At that time the Lord said vnto Ioshua, Make thee sharpe kniues, and circumcise againe the children of Israel the second time. Joshua 5:2 (KJV)
This verse belongs to the narrative describing the events as the Israelites prepared to enter the Promised Land under Joshua’s leadership. It records a specific command from the LORD to Joshua concerning preparation for the conquest.
Before this command the people had spent forty years wandering in the wilderness after their deliverance from Egypt. During that period the original generation that had left Egypt died, and a new generation was born and raised in the desert. Now the nation stood on the threshold of the land that God had promised to their ancestors.
Circumcision was the covenant sign given to Abraham and his descendants as a mark of belonging to God’s people (Genesis 17:10‑14). The law required that every male be circumcised on the eighth day after birth (Genesis 17:12).
In Joshua 5:2 the LORD commands Joshua to make sharp knives and to circumcise the children of Israel a second time. The new generation born in the wilderness had never been circumcised, so the ceremony was performed at Gilgal. Joshua and Caleb, who belonged to the original generation, were already circumcised, as the text later records (Joshua 5:4‑7).
The act served as a renewal of the covenant between God and Israel. By undergoing the rite, the new generation publicly affirmed their identity as God’s chosen people and their commitment to obey His commands as they prepared to possess the promised land.
The circumcision points to several spiritual lessons. It reminds believers of the need for obedience and total consecration to God. It symbolizes the cutting away of the old sinful nature and the purification of the heart (Deuteronomy 10:16; Romans 2:28‑29; Colossians 2:11‑12). It also highlights the importance of faithfulness and dedication to God’s covenant promises.
