And the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” And so the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The "reproach of Egypt" isn't just about being slaves; it's about the shame that came from their prolonged wandering and the uncircumcised state that marked them as potentially still tied to Egypt's ways. By performing circumcision here, God is signaling a complete break, not just from slavery but from anything that made them indistinguishable from the nations they were meant to conquer.
And the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” And so the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After crossing the Jordan River and entering the Promised Land, Joshua leads the Israelites in a significant act of obedience: a mass circumcision. This rite had been neglected for forty years in the wilderness, a symbol of their spiritual state and a reminder of the generation that had died in their disobedience. Now, as they stand on the cusp of conquering Canaan, God declares that this act of renewed covenant faithfulness has removed the shame of their past, marking them as His people.
For 40 years, a shadow lingered over Israel. It wasn't just about being slaves; it was about a deeper shame that clung to them.
The 'reproach of Egypt' wasn't just a minor inconvenience; it was a profound mark of their past identity. Imagine carrying the shame of slavery, the stigma of being a people who had wandered aimlessly for decades, their promises unfulfilled. This reproach could have meant:
A name given to a place, but more importantly, a divine declaration that settled a long-standing shame once and for all.
The very name 'Gilgal' is a powerful reminder of God's action. It means 'a rolling' or 'a rolling away.'
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Understand the original words
cherpah · Hebrew Noun
A condition of shame, disgrace, or disrepute, often associated with past slavery, idolatry, or the judgment of God, which is removed when God restores or vindicates His people.
The 'reproach of Egypt' referred to their former enslaved status and the uncircumcised state of many in the wilderness generation. By circumcising the new generation upon entering the Promised Land, God symbolically 'rolled away' that shame, marking them anew as His distinct, free people, ready to possess their inheritance.
c. 1446 BC
Israelites Depart Egypt
The Israelites escape slavery in Egypt after 400 years. This event marks their liberation but also the beginning of their journey in the wilderness.
c. 1446-1406 BC
Wilderness Wandering
For 40 years, the Israelites journey through the desert. During this time, the generation that left Egypt largely perishes due to disobedience, and many are 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. This event immediately precedes the command to circumcise.
c. 1406 BC
Renewal of Circumcision
Joshua circumcises the new generation of Israelites on the plains of Jericho. This act symbolizes a fresh start and obedience to God's covenant.
c. 1406 BC
First Passover in Canaan
After circumcision, the Israelites celebrate the Passover feast in the land of Canaan. This signifies their full restoration and God's faithfulness to His promises.
c. 1406 BC
Cessation of Manna
Upon eating the produce of the land, the daily provision of manna ceases. This marks a transition from God's direct, miraculous sustenance to His provision through the land.
This passage shows the Israelites' early disobedience and the potential for shame, highlighting the 'reproach' that could follow them, which Joshua 5:9 signals is now being removed.
Numbers 14:13-16The Egyptians' potential accusations against God for leading the Israelites into the wilderness to die are mentioned here, making the removal of this 'reproach' by entering the Promised Land a significant fulfillment.
Isaiah 25:8This prophetic passage speaks of God wiping away tears and taking away the reproach of His people, paralleling the action in Joshua 5:9 of God removing a long-standing shame.
Romans 2:25-29This passage contrasts physical circumcision with spiritual circumcision of the heart, linking the outward sign in Joshua 5:9 to a deeper reality of God's people being set apart and cleansed from reproach.
Colossians 2:11-12This New Testament passage describes spiritual circumcision in Christ, which is likened to putting off the 'body of the sins of the flesh,' mirroring how Joshua 5:9 signifies a shedding of past defilement and reproach.
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 5:9: "And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day."
9 . the reproach of Egypt ] This may be explained as (i) the reproach, which had attached to the people all the way from Egypt, where the nation had been a people of slaves; comp. Genesis 34:14 ; 1 Samuel 17:26 ; as (ii) referring to the taunts and reproaches actually levelled by the Egyptians against the Israelites, because…
The "reproach of Egypt" isn't just about being slaves; it's about the shame that came from their prolonged wandering and the uncircumcised state that marked them as potentially still tied to Egypt's ways. By performing circumcision here, God is signaling a complete break, not just from slavery but from anything that made them indistinguishable from the nations they were meant to conquer.
After crossing the Jordan River and entering the Promised Land, Joshua leads the Israelites in a significant act of obedience: a mass circumcision. This rite had been neglected for forty years in the wilderness, a symbol of their spiritual state and a reminder of the generation that had died in their disobedience. Now, as they stand on the cusp of conquering Canaan, God declares that this act of renewed covenant faithfulness has removed the shame of their past, marking them as His people.
After crossing the Jordan River and entering the Promised Land, Joshua leads the Israelites in a significant act of obedience: a mass circumcision. This rite had been neglected for forty years in the wilderness, a symbol of their spiritual state and a reminder of the generation that had died in their disobedience. Now, as they stand on the cusp of conquering Canaan, God declares that this act of renewed covenant faithfulness has removed the shame of their past, marking them as His people.
"And the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” And so the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day." — The "reproach of Egypt" isn't just about being slaves; it's about the shame that came from their prolonged wandering and the uncircumcised state that marked them as potentially still tied to Egypt's…
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Last reviewed October 2026