TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Chapter 5

1When all the kings of the Amorites on the western side of the Yarden, and all the kings of the Canaanites near the Sea, heard how Hashem had dried up the waters of the Yarden for the sake of the Israelites until they crossed over, they lost heart, and no spirit was left in them because of the Israelites.

אוַיְהִי כִשְׁמֹעַ כָּל־מַלְכֵי הָאֱמֹרִי אֲשֶׁר בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן יָמָּה וְכָל־מַלְכֵי הַכְּנַעֲנִי אֲשֶׁר עַל־הַיָּם אֵת אֲשֶׁר־הוֹבִישׁ יְהֹוָה אֶת־מֵי הַיַּרְדֵּן מִפְּנֵי בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל עַד־עברנו [עָבְרָם] וַיִּמַּס לְבָבָם וְלֹא־הָיָה בָם עוֹד רוּחַ מִפְּנֵי בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

2At that time Hashem said to Yehoshua, “Make flint knives and proceed with a second circumcision of the Israelites.”

בבָּעֵת הַהִיא אָמַר יְהֹוָה אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ עֲשֵׂה לְךָ חַרְבוֹת צֻרִים וְשׁוּב מֹל אֶת־בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל שֵׁנִית׃

3So Yehoshua had flint knives made, and the Israelites were circumcised at Gibeath-haaraloth.

גוַיַּעַשׂ־לוֹ יְהוֹשֻׁעַ חַרְבוֹת צֻרִים וַיָּמָל אֶת־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־גִּבְעַת הָעֲרָלוֹת׃

4This is the reason why Yehoshua had the circumcision performed: All the people who had come out of Egypt, all the males of military age, had died during the desert wanderings after leaving Egypt.

דוְזֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר־מָל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ כָּל־הָעָם הַיֹּצֵא מִמִּצְרַיִם הַזְּכָרִים כֹּל אַנְשֵׁי הַמִּלְחָמָה מֵתוּ בַמִּדְבָּר בַּדֶּרֶךְ בְּצֵאתָם מִמִּצְרָיִם׃

5Now, whereas all the people who came out of Egypt had been circumcised, none of the people born after the exodus, during the desert wanderings, had been circumcised.

הכִּי־מֻלִים הָיוּ כָּל־הָעָם הַיֹּצְאִים וְכָל־הָעָם הַיִּלֹּדִים בַּמִּדְבָּר בַּדֶּרֶךְ בְּצֵאתָם מִמִּצְרַיִם לֹא־מָלוּ׃

6For the Israelites had traveled in the wilderness forty years, until the entire nation—the men of military age who had left Egypt—had perished; because they had not obeyed Hashem, and Hashem had sworn never to let them see the land that Hashem had sworn to their fathers to assign to us, a land flowing with milk and honey.

וכִּי אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה הָלְכוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּמִּדְבָּר עַד־תֹּם כָּל־הַגּוֹי אַנְשֵׁי הַמִּלְחָמָה הַיֹּצְאִים מִמִּצְרַיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹא־שָׁמְעוּ בְּקוֹל יְהֹוָה אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע יְהֹוָה לָהֶם לְבִלְתִּי הַרְאוֹתָם אֶת־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע יְהֹוָה לַאֲבוֹתָם לָתֶת לָנוּ אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבָשׁ׃

7But He had raised up their sons in their stead; and it was these that Yehoshua circumcised, for they were uncircumcised, not having been circumcised on the way.

זוְאֶת־בְּנֵיהֶם הֵקִים תַּחְתָּם אֹתָם מָל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ כִּי־עֲרֵלִים הָיוּ כִּי לֹא־מָלוּ אוֹתָם בַּדָּרֶךְ׃

8After the circumcising of the whole nation was completed, they remained where they were, in the camp, until they recovered.

חוַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר־תַּמּוּ כָל־הַגּוֹי לְהִמּוֹל וַיֵּשְׁבוּ תַחְתָּם בַּמַּחֲנֶה עַד חֲיוֹתָם׃

9And Hashem said to Yehoshua, “Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt.” So that place was called Gilgal, as it still is.

טוַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ הַיּוֹם גַּלּוֹתִי אֶת־חֶרְפַּת מִצְרַיִם מֵעֲלֵיכֶם וַיִּקְרָא שֵׁם הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא גִּלְגָּל עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה׃

10Encamped at Gilgal, in the steppes of Yericho, the Israelites offered the Pesach sacrifice on the fourteenth day of the month, toward evening.

יוַיַּחֲנוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּגִּלְגָּל וַיַּעֲשׂוּ אֶת־הַפֶּסַח בְּאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר יוֹם לַחֹדֶשׁ בָּעֶרֶב בְּעַרְבוֹת יְרִיחוֹ׃

11On the day after the Pesach offering, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the country, unleavened bread and parched grain.

יאוַיֹּאכְלוּ מֵעֲבוּר הָאָרֶץ מִמָּחֳרַת הַפֶּסַח מַצּוֹת וְקָלוּי בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה׃

12On that same day, when they ate of the produce of the land, the manna ceased. The Israelites got no more manna; that year they ate of the yield of the land of Canaan.

יבוַיִּשְׁבֹּת הַמָּן מִמָּחֳרָת בְּאָכְלָם מֵעֲבוּר הָאָרֶץ וְלֹא־הָיָה עוֹד לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מָן וַיֹּאכְלוּ מִתְּבוּאַת אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן בַּשָּׁנָה הַהִיא׃

13Once, when Yehoshua was near Yericho, he looked up and saw a man standing before him, drawn sword in hand. Yehoshua went up to him and asked him, “Are you one of us or of our enemies?”

יגוַיְהִי בִּהְיוֹת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּירִיחוֹ וַיִּשָּׂא עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה־אִישׁ עֹמֵד לְנֶגְדּוֹ וְחַרְבּוֹ שְׁלוּפָה בְּיָדוֹ וַיֵּלֶךְ יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֵלָיו וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ הֲלָנוּ אַתָּה אִם־לְצָרֵינוּ׃

14He replied, “No, I am captain of Hashem's host. Now I have come!” Yehoshua threw himself face down to the ground and, prostrating himself, said to him, “What does my lord command his servant?”

ידוַיֹּאמֶר לֹא כִּי אֲנִי שַׂר־צְבָא־יְהֹוָה עַתָּה בָאתִי וַיִּפֹּל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶל־פָּנָיו אַרְצָה וַיִּשְׁתָּחוּ וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ מָה אֲדֹנִי מְדַבֵּר אֶל־עַבְדּוֹ׃

15The captain of Hashem's host answered Yehoshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Yehoshua did so.

va-YO-mer sar tz'-VA a-do-NAI el y'-ho-SHU-a shal na-al-KHA may-AL rag-LE-kha KEE ha-ma-KOM a-SHER a-TAH o-MAYD a-LAV KO-desh HU va-YA-as y'-ho-SHU-a KAYN

טווַיֹּאמֶר שַׂר־צְבָא יְהֹוָה אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ שַׁל־נַעַלְךָ מֵעַל רַגְלֶךָ כִּי הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה עֹמֵד עָלָיו קֹדֶשׁ הוּא וַיַּעַשׂ יְהוֹשֻׁעַ כֵּן׃

5:15   Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy

Yehoshua is told to remove his shoes because the place where he is standing is holy. This is reminiscent of the similar command given to Moshe while standing  at the burning bush on the mountain of God, Mount Sinai (Exodus 3:5). But there is a critical difference. Unlike Sinai, which attained only temporary holiness, the place upon which Yehoshua is standing is eternally sacred. He is standing upon the ground of Eretz Yisrael.