for forty years in the wilderness, symbolizing a spiritual cleansing and readiness for the conquest of Canaan.
15th of Nisan, c. 1406 BC
Celebration of Passover
The Israelites kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of Nisan, the anniversary of their exodus from Egypt. This was a crucial moment of obedience and remembrance after their long journey.
16th of Nisan, c. 1406 BC
First Harvest Foods Eaten
On the day after the Passover (the 16th of Nisan), the Israelites ate unleavened cakes and parched grain from the produce of Canaan. This marked the end of the manna and the beginning of their sustenance from the land God had promised them.
c. 1406 BC
Manna Ceases
The miraculous manna that had sustained the Israelites in the wilderness stopped falling on the day they ate the produce of the land. This signified their transition from divine provision in the wilderness to the fruits of the promised land.
c. 1406 BC
Joshua Encounters the Captain of the Lord's Host
Shortly after the Passover and the first harvest, Joshua met a divine warrior, the Captain of the Lord's Host, near Jericho. This encounter reassured Joshua of God's presence and leadership as they prepared for battle.
This passage describes the institution of the Passover, highlighting the significance of eating unleavened bread and the timing of the meal, which directly relates to the 'day after the Passover' mentioned in Joshua.
Leviticus 23:10-14This Leviticus passage explains the law of the firstfruits, which must be offered before the new grain can be eaten. This provides the theological context for why the Israelites ate 'produce of the land' on the 16th day of Nisan.
Joshua 5:10-12These verses immediately precede and follow the verse in question, showing the broader context of Israel celebrating Passover in the promised land and the cessation of manna as they begin to eat the land's produce.
Numbers 33:3This verse marks the 15th of Nisan as the day after the Passover, providing a chronological anchor, though Joshua 5:11 seems to refer to the 16th, emphasizing the importance of the firstfruits offering.
Exodus 23:16This verse connects the feast of harvest (which includes eating the produce of the land) with the feast of the Passover, underscoring the transition from reliance on God's provision in the wilderness to enjoying the fruit of the promised land.
cambridgeJoshua 5:11: "And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day."
11 . of the old corn ] Rather, of the produce of the land. “And thei eten of the fruytis of the lond in the tothir day, therf looues, and potage of the same зeer, etin cornys seengid and frotid in the hond .” Wyclif. It could not have been other than the new corn just ripening at the season of the Passover ( Leviticus 23:11 ), not “the old corn,”…
gillJoshua 5:11: "And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day."
And they did eat the old corn of the land,.... That of the last year, as some versions (g), which agree with ours; in which they seem to follow the Jewish writers, who, as particularly Kimchi, Gersom, and Ben Melech, interpret it of the old corn, for this reason, because they might not eat of the new until the wave sheaf was offered up, Leviticus…
This verse highlights a significant shift: the day after the Passover, the Israelites transition from miraculous manna to eating the land's produce, signifying God's provision now flowing through the earthly realm. This immediately follows their re-circumcision, showing that entering God's promises involves both obedience and embracing His tangible blessings.
After celebrating Passover and renewing the covenant through circumcision, the Israelites finally eat from the land of Canaan for the first time. This marks a significant transition from relying on God's miraculous provision of manna to consuming the produce of the land He promised them. It's the culmination of forty years in the wilderness and a new season of provision and rest.
After celebrating Passover and renewing the covenant through circumcision, the Israelites finally eat from the land of Canaan for the first time. This marks a significant transition from relying on God's miraculous provision of manna to consuming the produce of the land He promised them. It's the culmination of forty years in the wilderness and a new season of provision and rest.
"And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain." — This verse highlights a significant shift: the day after the Passover, the Israelites transition from miraculous manna to eating the land's produce, signifying God's provision now flowing through the…
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Last reviewed October 2026