וַיְהִי כִשְׁמֹעַ כָּל מַלְכֵי הָאֱמֹרִי אֲשֶׁר בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן יָמָּה וְכָל מַלְכֵי הַכְּנַעֲנִי אֲשֶׁר עַל הַיָּם אֵת אֲשֶׁר הוֹבִישׁ ה' אֶת מֵי הַיַּרְדֵּן מִפְּנֵי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עַד עָבְרָם וַיִּמַּס לְבָבָם וְלֹא הָיָה בָם עוֹד רוּחַ מִפְּנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

A summation of Israel’s crossing of the Jordan: It was when all the kings of the Emorites, specifically those who were beyond the Jordan westward, as Israel had already conquered all the Emorite territory east of the Jordan, and all the kings of the Canaanites, who were by the sea, heard of the great and wondrous miracle, that the Lord had dried the water of the Jordan from before the children of Israel until they had crossed, that their heart melted, and there was no more spirit in them before the children of Israel. The kings of the land of Canaan were already deeply concerned about Israel’s approaching campaign of conquest. When they saw the supernatural signs and marvels that accompanied the nation, they lost all confidence.

בָּעֵת הַהִיא אָמַר ה' אֶל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ עֲשֵׂה לְךָ חַרְבוֹת צֻרִים וְשׁוּב מֹל אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שֵׁנִית

At that time, the Lord said to Joshua: Make flint [tzurim] knives for yourself. Some commentaries explain that tzurim means sharp. And use them to circumcise the children of Israel again, a second time. The first occasion was when their fathers were circumcised in Egypt, before they set out for the wilderness.

וַיַּעַשׂ לוֹ יְהוֹשֻׁעַ חַרְבוֹת צֻרִים וַיָּמָל אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל גִּבְעַת הָעֲרָלוֹת

Joshua made flint knives to be used for circumcision, for himself, though not specifically for his own use, and circumcised, he commanded circumcision for, the children of Israel at the Hill of the Foreskins. The place was named for the event that occurred there. Perhaps there was such an accumulation of foreskins there that they formed a small mound.

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

After describing the episode in brief, the chapter provides a more detailed explanation: This is the explanation, or the background, of why Joshua performed circumcision: The entire people that came out of Egypt, the males, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way, after their exodus from Egypt, as stated in the Torah. Those who entered the land of Canaan, their children, were either born in the wilderness or were very young when they came out of Egypt.

כִּי מֻלִים הָיוּ כָּל הָעָם הַיֹּצְאִים וְכָל הָעָם הַיִּלֹּדִים בַּמִּדְבָּר בַּדֶּרֶךְ בְּצֵאתָם מִמִּצְרַיִם לֹא מָלוּ

All the people who came out were circumcised, but all the people who were born in the wilderness on the way, after their exodus from Egypt, were not circumcised. Even if some of the people had not been circumcised while living in Egypt, Moses had instructed them before the exodus that only the circumcised were permitted to partake of the paschal lamb, and therefore all the males had circumcised themselves at that time. However, those born in the wilderness were uncircumcised, either due to the desert climate or the difficulties of the journey.

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

For it was forty years that the children of Israel walked in the wilderness, until the demise of the entire nation, namely, the men of war who came out of Egypt, who did not heed the voice of the Lord in the incident of the spies; it was to them that the Lord swore not to show the land that the Lord had sworn to their forefathers to give to us, a land flowing with milk and honey, as related in the Torah.

וְאֶת בְּנֵיהֶם הֵקִים תַּחְתָּם אֹתָם מָל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ כִּי עֲרֵלִים הָיוּ כִּי לֹא מָלוּ אוֹתָם בַּדָּרֶךְ

But He established their children in their stead; it was them that Joshua circumcised, as they were uncircumcised, because they were not circumcised on the way.

וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר תַּמּוּ כָל הַגּוֹי לְהִמּוֹל וַיֵּשְׁבוּ תַחְתָּם בַּמַּחֲנֶה עַד חֲיוֹתָם

When the entire nation had completed being circumcised, they remained in their places in the camp until their recovery. Circumcision is a more painful procedure for adults than children, and therefore they remained in one place and refrained from unnecessary movement until the wounds were healed.

וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ הַיּוֹם גַּלּוֹתִי אֶת חֶרְפַּת מִצְרַיִם מֵעֲלֵיכֶם וַיִּקְרָא שֵׁם הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא גִּלְגָּל עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה

The Lord said to Joshua: Today I have removed [galoti] the disgrace of Egypt, the foreskin, from upon you. He called the name of that place Gilgal, to this day. Although it was already mentioned above that twelve stones were erected in Gilgal, it is possible that it began to be called by that name only now. Alternatively, that place was named Gilgal due to the heap [gal] of stones, whereas the Gilgal where the Israelites were circumcised is a different place.

וַיַּחֲנוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּגִּלְגָּל וַיַּעֲשׂוּ אֶת הַפֶּסַח בְּאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר יוֹם לַחֹדֶשׁ בָּעֶרֶב בְּעַרְבוֹת יְרִיחוֹ

The children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and they performed the paschal offering at the proper time, on the fourteenth day of the month, in the evening, on the plains of Jericho, the vacant area between Jericho and the Jordan.

וַיֹּאכְלוּ מֵעֲבוּר הָאָרֶץ מִמָּחֳרַת הַפֶּסַח מַצּוֹת וְקָלוּי בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה

They ate from the produce of the land on the day after the paschal offering, unleavened bread and roasted grain, on that very day, the day on which they were commanded to eat it.

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

The Israelites partook of the manna for only a few days after they entered Canaan. The manna ceased on the following day, while they ate from the produce of the land; there was no more manna for the children of Israel, from that day forward, and they ate from the grain of the land of Canaan that year. They arrived in the land at a time when the produce sown by the Canaanites had ripened, and they were therefore able to reap and eat it.

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

It was when Joshua was in Jericho that he raised his eyes. This does not mean that he was actually in Jericho, but rather that he was near the city. It is possible that Joshua ventured out alone to take a strategic tour of the area. And he saw, and behold, the image of an unfamiliar man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand. Joshua went to him and said to him: Are you with us or with our enemies? Since you are a stranger bearing a sword on contested land, tell me whose side you are on.

וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא כִּי אֲנִי שַׂר צְבָא ה'עַתָּה בָאתִי וַיִּפֹּל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶל פָּנָיו אַרְצָה וַיִּשְׁתָּחוּ וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ מָה אֲדֹנִי מְדַבֵּר אֶל עַבְדּוֹ

He said: No, I am not a human, and I do not belong to one of these armies, for I am captain of the host of the Lord, an angel of heaven; now I have come to talk to you, as a sign from God. Joshua fell on his face to the ground and prostrated himself in subservience, and he said to him: What does my lord speak to his servant?

וַיֹּאמֶר שַׂר צְבָא ה' אֶל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ שַׁל נַעַלְךָ מֵעַל רַגְלֶךָ כִּי הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה עֹמֵד עָלָיו קֹדֶשׁ הוּא וַיַּעַשׂ יְהוֹשֻׁעַ כֵּן

The captain of the host of the Lord said to Joshua: Remove your shoe from upon your foot, for the place on which you stand is sacred; and Joshua did so.