At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.” So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This wasn't just about performing a physical rite; it was God marking a profound spiritual transition. By requiring this act, He wasn't just restarting a ritual, but intentionally wiping away the shame and impurity that had clung to Israel from their time in Egypt, signifying their complete break from the past and consecration for the future.
At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.” So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Having just crossed the Jordan River miraculously, Israel stands on the brink of conquering Canaan. The surrounding nations are terrified by God's intervention, but inside the newly formed camp, God commands Joshua to initiate a crucial spiritual cleansing. This involves circumcising all the men who had been born in the wilderness, a rite neglected for forty years, signifying their return to covenant faithfulness before they engage in the promised land.
Imagine standing on the brink of a massive conquest. What's the very first thing God asks you to do? It might surprise you.
After the miraculous crossing of the Jordan, the first divine instruction to Joshua and Israel wasn't about military strategy. It was a call to 'circumcise again the children of Israel.' This wasn't a casual suggestion; it was a serious command, a 'return' to a covenant sign that had been neglected for 40 years. This rite was a public declaration of belonging to God, a physical mark distinguishing them as His chosen people, set apart from the surrounding nations. It was a non-negotiable sign of obedience, a reminder of the promises made to Abraham and the covenant relationship they shared with the Lord.
For forty years, Israel wandered in the desert. What was lost during that time, and why was it so crucial to regain it now?
The forty years in the wilderness were a period of judgment for the generation that refused to enter the Promised Land. As a consequence, those born during that wilderness wandering were not circumcised. They carried the spiritual mark of their parents' disobedience. God's command to circumcise 'a second time' signifies a restoration of the covenant people. It was a deliberate act to remove the 'reproach of Egypt'—symbolizing their former bondage and the spiritual impurity associated with it—and to re-establish them fully as God's covenant people before they conquered Canaan. This ritual prepared them to inherit the land promised through the covenant marked by circumcision.
Ask a follow-up
Why flint? In a time when iron was known, why would God command the use of stone for such a critical covenant rite?
The command to use 'knives of flint' (or sharp stone) is fascinating. While iron and steel were known, the use of stone tools for significant religious acts often carried symbolic weight. It harks back to ancient practices, perhaps even to the time of Moses' wife Zipporah who used a 'stone knife' (Exodus 4:25). This choice may have been to emphasize that the covenant was ancient, rooted in God's eternal promises, not just a contemporary arrangement. It could also signify a 'purified' or consecrated instrument, untainted by the common use of metal, similar to how altars were to be made of unhewn stone (Exodus 20:25). Furthermore, some suggest stone knives might have been preferred for a cleaner cut, leading to quicker healing—essential for warriors needing to remain capable.
Understand the original words
mul · Hebrew Verb
The sign of the covenant between God and Abraham's descendants. It signifies setting apart for God, the removal of the old nature, and entry into the covenant community.
tsor · Hebrew Noun
A sharp-edged stone used for cutting, specifically associated with ritual or religious acts in the Old Testament, such as circumcision, preserving ancient practices even when metal was available.
Yisra'el · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the physical progeny of Jacob, chosen by God to be His covenant people, set apart for His glory and purposes.
This act of circumcision, performed immediately after crossing the Jordan, was a deliberate re-affirmation of the covenant with God. It marked a spiritual transition, signifying that the generation that had been disobedient in the wilderness was gone, and a new generation, entering the Promised Land, was now fully consecrated to God.
c. 1446 BC
Israelites Exits Egypt
The Israelites leave Egypt, marking the beginning of their exodus. Circumcision was a requirement for participating in the Passover, and thus for those who left Egypt.
c. 1445-1406 BC
Wilderness Wanderings
For 40 years, the Israelites wandered in the desert. During this period, the generation that left Egypt died off, and those born in the wilderness were not circumcised.
c. 1406 BC— this verse
Crossing the Jordan River
Under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites miraculously cross the Jordan River into the Promised Land, a significant moment signaling the end of their wilderness journey.
c. 1406 BC
Circumcision at Gilgal
The male Israelites who had not been circumcised were circumcised with flint knives at Gilgal, restoring the covenant sign before the Passover and the conquest of Canaan.
c. 1406 BC
First Passover in Canaan
After being circumcised, the Israelites celebrated their first Passover in the Promised Land, a crucial step in their restoration as God's covenant people.
This is the foundational passage where God institutes circumcision as the sign of His covenant with Abraham and his descendants, highlighting its importance as a perpetual ordinance for all males.
Exodus 12:43-49This passage specifies that only circumcised males could partake in the Passover meal, emphasizing that the covenant sign was a prerequisite for experiencing God's redemptive acts.
Exodus 4:24-26This account shows Zipporah circumcising her son with a flint knife, demonstrating the practice of using stone tools for this rite and the dire consequences of neglecting it.
Numbers 14:29-33This passage explains that the generation that refused to enter the Promised Land died in the wilderness, and the uncircumcised young men who survived were the ones who would eventually enter Canaan, thus explaining why a 'second' circumcision was necessary.
Romans 4:11Paul refers to circumcision as a 'sign and seal' of righteousness that Abraham received by faith, connecting the physical rite to a spiritual reality that transcends the physical act.
calvinJoshua 5:1-9: "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."
- And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward,…
cambridgeJoshua 5:2: "At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time."
2 . Make thee sharp knives ] Or, as in margin, knives of flint. “Stonen knyues,” Wyclif. In Exodus 4:25 we read that Zipporah, the wife of Moses, took a “sharp stone,” or “knife of flint,” and circumcised her son. Joshua followed the custom of antiquity on this occasion, for they had no other knives with them. Herodotus, 11. 86, mentions “stone knives” as us…
This wasn't just about performing a physical rite; it was God marking a profound spiritual transition. By requiring this act, He wasn't just restarting a ritual, but intentionally wiping away the shame and impurity that had clung to Israel from their time in Egypt, signifying their complete break from the past and consecration for the future.
Having just crossed the Jordan River miraculously, Israel stands on the brink of conquering Canaan. The surrounding nations are terrified by God's intervention, but inside the newly formed camp, God commands Joshua to initiate a crucial spiritual cleansing. This involves circumcising all the men who had been born in the wilderness, a rite neglected for forty years, signifying their return to covenant faithfulness before they engage in the promised land.
Having just crossed the Jordan River miraculously, Israel stands on the brink of conquering Canaan. The surrounding nations are terrified by God's intervention, but inside the newly formed camp, God commands Joshua to initiate a crucial spiritual cleansing. This involves circumcising all the men who had been born in the wilderness, a rite neglected for forty years, signifying their return to covenant faithfulness before they engage in the promised land.
"At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.” So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth." — This wasn't just about performing a physical rite; it was God marking a profound spiritual transition. By requiring this act, He wasn't just restarting a ritual, but intentionally wiping away the sha…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026