Joshua 5:11 · Bible study
Joshua 5:11 Commentary: The First Taste of Canaan
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
An examination of Joshua 5:11, exploring the timing of Israel eating from the land, the debate over old versus new grain, and the connection to the
Research Summary
- Meaning: Israel eats from the land’s produce on the day after Passover, marking the end of manna and the beginning of life in Canaan.
- Key words: עֲב֥וּר (produce, not “old corn”), מִמָּֽחֳרַ֥ת הַפֶּ֖סַח (on the morrow after the passover), מַצּ֣וֹת וְקָל֑וּי (unleavened cakes and parched grain).
- Main debate: Whether the day is the 15th or 16th of Nisan and whether the grain was old or new.
- Theological theme: Transition from wilderness provision to the promised land’s bounty; obedience to the firstfruits law; God’s faithful timing.
- Best use: Preaching on seasons of change, the importance of honoring God with the first of our increase, and celebrating God’s provision.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
The day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate unleavened bread and roasted grain from the produce of the land.
WEB World English Bible 2000
They ate unleavened cakes and parched grain of the produce of the land on the next day after the Passover, in the same day.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And they did eat of the produce of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes and parched grain, in the selfsame day.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and they eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow of the passover, unleavened things and roasted corn , in this self-same day;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And they ate of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened loaves, and roasted [corn] on that same day.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And they ate on the next day unleavened bread of the corn of the land, and frumenty of the same year.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y al otro día de la pascua comieron del fruto de la tierra los panes sin levadura, y en el mismo día espigas nuevas tostadas.
E ao outro dia da páscoa comeram do fruto da terra os pães sem levedura, e no mesmo dia espigas novas tostadas.
Ils mangèrent du blé du pays le lendemain de la Pâque, des pains sans levain et du grain rôti; ils en mangèrent ce même jour.
und aßen vom Getreide des Landes am Tag nach dem Passah, nämlich ungesäuertes Brot und geröstete Körner, ebendesselben Tages.
En zij aten van het overjarige koren des lands, des anderen daags van het pascha, ongezuurde broden en verzengde aren, even op dienzelven dag.
E l’indomani della Pasqua, in quel preciso giorno, mangiarono dei prodotti del paese: pani azzimi e grano arrostito.
I jedli z urodzajów onej ziemi nazajutrz po święcie przejścia chleby przaśne, i kłosy prażone onegoż dnia.
и на другой день Пасхи стали есть из произведений земли сей, опресноки и сушеные зерна в самый тот день;
逾越節 的次日，他們就吃了 那地 的出產；正當 那 日 吃無酵餅 和烘的穀。
And on the day after the Passover, they had for their food the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and dry grain on the same day.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Joshua 5:11
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Most commentators agree that Joshua 5:11 describes the first lawful eating of the produce of Canaan after the Passover. The Hebrew word עֲב֥וּר (abur) is better translated "produce" than "old corn," as Barnes, the Cambridge Bible, and Keil and Delitzsch note. The grain was likely the new barley harvest just coming in at Passover time. The phrase "on the morrow after the passover" refers to the 16th of Nisan, the day after the first holy convocation of Unleavened Bread. On that day, the wave sheaf was offered before the Lord (Leviticus 23:11), and only then were the people permitted to eat from the new crop. The verse thus shows Israel obeying the firstfruits law while also marking a turning point: the end of the manna and the beginning of eating from the promised land. Calvin, while noting some uncertainty, agrees this was the first time they freely partook of the land's grain in a settled way.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- 15th Nisan / old corn view: The phrase 'morrow after the passover' naturally means the 15th, as in Numbers 33:3. The grain had to be old because the firstfruits had not yet been offered.
- 16th Nisan / new grain view: Leviticus 23:11 commands the wave sheaf on the day after the Sabbath (16th). The produce is likely new grain, and they waited to eat until after the offering.
What is clear: The eating of the land's produce signals the end of the manna and the beginning of inhabiting Canaan, a decisive turn in Israel's journey.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Date of the eating | The event took place after the Passover feast, sometime in Nisan. | Some interpreters (e.g., Jewish commentators like Kimchi and Jarchi) hold that it was on the 15th of Nisan, the first day of Unleavened Bread. Others, based on Leviticus 23:11, argue that it was the 16th, after the wave sheaf offering. |
| Nature of the grain | The grain came from the land of Canaan and was used to make unleavened cakes and parched grain. | The Hebrew word עֲב֥וּר is rendered 'old corn' in the KJV, following some rabbinic traditions. Most modern commentators translate it as 'produce' or 'yield,' meaning the new grain of that harvest. |
| Lawfulness of eating new grain | The Law required firstfruits to be offered before eating new grain (Leviticus 23:14). | If the eating occurred on the 15th, the grain must have been old (from the previous year). If on the 16th, the people could lawfully eat new grain after the wave sheaf was presented. |
| Meaning of 'passover' in this phrase | The term 'passover' refers to a festival period that includes the Feast of Unleavened Bread. | Some take it narrowly as the paschal meal on the 14th/15th; others broaden it to the entire eight-day celebration. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The verse is set at Gilgal, on the plains of Jericho. Israel has just crossed the Jordan on dry ground (Joshua 4), been circumcised as a renewed generation (Joshua 5:2, 9), and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of Nisan (v. 10). Now, for the first time in forty years, they eat the produce of the land itself. The manna, which had sustained them since the Exodus, ceases the next day (v. 12). This is a decisive end to the wilderness provision.
The land of Canaan had been promised to Abraham centuries before. The Passover commemorates the deliverance from Egypt. This third Passover in Scripture takes place exactly on the eve of conquest. The Law required that before eating any new grain, the Israelites must present a sheaf of the firstfruits to the priest, who waves it before the Lord on the day after the Sabbath (Leviticus 23:9, 14). During the Feast of Unleavened Bread, that Sabbath was the first day (15th Nisan); therefore the wave sheaf was offered on the 16th.
Most commentators conclude that “on the morrow after the passover” in this verse means the 16th, with “passover” used in its broader sense of the entire festival. The grain they ate, unleavened cakes and parched grain, was from the new harvest, not old store. The phrase “on that very day” (be'etzem hayom hazeh) adds emphasis: the same day the firstfruits were presented, they ate. The timing underscores that God's provision now comes through the land He gave them, a gift from the natural harvest.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants in Joshua 5:11. The main difficulty is lexical: the word עֲב֥וּר (H5669) occurs only here and in verse 12, and its precise meaning (old corn vs produce of the land) is debated among translators and commentators.
Reception History
In the history of interpretation, Joshua 5:11 has been seen as the fulfillment of God's promise to bring Israel into a land flowing with milk and honey. The ceasing of manna on this day led many church fathers to allegorize the end of the old covenant and the beginning of the new. Medieval Jewish commentators such as Kimchi and Rashi focused on the precise day, linking it to the firstfruits offering. During the Reformation, both Catholic and Protestant exegetes saw here the importance of keeping God's ordinances in the very land He gave. The verse is often cited in sermons on the transition from wandering to rest, underscoring that God's provision changes but never fails.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Timing of Obedience: They ate on the day after the Passover, in harmony with the firstfruits law. God's precise instructions govern the celebration of His gifts.
- The Taste of Promise: Unleavened cakes and parched grain are simple foods, but they signify the beginning of fulfillment. The land is yielding its fruit to a people who have waited.
- The End of Manna: The manna ceased because they no longer needed it. God's provision changes with the season, and His people must recognize the new thing He is doing.
Five-point outline
- Forgiveness and Celebration: Circumcision removes reproach; the Passover follows. The covenant is restored.
- The Firstfruits Principle: God is honored with the first of the harvest before the people eat.
- The Significance of Unleavened Bread: It connects to the Exodus and to the urgency of the new season.
- The Cessation of Manna: A clear sign that the wilderness is over. The old provision is no longer needed.
- The Commander of the Lord's Army: Immediately after this meal, Joshua meets the divine warrior (vv. 13, 15). The conquest begins.
Illustration hooks
- A family moving into a home they have dreamed of, eating their first meal in the new kitchen from groceries bought at the local market. The meal is simple, but it tastes of arrival.
- A student finishing years of training and receiving the first paycheck from a new career. It may be small, but it marks the start of a different life.
- A gardener harvesting the first ripe tomato of the season, eating it while still warm from the sun. It is a promise of the full harvest to come.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why did the manna stop so suddenly? How can I trust God when a season of provision ends?
- Were the Israelites allowed to eat the new grain before they offered the firstfruits, or did they wait?
- How do I discern when God is moving me from one kind of provision to another?
Leading a Discussion
In Joshua 5:11, Israel tastes the produce of the Promised Land for the first time. This meal marks the end of the manna and the beginning of life in Canaan. It also raises questions about timing, obedience, and God’s provision. Use the questions below to guide a group conversation.
Discussion questions
- What did the Israelites eat, and on what day? (Read the verse closely and compare with Leviticus 23:9, 14.)
- Why does the text specify that they ate unleavened cakes? What does that requirement recall from the Exodus?
- How does the timing of this meal connect to the law of the firstfruits? What does this show about Israel’s obedience?
- The manna ceased the day after they ate from the land (v. 12). Why was that timing significant? What does it teach about God’s provision?
- In what ways do we experience transitions in how God provides for us? How can we prepare for such shifts?
- The people ate from the land before the conquest began. How does this act of faith encourage us to enjoy God’s gifts even while we are still in the midst of struggle?
- What does this verse reveal about the character of God, His faithfulness to promises and His attention to detail?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 12:18 | In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty first day of the month at evening. |
| Exodus 12:20 | You shall eat nothing leavened. In all your habitations you shall eat unleavened bread.’” |
| Exodus 13:6 | Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to Yahweh. |
| Exodus 13:7 | Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days; and no leavened bread shall be seen with you. No yeast shall be seen with you, within all your borders. |
| Leviticus 23:6 | On the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread to Yahweh. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. |
| Leviticus 23:14 | You must not eat bread, or roasted grain, or fresh grain, until this same day, until you have brought the offering of your God. This is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke questions the translation "old corn" for the Hebrew term "abur," noting it may instead mean the produce of the land or grain purchased in trade. He also observes that the Israelites could only eat after offering firstfruits at the tabernacle, which likely happened before they ate the unleavened cakes and parched corn.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes clarifies that the "old corn" is actually the new grain from the current harvest, not stored grain. He also shows that "the morrow after the passover" refers to the 16th of Nisan, the day the firstfruits were presented, not the 15th. The term "Passover" here means the first holy day of the eight-day festival.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues the Israelites did not completely avoid wheat bread in the wilderness since the conquered territories had grain. The manna stayed necessary because the land east of the Jordan could not feed twelve tribes, especially after war damage. God supplied manna until they entered Canaan, where abundant food finally allowed them to return to ordinary eating.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator argues that "the old corn" in this verse really means the new produce of the land, which had just ripened for the Passover season. He notes that "on the morrow after the passover" here refers to the 16th of Nisan, the day when the firstfruits offering was waved, making the new corn lawful to eat.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
And they did eat of the corne of the land, on the morow after the Passeouer, vnleauened breade, and parched corne in the same day.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill examines the timing of the event to determine whether the corn eaten was old or new. He notes that if the "morrow after the passover" was the sixteenth of Nisan, the day the wave sheaf was offered, then new corn would have been permitted only after that offering. But the phrase likely refers to the fifteenth, meaning only old corn was available, since new corn was still forbidden by the law.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that the abundant harvest in Canaan naturally ended the need for manna, but the timing underscores its miraculous origin. The manna appeared exactly when the barren wilderness offered no food and ceased the moment the land provided, confirming it was no ordinary supply but a direct gift from God.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch clarify that the "morrow after the passover" here means the 16th of Nisan, the day when the wave sheaf was offered. On that day Israel first ate the new grain of Canaan, and the manna ceased entirely, marking a decisive transition from wilderness provision to the promised land's fruit.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry highlights Joshua's unusual priority: instead of rushing into battle, he begins the campaign with worship, keeping the Passover just as the law required. The manna stops only after they eat from the land itself, showing God's provision shifts from the miraculous to the ordinary without interruption.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley highlights that the Israelites ate the old corn from the previous year on the sixteenth day, the day after the Passover feast, when they were required to offer the first sheaf to God. This new year's corn was especially timely because they needed it to keep the feast of unleavened bread, which they could not do on manna alone.