Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of Joshua
Chapter 5: The Captain of the LORD's Host
Before a single battle is fought, God calls Israel to consecration. The new generation is circumcised at Gilgal, and the LORD says, 'This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt.' They keep the Passover, eat the produce of the land, and the manna ceases at last. Then, near Jericho, Joshua meets a man with a drawn sword who is no ordinary soldier: 'as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come.' Joshua falls down to worship, and is told to take off his shoes, for the ground is holy. The conquest of Canaan begins not with a weapon but with worship at the feet of the LORD Himself.
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of Joshua chapter 5. For each section you will find the KJV text, the Hebrew words that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. Here Israel is consecrated at Gilgal through circumcision and the Passover, the manna ceases, and Joshua meets and worships the captain of the LORD's host on holy ground. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
Setting the Stage
Reproach Rolled Away
The new generation is circumcised and consecrated.
The Manna Ceases
They keep the feast and eat the fruit of the land.
Sword Drawn
A man neither for Israel nor its foes, but the LORD's own.
Loose Thy Shoe
Joshua worships; the conquest begins in reverence.
The Reproach of Egypt Rolled Away (Joshua 5:1-9)
While the enemy's heart melts in fear, God calls Israel to be circumcised, renewing the covenant sign in the new generation and rolling away the reproach of Egypt at Gilgal.
This Day Have I Rolled Away the Reproach
"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. At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time. And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins. 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. Now all the people that came out were circumcised: but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised. For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: unto whom the LORD sware that he would not shew them the land, which the LORD sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey. And their children, whom he raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised: for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them by the way. And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole. 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."
Word Study
"rolled away," Hebrew galal (גָּלַל), the root of "Gilgal." The verb means to roll, to roll away; from it comes the name Gilgal, "rolling" or "circle." "This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal." The first thing God does with His people inside the Promised Land is not to arm them for war but to consecrate them. The new generation, born in the wilderness, had never received circumcision, the covenant sign given to Abraham (Genesis 17:10-11). Before they can take the land, the sign of the covenant must be renewed, and their identity as God's set-apart people restored. When it is done, God declares the "reproach of Egypt" rolled away, the shame of slavery, of the wilderness wanderings, of a generation's unbelief, is gone; they stand as a clean, covenant people. There is a striking gospel echo here. The rolling away of reproach at Gilgal points forward to the greater rolling away accomplished in Christ, whose stone was "rolled away" from the tomb (Matthew 28:2), and who rolls away the reproach of our sin. And circumcision itself, Paul teaches, is fulfilled in Christ: believers receive "the circumcision made without hands... the circumcision of Christ" (Colossians 2:11), a cutting away of the flesh of the heart, "circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit" (Romans 2:29). So galal preaches consecration before conquest: God first makes His people clean and covenanted, rolling away their reproach, and only then leads them into their inheritance. Before we fight our battles, God calls us to be a consecrated people, our reproach rolled away by the work of Christ.
Explanation
Why circumcise now, at the border of a war? Because the covenant sign had lapsed. Every man who left Egypt had been circumcised, but "all the people that were born in the wilderness... they had not circumcised." A whole generation bore no mark of the covenant. Before they could possess the promise, the promise's sign had to be restored — the people re-consecrated to the God whose land they were entering. So God's first command in Canaan is not a battle plan but a return to the covenant, rolling away "the reproach of Egypt" and marking them again as wholly His.
Gospel Focus
The chapter opens with the enemy in terror: the news of the Jordan crossing has spread, and "their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more." This was the perfect moment, humanly speaking, to strike, while the foe was paralyzed with fear. But God's ways are not man's. At exactly this moment He commands, not attack, but circumcision, a painful rite that would leave every fighting man "sore" and defenseless "till they were whole" (compare Genesis 34:25). God calls His people to consecration precisely when the world would say to press the advantage. The lesson is clear: readiness for God's battles begins with being right with God, not with seizing the moment. The reason for the circumcision is explained: the wilderness generation, who "obeyed not the voice of the LORD," died without entering, and their children had not been circumcised along the way. Now, inside the land, the covenant sign is renewed on the new generation, and God declares, "This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you." The shame of their past, their bondage, their fathers' unbelief, their long wandering, is rolled away; they are a clean, consecrated people, ready to receive the promise. For the Apostolic reader this is a picture of the gospel order. Before God leads us into our inheritance, He deals with our hearts: He rolls away the reproach of our sin through Christ, and marks us as His own by the true circumcision, "of the heart, in the spirit." The world says seize the moment and trust your strength; God says first be consecrated, be clean, be Mine. The conquest of Canaan begins not with a sword but with a covenant, and the Christian life advances not by fleshly effort but by a heart set apart to God, its reproach rolled away by the Lord who Himself rolled away the stone.
As Captain of the Host of the LORD (Joshua 5:10-15)
Israel keeps the Passover and the manna ceases; then Joshua meets the captain of the LORD's host, falls down to worship, and is told to remove his shoes, for the ground is holy.
The Place Whereon Thou Standest Is Holy
"And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho. 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 the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? And the captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so."
Word Study
"captain," Hebrew sar (שַׂר). The word means a prince, chief, commander, or captain, one in command. Joshua meets "a man... with his sword drawn," and asks the natural question of a general on the eve of battle: "Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?" The answer is startling: "Nay", neither, "but as captain (sar) of the host of the LORD am I now come." He has not come to take Joshua's side; He has come to take command. The question is never whether God is on our side, but whether we are on His. And who is this Captain? He accepts what no true angel and no godly man will ever accept: worship. Joshua "fell on his face to the earth, and did worship," and the Captain does not forbid it. When John tried to worship an angel, the angel refused sharply, "See thou do it not... worship God" (Revelation 22:8-9); when men tried to worship Peter, he refused (Acts 10:25-26). But this Captain receives Joshua's worship, and declares, "the place whereon thou standest is holy," the very words the LORD spoke to Moses from the burning bush (Exodus 3:5). One who receives worship and stands on ground made holy by His presence is no created being; He is the LORD Himself. This is a pre-incarnate appearing of the Son, the LORD, the Angel of the LORD, God come to lead His people, the same One who would be "made flesh" in Jesus Christ. So sar unveils the true Commander of Israel's battles: not a mere angel, but the LORD, come to take command, receive worship, and lead His people to victory on holy ground.
Explanation
Near Jericho Joshua meets "a man... with his sword drawn," and asks the soldier's question: "Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?" The answer refuses both sides: "Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come." The point is startling — the question is not whether God is on Joshua's side, but whether Joshua is on God's. And when this "captain" accepts worship and commands, "Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy" — the very words spoken to Moses at the bush — He shows Himself to be no mere angel but the LORD appearing in visible form, the one God who would one day come in the flesh.
Gospel Focus
Consecrated at Gilgal, Israel keeps the Passover "in the plains of Jericho," remembering the blood that delivered them from Egypt on the very threshold of the land. Then two quiet miracles mark a transition: "they did eat of the old corn of the land," and "the manna ceased." For forty years God had fed them with manna in the wilderness; now that they are in the land, the manna stops, and they eat its produce. God's provision changes with His people's season, but it never fails; the wilderness bread gives way to the fruit of the promise. Then comes the great encounter. As Joshua surveys Jericho, he sees "a man... with his sword drawn," and challenges him. The answer redraws everything: "as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come." The real Commander of the coming battle is not Joshua but the LORD, and Joshua's part is to submit, not to enlist God to his cause. When Joshua worships and the Captain receives it, and calls the ground holy in the words once spoken from the burning bush, we are meant to understand: this is the LORD Himself, the pre-incarnate Christ, come to lead His people. The lesson for Joshua, and for us, is transforming. Jericho will not be taken by Joshua's generalship but by the LORD's command; the victory is the Captain's, and Joshua's task is worship and obedience, "What saith my lord unto his servant?" For the Apostolic reader this is the heart of every spiritual battle. Christ is the Captain of our salvation (Hebrews 2:10); He does not come to take our side but to take command; and our first duty before every conflict is not strategy but worship, falling at His feet, removing our shoes on holy ground, and asking, "What saith my lord unto his servant?" The conquest of the promise begins here, at the feet of the LORD who Himself leads His people to victory.
Chapter 5 in Review
Joshua 5 prepares Israel for conquest through consecration and worship. While the enemy's "heart melted," God commands not attack but circumcision, renewing the covenant sign on the new generation at Gilgal, where He declares, "This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you." Israel keeps the Passover, eats "the old corn of the land," and "the manna ceased," the wilderness season giving way to the promise. Then Joshua meets "a man... with his sword drawn," who answers, "as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come." Joshua "fell on his face... and did worship," and the Captain receives it and says, "Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy."
For the Apostolic reader this chapter sets the true order of victory: consecration and worship before conquest. Before a single battle, God makes His people clean, rolling away their reproach and renewing the covenant sign, a picture of the "circumcision of the heart" and the rolling away of our sin in Christ. He keeps them mindful of redemption through the Passover blood. And He reveals that the real Commander of their battles is the LORD Himself. The Captain of the host does not come to take Joshua's side but to take command, and He accepts the worship that angels and men refuse, and stands on holy ground with the words of the burning bush, unveiling Himself as the LORD, the pre-incarnate Christ. The lesson is clear and searching. The question is never whether God is for us, but whether we are surrendered to Him. Our battles are won not by our strength or strategy but by the Captain of our salvation, and our first act before any conflict is not to plan but to worship, to fall at His feet, remove our shoes on holy ground, and ask, "What saith my lord unto his servant?" So we come to our Jericho as a consecrated people, our reproach rolled away by Christ, bowed in worship before the LORD who leads us, and we follow His command to certain victory.
- God calls His people to consecration before conquest, even when the world says seize the moment (5:2-3).
- "The reproach of Egypt" is rolled away at Gilgal, a clean, covenant people (5:9).
- Circumcision points to the "circumcision of the heart" in Christ (5:2; Colossians 2:11).
- The Passover keeps redemption in view; the manna ceases as the promise begins (5:10-12).
- The Captain comes not to take Joshua's side but to take command (5:13-14).
- He receives worship and calls the ground holy, He is the LORD, the pre-incarnate Christ (5:14-15).
Questions for Reflection
- Do you seek consecration before your battles, or rush to seize the advantage?
- Has the reproach of your past been rolled away by Christ?
- Are you asking whether God is on your side, or surrendering to His command?
- Do you begin your conflicts on your knees in worship, asking, "What saith my lord?"
References & Sources
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version (KJV). Supporting passages are listed so every claim can be verified in its own setting. The enemy's fear; circumcision renewed; reproach rolled away: Joshua 5:1-9; Exodus 15:14-16; Genesis 17:9-14; Deuteronomy 30:6; Colossians 2:11; Romans 2:28-29. The rolling away in Christ: Joshua 5:9; Matthew 28:2; Isaiah 25:8. The Passover kept; the manna ceases: Joshua 5:10-12; Exodus 12:1-14; 16:35; John 6:31-35, 48-51. The captain of the LORD's host; a theophany: Joshua 5:13-15; Exodus 3:2-6; 23:20-23; Genesis 18:1-2; Daniel 10:5-6; Revelation 19:10; 22:8-9; Hebrews 2:10. If anything here does not look right, a verse, a reference, or a wording, please tell us at info@FruitBearers.net. Thank you for helping us keep Bible Learning error free.
- Consecration before conquest: circumcision and the reproach rolled away at Gilgal: Joshua 5:1-9; Colossians 2:11; Romans 2:29.
- The Passover kept; the manna ceases as the promise begins: Joshua 5:10-12; Exodus 12; 16:35.
- The captain of the LORD's host comes to take command, not sides: Joshua 5:13-14; Hebrews 2:10.
- He receives worship on holy ground, the LORD, the pre-incarnate Christ: Joshua 5:14-15; Exodus 3:5; Revelation 22:8-9.