Joshua 5:5 Meaning: Why Were They Left Uncircumcised?
For all the people who came out were circumcised; but all the people who were born in the wilderness along the way as they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised.
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 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, they had not circumcised.
for all the people who are coming out were circumcised, and all the people who are born in the wilderness, in the way, in their coming out from Egypt, they have not circumcised;
For all the people that came out were circumcised; but all the people that were born in the wilderness on the way, after they came out of Egypt, [them] had they not circumcised.
Meaning in one sentence
Joshua 5:5 explains why those born in the wilderness were not circumcised, a sign of God's judgment and a fresh start at Gilgal.
Context
Israel has just crossed the Jordan on dry ground. The kings of Canaan are terrified. Now, camped at Gilgal, God gives Joshua a strange command: circumcise the people again. The text pauses to explain why this is necessary. The generation that left Egypt as adults had all been circumcised. But their children, born during the forty years in the wilderness, had not received the sign of the covenant. The men of war from Egypt had died in the wilderness because of their unbelief. Their sons, who would enter the land, were uncircumcised. This verse gives the reason behind the mass circumcision that follows, marking a renewal of the covenant before the conquest begins.
Key Words
The Hebrew verb behind “were circumcised” is mulim. It means to cut off, and it carried the weight of the covenant God made with Abraham, a physical mark of belonging to God’s people. Those born in the wilderness had never received this mark. The word for “born” is yillod, referring to children native to the wilderness, not to Egypt. They had grown up without the sign that had set their parents apart. And the phrase “by the way” uses the word derekh, which can mean a road, a journey, or a manner of life. The wilderness was a way of travel, but it was also a way of discipline. For forty years the nation moved from place to place, never settling. That unsettled life may have contributed to the neglect, but the deeper cause was God’s judgment on the previous generation. The word study shows that the wilderness journey was both a physical and spiritual trial, and the lack of circumcision was part of that trial.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians have offered different explanations for why the wilderness generation was not circumcised. Matthew Henry and Wesley see it as a token of God’s displeasure, a suspension of the covenant sign during the time of judgment on the rebellious generation. Barnes and Keil suggest it was a practical consequence of the journey, since travel made the ritual difficult. Gill notes that Jewish tradition connects the neglect to the hardships of the road. Others point to the ban described in Numbers 14, where God declared that the unfaithful would not enter the land, and the sign of the covenant was withheld as part of that sentence. These views are not in conflict; they point to a season when God paused the outward sign of His covenant, only to restore it at Gilgal as the people prepared to take the land.
A common misunderstanding
Some assume the wilderness generation simply forgot or neglected circumcision out of carelessness. In fact, the commentators and the broader story suggest it was a deliberate suspension of the covenant sign as part of God’s judgment on the generation that refused to trust Him at Kadesh. The neglect was not accidental; it was a visible reminder that those who would not enter the land were cut off from the full blessing of the covenant.
Living This Out
This verse asks you to consider what signs of God’s covenant might have been neglected in your own life. Maybe a long season of wandering has caused you to let slip a practice that once marked you as His, prayer, fellowship, or the Lord’s Supper. The wilderness generation did not circumcise their children; but at Gilgal, God gave a new start. The covenant was not cancelled, only waiting. This week, look at one spiritual practice that has faded. God may be inviting you to renew it, not out of guilt, but as a way of saying, “I am ready to enter what He has promised.”
Main takeaway: God can renew His covenant with a new generation, even after a long season where the old signs were neglected.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God told His people to do something special to show they belonged to Him. But for a long time, they did not do it. Before they went into their new home, God said, “Do it again.”
For ages 9, 12
The people born in the wilderness had never received the sign that marked them as part of God’s family. Their parents had neglected it during the years of wandering, partly because of the hard journey and partly because God was disciplining the older generation for their unbelief. But when they reached Gilgal, God commanded Joshua to circumcise them all. This was a fresh start. God was saying, “Now you are ready. You are my people, and I am giving you this land.” Sometimes we have to go back and do what we skipped, so we can move forward.
Questions People Ask
Why were those born in the wilderness not circumcised?
The verse states that all who came out of Egypt were circumcised, but those born during the forty years in the wilderness were not. Commentators give different reasons: some see it as a result of the journey’s hardships, others as a deliberate suspension of the covenant sign because of God’s judgment on the rebellious generation. The renewal at Gilgal shows that God was ready to restore the sign to the new generation.
Does this verse mean circumcision was not practiced in the wilderness at all?
The verse says the people born in the wilderness had not been circumcised. That likely applies to the majority born after the initial years. Barnes notes that any children born in the first year may have been circumcised before the Passover at Sinai (Numbers 9). So the statement is general, not absolute. The key point is that by the end of the wilderness period, the circumcised generation was gone, and the new generation was uncircumcised.
What does the circumcision at Gilgal teach about God’s covenant?
It shows that God’s covenant is not broken by human failure. Even though the wilderness generation neglected the sign, God did not abandon His promise. At Gilgal, He commanded renewal. The name Gilgal means “to roll away,” and God said He had rolled away the reproach of Egypt. This symbolizes that the old judgment was over, and the new generation could enter the land as God’s people.
How does Joshua 5:5 connect to the New Testament?
Paul says in Galatians 5:6 that what matters is not circumcision or uncircumcision, but faith working through love. The Old Testament sign pointed to a heart that trusts God. The wilderness generation had uncircumcised hearts (Jeremiah 9:26). So Joshua 5:5 reminds us that outward rituals only have meaning when they reflect an inward faith. The renewal at Gilgal was a call to genuine covenant relationship.
Why did God command circumcision right after crossing the Jordan?
The timing was strategic. The Canaanites were terrified, so there was no immediate threat of attack. Also, the Passover was approaching (Joshua 5:10), and circumcision was required to celebrate it properly (Exodus 12:48). By renewing the sign, God prepared the people to worship and to begin the conquest as a holy nation. It was a physical and spiritual preparation for what lay ahead.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study