Joshua 5:13 Meaning: The Commander Who Wouldn't Pick a Side
When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man stood in front of him with his sword drawn in his hand. Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our enemies?”
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 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 it cometh to pass in Joshua's being by Jericho, that he lifteth up his eyes, and looketh, and lo, one standing over-against him, and his drawn sword in his hand, and Joshua goeth unto him, and saith to him, `Art thou for us or for our adversaries?'
And it came to pass when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, there stood a man before him with his sword drawn in his hand. And Joshua went to him, and said to him: Art thou for us, or for our enemies?
Meaning in one sentence
When Joshua asks a mysterious warrior if he's for Israel or their enemies, the answer turns the question around.
Context
After the miraculous crossing of the Jordan, Israel camped at Gilgal. There Joshua circumcised the nation, they kept the Passover, and the manna that had fed them for forty years finally stopped. They ate the produce of Canaan. The old provision was over, the new land was before them. Now Jericho stood shut and fortified. In that moment of waiting, while Joshua was near the city, perhaps assessing its walls or praying, his eyes fell on a man with a drawn sword. The encounter that follows is unlike anything in Joshua's experience. It is the hinge between what God has done and what He is about to do.
Key Words
The Hebrew word behind 'man' is ish, the ordinary word for a male person. Joshua sees a man, nothing more. That is part of the point: God often meets us in what looks like the ordinary, a sudden figure at the edge of our path. The sword is 'drawn,' shalaph in Hebrew, pulled from its sheath. It is not a threat; it is readiness. The angel who met Balaam also carried a drawn sword, a sign that the Lord's judgment is active and present. And then comes the question. 'Are you for us or for our enemies?' The Hebrew is stark: ha-lanu attah im letsareinu, are you for us or for our adversaries? Joshua assumes allegiance is binary. He does not yet understand that the real question is whether we are on God's side.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across the centuries have seen this figure as more than an angel. Many in the Reformed and Wesleyan traditions, Matthew Henry, John Calvin, Adam Clarke, understood him to be the pre-incarnate Son of God, the same presence who appeared to Moses at the burning bush and to Abraham at Mamre. Others, like Keil and Delitzsch, describe him as the commander of the angelic armies, a figure who represents God's authority without being the Lord in person. Both readings agree on the central point: this is a divine encounter. Joshua worships him, and the ground becomes holy. The identity remains mysterious by design, inviting trust rather than full explanation.
A common misunderstanding
Many readers take the man's answer 'No' to mean he refuses to help Israel. They imagine a neutral or hostile figure. In fact, the 'No' rejects Joshua's framing. The commander is not a partisan weapon. He belongs to no human faction. His allegiance is to the Lord alone. The question that matters is not 'Whose side is God on?' but 'Am I on His side?'
Living This Out
You might be in a situation this week where you really want God to be on your side. Maybe a relationship feels like a battle, or a decision at work needs divine backup. Joshua's impulse makes perfect sense. But this encounter asks something harder. Before you ask God to bless your plan, try asking: 'What does my Lord say to His servant?' That was Joshua's next question, and it changed everything. The commander with the drawn sword was not deciding who to fight for; He was waiting for Joshua to fall in line behind Him. Instead of recruiting God for your agenda, you can simply say: 'I'm ready to hear what You want.'
Main takeaway: The real question is not whether God is for us, but whether we are for Him.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Joshua saw a man with a sword. Joshua asked the man, “Are you on our side?” The man said, “No, I am the leader of God's army.” That was God's way of saying: you follow me. When you are scared or confused, you can ask God: what do You want me to do?
For ages 9, 12
When Joshua saw the man with a drawn sword, he thought he needed to know whose side this warrior was on. But the warrior turned the question around. He was not there to be on Joshua's side, he was there to be his leader. Sometimes we want God to help us win our battles. But God wants us to ask what He is doing and join Him. That is harder, but it is the way He leads His people. It teaches us that following God means letting Him decide the plan, not asking Him to approve ours.
Questions People Ask
Who is the man with the drawn sword in Joshua 5:13?
Many Christian commentators identify him as the pre-incarnate Christ, often called the Angel of the Lord. Others describe him as the commander of the heavenly armies, a figure who represents God's authority. Both views agree it is a divine or heavenly being. Joshua worships him and the ground becomes holy, which points to God's presence.
Why does the man say 'No' when Joshua asks if he is for them or for their enemies?
The man's answer does not mean he is against Israel. It means he rejects the question itself. He is not a partisan fighter who takes sides in human conflicts. He is the commander of the Lord's army, and the question Joshua needs to ask is whether he will follow that commander. The answer shifts the focus from God's allegiance to ours.
What does 'commander of the Lord's army' mean?
The phrase refers to a leader of the heavenly forces, the angels who serve God. It is not an army of Israel but the spiritual host of heaven. This figure comes to establish that the conquest of Jericho is a divine mission, not a merely human one. His presence shows that the battle belongs to the Lord, not to Joshua's strategy.
Is this an appearance of Jesus in the Old Testament?
Many Christians in various traditions believe this is a theophany, an appearance of God the Son before His incarnation. They point to the worship Joshua offers, which a created angel would not accept, and the command to remove sandals on holy ground, which mirrors Moses' encounter with God. Others hold that it is an exalted angel acting with God's full authority. The text does not resolve the question, and both readings honor the mystery.
Why did Joshua worship the man?
Joshua fell on his face and worshiped after hearing the man identify himself as commander of the Lord's army. In the Old Testament, worship of a heavenly being is reserved for God alone. The fact that the man does not forbid the worship, and even commands Joshua to remove his sandals because the ground is holy, strongly suggests that this figure is divine. The same command was given to Moses at the burning bush.
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