What's striking here is the use of "us" when referring to the promised land. This isn't just a historical record; it's spoken from the perspective of those who are now entering the land, implying a sense of generational continuity and inherited promises. It highlights that this land wasn't just for the generation that left Egypt, but a fulfillment of vows made to their fathers and now being realized by their children.
For the people of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished, because they did not obey the voice of the LORD; the LORD swore to them that he would not let them see the land that the LORD had sworn to their fathers to give to us, a land flowing with milk and honey.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Israelites have just crossed the Jordan River, a monumental event that finally brings them into the Promised Land after forty years of wandering. This miraculous crossing causes the surrounding Canaanite kings to panic, while the Lord instructs Joshua to circumcise the new generation of Israelites who were born in the wilderness. This act is necessary because the generation that left Egypt, specifically the men of war who disobeyed God, all perished in the wilderness and were therefore cut off from the promised inheritance.
Why did the Israelites spend 40 years wandering? It wasn't a random detour, but a direct consequence of their choices.
Joshua 5:6 is a stark reminder that God's promises are conditional on obedience. The generation that came out of Egypt, the 'men of war,' faced a grim fate not because God was unfair, but because they repeatedly chose not to listen to His voice.
The Promise and the Penalty
God had sworn to give them a 'land flowing with milk and honey' (v. 6), a place of abundance and rest. Yet, their rebellion meant this promise remained unfulfilled for them.
A Generational Reckoning
The verse highlights a generational reckoning. The adults who were freed from slavery in Egypt, and who then repeatedly defied God, did not get to see the promised land. This emphasizes the seriousness of disobedience and its lasting impact.
As the Israelites finally stand on the brink of the Promised Land, a crucial ritual takes place. What does it signify?
Following this reminder of past failures (Joshua 5:6), the very next command is for Joshua to circumcise the people (Joshua 5:2-3). This act, though physically painful, was deeply symbolic.
Resuming the Covenant Rite
Circumcision was the sign of God's covenant with Abraham and his descendants. It marked them as God's chosen people. The fact that it had been largely neglected during the wilderness wandering was a sign of their spiritual disconnect and perhaps even their 'reproach of Egypt' (Joshua 5:9), a lingering uncleanness.
Ask a follow-up
A Public Declaration
Performing circumcision as they entered the land was a public declaration:
Understand the original words
yisra'el · Hebrew Proper Noun
The covenant people of God, specifically the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, chosen to be a light to the nations and the recipients of God’s redemptive promises.
midbar · Hebrew Noun
An uncultivated, desolate region; in a biblical context, it often represents a place of testing, refinement, wandering, and divine provision between deliverance from bondage and entry into the Promised Land.
shama' · Hebrew Verb
A failure to listen to, follow, or submit to the authoritative commands and desires of God; it is the root cause of human alienation from Him.
chalab udvash · Hebrew Noun phrase
A figurative description of a land of immense fertility, abundance, and prosperity, serving as a sign of God's blessing and faithfulness to His promise to His people.
This verse highlights the stark consequence of disobedience: a whole generation lost their chance at God's promise. It underscores that entering the Promised Land wasn't just a physical journey, but also a spiritual one, requiring faithfulness from the new generation.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
The Israelites are delivered from slavery in Egypt. This marks the beginning of their journey toward the Promised Land.
c. 1446-1406 BC
Wandering in the Wilderness
Due to their disobedience and lack of faith, the generation that left Egypt is condemned to wander for 40 years. All adult males who were warriors perish during this time.
c. 1406 BC— this verse
Crossing the Jordan River
Under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites cross the Jordan River, a miraculous event that signifies their entry into the Promised Land.
c. 1406 BC
Circumcision at Gilgal
Joshua circumcises the new generation of Israelites, fulfilling the covenant and removing the 'reproach of Egypt'. This rite had been neglected during the wilderness wandering.
c. 1406 BC
Passover at Gilgal
The Israelites celebrate the Passover after years of neglect, symbolizing their renewed covenant relationship with God in the Promised Land.
c. 1406 BC
Manna Ceases
The miraculous manna, which had sustained Israel in the wilderness, stops falling as they begin to eat the produce of the land.
This passage directly echoes Joshua 5:6 by recounting the LORD's oath that the disobedient generation, who refused to enter the promised land due to their lack of faith, would not see it.
Deuteronomy 1:34-35This passage reinforces the consequence of disobedience, stating that the LORD swore He would not allow that generation, except for Caleb and Joshua, to enter the promised land, mirroring the reason for their 40 years of wandering mentioned in Joshua 5:6.
Exodus 12:48-49This passage establishes the rule that both native-born Israelites and foreigners joining them were to be circumcised to participate in the Passover, setting the stage for why the uncircumcised generation in the wilderness was cut off from God's promises and privileges.
Hebrews 3:16-19This New Testament passage reflects on the Israelites' rebellion in the wilderness, linking their disbelief and disobedience to their failure to enter the promised rest, which directly parallels the reason given in Joshua 5:6 for their demise.
Joshua 5:2-3This immediate context highlights the renewal of circumcision, a covenant sign, for the generation that was born in the wilderness. This action underscores the judgment and separation of the previous generation mentioned in Joshua 5:6, marking a new beginning for the faithful.
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,…
jfbJoshua 5:2-12: "At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time."
Jos 5:2-12. Circumcision Is Renewed.2. At that time—on the encampment being made after the passage.the Lord said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives—Stone knives, collect and make them ready. Flints have been used in the early times of all people; and although the use of iron was known to the Hebrews in the days of Joshua, probably the want of a sufficien…
What's striking here is the use of "us" when referring to the promised land. This isn't just a historical record; it's spoken from the perspective of those who are now entering the land, implying a sense of generational continuity and inherited promises. It highlights that this land wasn't just for the generation that left Egypt, but a fulfillment of vows made to their fathers and now being realized by their children.
The Israelites have just crossed the Jordan River, a monumental event that finally brings them into the Promised Land after forty years of wandering. This miraculous crossing causes the surrounding Canaanite kings to panic, while the Lord instructs Joshua to circumcise the new generation of Israelites who were born in the wilderness. This act is necessary because the generation that left Egypt, specifically the men of war who disobeyed God, all perished in the wilderness and were therefore cut off from the promised inheritance.
The Israelites have just crossed the Jordan River, a monumental event that finally brings them into the Promised Land after forty years of wandering. This miraculous crossing causes the surrounding Canaanite kings to panic, while the Lord instructs Joshua to circumcise the new generation of Israelites who were born in the wilderness. This act is necessary because the generation that left Egypt, specifically the men of war who disobeyed God, all perished in the wilderness and were therefore cut off from the promised inheritance.
"For the people of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished, because they did not obey the voice of the LORD; the LORD swore to them that he would not let them see the…" — What's striking here is the use of "us" when referring to the promised land. This isn't just a historical record; it's spoken from the perspective of those who are now entering the land, implying a…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
