Joshua 5:14
in Joshua 5“Neither,” He replied. “I have now come as Commander of the LORD’s army.” Then Joshua fell facedown in reverence and asked Him, “What does my Lord have to say to His servant?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he said, Nay; but as prince of the host of Jehovah am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?
KJV
And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?
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This verse in Joshua 5
Commentary
16 notes on this verseWhat is it that Jesus [Joshua] teaches us through this? That, doubtless, which the apostle says: "Do not believe every spirit, but test if it is from God." Therefore, Jesus [Joshua] recognized not only something from God but that which is God; for certainly he would not have worshiped unless he had recognized God. For who else is chief of the army of the powers of God except our Lord Jesus Christ?
This site's exposition
saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword
on Joshua 5:13-14
Joshua falls facedown in reverence without being stopped. Many older writers read a Christophany from the accepted worship and the holy ground of verse 15, and others read a created angel. Revelation 22:8-9, where an angel twice refuses worship, is the strongest text for the second reading.
This site's exposition
What does my Lord have to say to His servant
Barnes reads the LORD's army as the angels of heaven, as at 1 Kings 22:19, and notes that Israel's army is never given that title. Joshua's question puts him under orders at once. Henry reads it as a soldier asking his captain for his command.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
A commentator
Desert FathersThe Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks · Written before 500.
proposed
A brother asked a hermit, 'Is it good to be always repenting?' He answered, 'We have seen Joshua the son of Nun; it was when he was lying prostrate on his face that God appeared to him' (cf. Josh. 5:14).
Joshua, the successor of Moses, calls the leader of the heavenly angels and archangels and of the supernal powers and as if he were the power and wisdom of the Father, entrusted with the second rank of sovereignty and rule over all, "prince of the host of the Lord," although he saw him only in the form and shape of a man. At any rate, it is written: "And it came to pass, when Joshua was in the field of the city of Jericho, he lifted up his eyes, and saw a man standing over against him, holding a drawn sword, and he went to him and said: 'Are you one of ours, or of our adversaries?' And he said to him, 'I am prince of the host of the Lord and I have now come.' And Joshua fell on his face to the ground and said to him, 'What does my Lord command to his servant?' And the prince of the Lord said to Joshua, 'Loose your shoe from off your feet, for the place on which you stand is a holy place.' " Here, too, you will perceive from the identity of words that this is no other than he who also spoke to Moses.
A commentator
Eusebius of CaesareaThe Proof of the Gospel (Book V), Chapter 19 · Written before 339.
proposed
The same words, you will remember, were said by the same Lord to Moses at the beginning of the vision of the Bush, for Scripture says: "And when the Lord saw that he drew nigh to see, He called him from the midst of the Bush, saying, Moses, Moses, come not near here; loose thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." So, then, the command that was given shews that the God Who answered on both occasions was one and the same. Though here He prophesies through the Chief and Captain of His power, and to Moses by the vision of the angel. And of the heavenly armies, celestial powers and invisible spirits, holy angels and archangels ministering to God the King of kings and the Lord of lords (as Daniel says: "Thousand thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him"), what other could be highest of all but the Word of God, His Firstborn Wisdom, His Divine Offspring? Rightly, then, He is here called Chief Captain of the Power of the Lord, as also elsewhere "Angel of Great Counsel," "Throned with the Father," "Eternal and Great High Priest." And it has been proved that the same Being is both Lord and God, and Christ anointed by the Father with the oil of gladness. […]
The Medieval Church2 voices
Joshua, the son of Nun, and Daniel bowed in veneration before an angel of God, but they did not adore him. For adoration is one thing, and that which is offered in order to honor something of great excellence is another.
Joshua the son of Nun did not see the angel as he is by nature, but an image, for an angel by nature is not visible to bodily eyes, yet he fell down and worshiped, and Daniel did likewise. Yet an angel is a creature, a servant and minister of God, but not God. And they fell down in worship before the angels, not as God, but as God's ministering spirits. Shall I not make images of friends? Shall I not honor them, not as gods but as the images of God's friends? Neither Joshua nor Daniel worshiped the angels they saw as gods. Neither do I worship an image as god, but through the images of Christ and of the holy Theotokos and of the saints, I bring worship and honor to God, because of the reverence with which I honor his friends. God did not unite himself with angelic nature but with human nature. God did not become an angel; he became a man by nature and in truth.
8 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
Divine providence surrounds all persons at all times, but it is not visible except to those who have purified their souls of sin and think about God at all times. To these it is luminously revealed at that time; because when they have undergone great …
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
By his acceptance of adoration here, which a created angel durst not admit of, Rev. xxii, 8, 9. Because the place was made holy by his presence, ver. 15, which was God's prerogative, Exod. iii, 5. Because he is called the Lord, Hebrew.
And he said, nay,....
Who can count the dust of Jacob? That which had long been the church in the wilderness has now come up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved, and looks forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners. How terrible she was in the eyes of her enemies we are here told,
Observe, (1.) The relation he owns between himself and Christ, that Christ was his Lord and himself his servant and under his command, Christ his Captain and himself a soldier under him, to do as he is bidden, Matt. viii. Note, The foundation of all acceptable obedience is laid in a sincere dedication of ourselves, as servants to Jesus Christ as our Lord, Ps. xvi.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Joshua fell on his face . . ., and did worship--The adoption by Joshua of this absolute form of prostration demonstrates the sentiments of profound reverence with which the language and majestic bearing of the stranger inspired him. The real character of this personage was disclosed by His accepting the homage of worship (compare Ac 10:25, 26;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
But as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come - By this saying Joshua was both encouraged and instructed. As if he had said, “Fear not; Jehovah hath sent from heaven to save thee and thy people from the reproach of them that would swallow thee up. Israel is the Lord’s host; and the Lord of hosts is Israel’s Captain.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Captain of the host of the Lord - i. e. of the angelic host, the host of heaven (compare 1Ki 22:19; 1Sa 1:3, etc.). The armed people of Israel are never called “the host of the Lord,” though once spoken of in Exo 12:41 as “all the hosts of the Lord.” The Divine Person intimates that He, the Prince (see the marginal references) of the Angels had come to lead Israel in the coming strife, and to overthrow by heavenly might the armies and the strongholds of God’s and Israel’s enemies. Accordingly, the capture of Jericho and the destruction of the Canaanites generally form a fit type of a grander and more complete conquest and excision of the powers of evil which yet waits accomplishment. (Compare with this verse Mat 25:31; 2Th 1:7-8.)
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
I have now come. —“to help you, for it is impossible for man to battle against it [Yericho] and capture it, to knock down the wall.
2 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
When Yehoshua was in Yericho. From here we can learn that the outskirts of a city are considered part of the city itself, for it impossible to say that Yoshua was actually inside Yericho.
The officer of Adonoy’s host. This refers to Bnei Yisroel, who are Adonoy’s host. The officer mentioned here is the Angel, Michoeil, as it is said, ‘Michoeil, your officer.’ 16 Daniel:21.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 2 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
22 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר׀ | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לֹ֗א | lo' | In- | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| כִּ֛י | ki | deed | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אֲנִ֥י | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| שַׂר־ | sar- | [am] [the] commander of | H8269 → | |
| צְבָֽא־ | tzeva'- | [the] army of | H6635 → | 485 times |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| עַתָּ֣ה | ʾatah | now | H6258 → | 433 times |
| בָ֑אתִי | vati | I have come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| וַיִּפֹּל֩ | vaiyipol | and he fell | H5307 → | 435 times |
| יְהוֹשֻׁ֨עַ | yehoshua' | Joshua | H3091 → | 218 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| פָּנָ֥יו | panav | face his | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| אַ֙רְצָה֙ | ʾartzah | [the] ground towards | H776 → | 2504 times |
| וַיִּשְׁתָּ֔חוּ | vaiyishtachu | and he bowed down | H7812 → | 172 times |
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| ל֔וֹ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| מָ֥ה | mah | what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| אֲדֹנִ֖י | ʾadoni | [is] lord my | H113 → | |
| מְדַבֵּ֥ר | medaber | saying | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | <to> | H413 → | 5510 times |
| עַבְדּֽוֹ׃ | avdo | servant his | H5650 → | 799 times |
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר׀and he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
לֹ֗אIn-
lo'H3808 →5168 times
כִּ֛יdeed
kiH3588 →4482 times
אֲנִ֥יI
ʾaniH589 →874 times
שַׂר־[am] [the] commander of
sar-H8269 →
צְבָֽא־[the] army of
tzeva'-H6635 →485 times
יְהוָ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
עַתָּ֣הnow
ʾatahH6258 →433 times
בָ֑אתִיI have come
vatiH935 →2568 times
וַיִּפֹּל֩and he fell
vaiyipolH5307 →435 times
יְהוֹשֻׁ֨עַJoshua
yehoshua'H3091 →218 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
פָּנָ֥יוface his
panavH6440 →2123 times
אַ֙רְצָה֙[the] ground towards
ʾartzahH776 →2504 times
וַיִּשְׁתָּ֔חוּand he bowed down
vaiyishtachuH7812 →172 times
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
ל֔וֹto <the> him
lo
מָ֥הwhat?
mahH4100 →752 times
אֲדֹנִ֖י[is] lord my
ʾadoniH113 →
מְדַבֵּ֥רsaying
medaberH1696 →1141 times
אֶל־<to>
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
עַבְדּֽוֹ׃servant his
avdoH5650 →799 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 55:4Behold, I have made him a witness to the nations, a leader and commander of the peoples.
it leads to
- Revelation 1:5
and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has released us from our sins by…
- Isaiah 9:6–7
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of…
- Jeremiah 30:9
Instead, they will serve the LORD their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.
- Hebrews 2:10
In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting for God, for whom and through whom all things exist, to make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.
- Psalms 18:43
You have delivered me from the strife of the people; You have made me the head of nations; a people I had not known shall serve me.
- Revelation 1:5
Through
Genesis 17:3Then Abram fell facedown, and God said to him,
it leads to
- Genesis 17:17
Abraham fell facedown. Then he laughed and said to himself, “Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah give birth at the age of ninety?”
- Judges 13:20
When the flame went up from the altar to the sky, the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell facedown to the ground.
- Numbers 16:45
“Get away from this congregation so that I may consume them in an instant.” And Moses and Aaron fell facedown.
- Genesis 17:17
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies11
About Joshua
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 15 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Desert Fathers, The Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks; Eusebius of Caesarea, ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 1.2; Eusebius of Caesarea, The Proof of the Gospel (Book V), Chapter 19; Isaac of Nineveh, ASCETICAL HOMILIES 5.31-32; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Damascene, ON DIVINE IMAGES 1.8; John Damascene, ON DIVINE IMAGES 3.26; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON JOSHUA 6.2.