Joshua 5:4 Meaning: Why Joshua Circumcised the New Generation
This is the reason Joshua circumcised them: all the people who came out of Egypt, who were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness along the way, after they came out of Egypt.
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.
And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise: all the people that came forth out of Egypt, that were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came forth out of Egypt.
And this is the thing for which Joshua circumciseth them : all the people who are coming out of Egypt, who are males, all the men of war have died in the wilderness, in the way, in their coming out of Egypt,
And this is the cause why Joshua circumcised [them]: all the people that had come out of Egypt, the males, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way, after they came out of Egypt.
Meaning in one sentence
Joshua 5:4 explains why the new generation needed circumcision after crossing the Jordan: the men of war from Egypt had died in the wilderness.
Context
The Israelites have just crossed the Jordan on dry ground, and the kings of Canaan are trembling. But before they can celebrate the Passover or face their first battle, God gives Joshua a strange command: circumcise the entire nation again. This verse explains the reason. The generation that came out of Egypt as fighting men, those who saw the plagues, walked through the sea, and then refused to trust God for the land, had all died in the wilderness. Their unbelief earned them forty years of wandering, and during that time, the covenant sign of circumcision was suspended. Now a new generation stands at the edge of the Promised Land. The old road of rebellion is closed. Before they can take possession, they need to carry the sign of belonging to God again.
Key Words
Two Hebrew words carry the weight of this turning point. The verb translated “circumcised” is mal, a word used across the Old Testament for the cutting of the covenant sign. Here it appears in a narrative explanation: Joshua performed this act because of what had happened. The phrase “men of war” uses milchamah, a word for battle that also appears in the name of the angel who meets Joshua later as “commander of the army of the LORD.” These were the ones who failed the test at Kadesh Barnea. The verb “died” is mut, plain, final, emphatic. There is no softening. The generation that rebelled is gone. But the word “all” (kol) in “all the people” shows the completeness: a whole generation passed away so that a whole new generation could receive the promise. The death of the old makes way for life in the new.
How Christians Read This Verse
Most readers agree this verse explains the suspension of circumcision during the wilderness years. Reformed commentators like Barnes and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown see it as a direct result of God’s judgment: the covenant was temporarily withdrawn from the rebellious generation. Methodist commentators like Adam Clarke emphasize the practical circumstances, an unsettled wandering life made the rite difficult to perform, while also noting God’s mercy in restoring it when the people entered the land. The Catholic tradition often reads this as a preparation for the Passover, linking circumcision and the Eucharist as covenant signs. Across traditions, there is common ground: God did not forget His covenant. He waited until the people were ready to receive it again, and He provided the way for them to begin anew.
A common misunderstanding
Some read this verse and think the Israelites simply neglected circumcision out of carelessness or hardship. In fact, the text and commentators show it was a deliberate pause under God’s judgment. The “second time” of circumcision was not repeating a rite on the same individuals; it was the whole nation receiving the sign again after a long break. This was not neglect, it was a season of discipline that prepared the new generation for the land.
Living This Out
This verse asks you to consider what makes you hesitate to claim God’s promises. Maybe you carry the weight of a past failure, your own or the example of those who came before you. The old generation died because they would not trust, but the new generation was allowed to start fresh. God did not hold their parents’ unbelief against them. He gave them a new sign, a new beginning. This week, you might look at one area where you feel disqualified and ask: Is God waiting to renew His covenant with me here? The answer is yes. He is the God who rolls away the reproach (v. 9) and calls you into the land flowing with milk and honey.
Main takeaway: God’s judgment on one generation did not cancel His promise to the next; He renewed the covenant when the new generation was ready to enter His rest.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God asked Joshua to get sharp knives and cut a special sign on the people. This was to show they belonged to God. The older people who did not trust God had died. Now the children were getting ready to go into the new land.
For ages 9, 12
The people who came out of Egypt from slavery had refused to trust God to give them the land, so God let them wander forty years until they died. Their children grew up without the special mark of circumcision. Now that they had crossed the Jordan, God told Joshua to give them that mark. It was like a fresh start, a new generation ready to obey God and take the land. Sometimes God waits until we are ready to receive His promises.
Questions People Ask
Why did the whole generation of men of war die in the wilderness?
After the spies returned from Canaan, the people refused to trust God to give them the land. They wanted to go back to Egypt. Because of that unbelief, God swore that none of those men (ages twenty and older) would enter the Promised Land. They wandered forty years until they died, as recorded in Numbers 14.
Why was circumcision not practiced during the wilderness wandering?
The commentators generally agree that God suspended the covenant sign as a sign of judgment on the rebellious generation. The people who refused to trust Him were under a kind of ban, and their children bore the consequence of not receiving the sign until the judgment was complete.
What is the “hill of the foreskins” in verse 3?
This was a place near Gilgal (which means “rolling”) where Joshua performed the mass circumcision. The name recorded the event, the foreskins removed there became a memorial of the nation’s fresh start in the covenant.
How does this verse connect to the New Testament?
Paul says in Colossians 2:11, 12 that believers are circumcised in Christ, not physically, but a circumcision of the heart that puts off the sinful nature. The new generation entering the land prefigures our entry into new life through Christ, who rolls away our reproach.
Does this mean God rejected the older generation forever?
No. The older generation died in judgment for their unbelief, but the Bible does not say they were eternally lost. Hebrews 3 and 1 Corinthians 10 use their example as a warning against hardening our hearts. God’s discipline was temporal, pointing to the seriousness of trust and obedience.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study