Joshua 5:6
in Joshua 5For the Israelites had wandered in the wilderness forty years, until all the nation’s men of war who had come out of Egypt had died, since they did not obey the LORD. So the LORD vowed never to let them see the land He had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the nation, even the men of war that came forth out of Egypt, were consumed, because they hearkened not unto the voice of Jehovah: unto whom Jehovah sware that he would not let them see the land which Jehovah sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.
KJV
For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord: unto whom the Lord sware that he would not shew them the land, which the Lord sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey.
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This verse in Joshua 5
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThe circumcision was given to Abraham before the law, after the blessings and after the promise, as a sign to set him and those born of him and those of his household apart from the Gentiles in whose midst he was living. And this is obvious, because, when Israel spent forty years alone by themselves in the desert without mixing with any other nation, all those who were born in the desert were not circumcised. However, when Joshua brought them across the Jordan, they were circumcised and a second law of circumcision was made.
This site's exposition
Make flint knives
on Joshua 5:2-7
The covenant sign had lapsed through the wilderness. The generation that carried the sign died in the desert, and the one that lacked it is taking the land. So the first act inside the country is to put the mark of Genesis 17 back on the people.
This site's exposition
wandered in the wilderness forty years
Verse 6 ties the lapse to the sentence at Kadesh. Henry reads the missing sign as a mark of displeasure for as long as that sentence ran, while Gill holds constant travel was the reason. Henry admits that Numbers 14 gives no express order stopping the rite.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
The people - The Hebrew word commonly signifies the Gentiles; so he calls them, to note that they were unworthy the name of Israelites. Shew them - That is, not give them so much as a sight of it, which he granted to Moses, much less the possession.
It was requisite that children after they were circumcised should rest for some time while they were sore, and stirring them might be dangerous to them; God therefore would have mercy and not sacrifice. This reason is generally acquiesced in, but to me it is not satisfactory, for sometimes they staid a year in a place ( Num. ix.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness,....
And this was such a significant indication of God's wrath as the breaking of the tables of the covenant was when Israel had broken the covenant by making the golden calf. It is true that there is no express mention of this judicial prohibition in the account of that sentence; but an intimation of it in Num. xiv.
The words behind it
38 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּ֣י׀ | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אַרְבָּעִ֣ים | ʾarbaim | forty | H705 → | 136 times |
| שָׁנָ֗ה | shanah | year[s] | H8141 → | 877 times |
| הָלְכ֣וּ | halekhu | they had walked | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| בְנֵֽי־ | venei- | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| בַּמִּדְבָּר֒ | bamidbar | in the wilderness | H4057 → | 270 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| תֹּ֨ם | tom | was finished | H8552 → | 63 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַגּ֜וֹי | hagoy | the nation | H1471 → | 561 times |
| אַנְשֵׁ֤י | ʾanshei | [the] men of | H582 → | 566 times |
| הַמִּלְחָמָה֙ | hamilchamah | <the> war | H4421 → | 320 times |
| הַיֹּצְאִ֣ים | haiyotzeim | who came out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם | mimitzrayim | from Egypt | H4714 → | 641 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| שָׁמְע֖וּ | shameu | they had listened | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| בְּק֣וֹל | bekol | to [the] voice of | H6963 → | 506 times |
| יְהוָ֑ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| נִשְׁבַּ֤ע | nishba' | he had sworn | H7650 → | 186 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לָהֶ֔ם | lahem | to <the> them | ||
| לְבִלְתִּ֞י | levilti | to not | H1115 → | 112 times |
| הַרְאוֹתָ֣ם | harotam | to let to see them | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָאָ֗רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| אֲשֶׁר֩ | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| נִשְׁבַּ֨ע | nishba' | he had sworn | H7650 → | 186 times |
| יְהוָ֤ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לַֽאֲבוֹתָם֙ | laavotam | to fathers their | H1 → | 1212 times |
| לָ֣תֶת | latet | to give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לָ֔נוּ | lanu | to <the> us | ||
| אֶ֛רֶץ | ʾeretz | a land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| זָבַ֥ת | zavat | flowing of | H2100 → | |
| חָלָ֖ב | chalav | milk | H2461 → | |
| וּדְבָֽשׁ׃ | udevash | and honey | H1706 → |
כִּ֣י׀for
kiH3588 →4482 times
אַרְבָּעִ֣יםforty
ʾarbaimH705 →136 times
שָׁנָ֗הyear[s]
shanahH8141 →877 times
הָלְכ֣וּthey had walked
halekhuH1980 →1546 times
בְנֵֽי־[the] people of
venei-H1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵל֮Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
בַּמִּדְבָּר֒in the wilderness
bamidbarH4057 →270 times
עַד־until
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
תֹּ֨םwas finished
tomH8552 →63 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַגּ֜וֹיthe nation
hagoyH1471 →561 times
אַנְשֵׁ֤י[the] men of
ʾansheiH582 →566 times
הַמִּלְחָמָה֙<the> war
hamilchamahH4421 →320 times
הַיֹּצְאִ֣יםwho came out
haiyotzeimH3318 →1067 times
מִמִּצְרַ֔יִםfrom Egypt
mimitzrayimH4714 →641 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
שָׁמְע֖וּthey had listened
shameuH8085 →1159 times
בְּק֣וֹלto [the] voice of
bekolH6963 →506 times
יְהוָ֑הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwhom
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
נִשְׁבַּ֤עhe had sworn
nishba'H7650 →186 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
לָהֶ֔םto <the> them
lahem
לְבִלְתִּ֞יto not
leviltiH1115 →112 times
הַרְאוֹתָ֣םto let to see them
harotamH7200 →1300 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָאָ֗רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
אֲשֶׁר֩which
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
נִשְׁבַּ֨עhe had sworn
nishba'H7650 →186 times
יְהוָ֤הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
לַֽאֲבוֹתָם֙to fathers their
laavotamH1 →1212 times
לָ֣תֶתto give
latetH5414 →2011 times
לָ֔נוּto <the> us
lanu
אֶ֛רֶץa land
ʾeretzH776 →2504 times
זָבַ֥תflowing of
zavatH2100 →
חָלָ֖בmilk
chalavH2461 →
וּדְבָֽשׁ׃and honey
udevashH1706 →
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
Hebrews 3:11So I swore on oath in My anger, ‘They shall never enter My rest.’”
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 1:34–35
When the LORD heard your words, He grew angry and swore an oath, saying,
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 1:34–35
Through
Deuteronomy 2:7Indeed, the LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. The LORD your God has been with you these…
it leads to
- Nehemiah 9:21
For forty years You sustained them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.
- Luke 22:35
Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you out without purse or bag or sandals, did you lack anything?” “Nothing,” they answered.
- Deuteronomy 8:2–4
Remember that these forty years the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness, so that He might humble you and test you in order to know what was in your…
- Deuteronomy 29:5
For forty years I led you in the wilderness, yet your clothes and sandals did not wear out.
- Psalms 90:17
May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish for us the work of our hands— yes, establish the work of our hands!
- Nehemiah 9:21
Through
Numbers 14:23not one will ever see the land that I swore to give their fathers. None of those who have treated Me with contempt will see it.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 20:15
Moreover, with an uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land that I had given them—a land flowing with milk and honey, the glory…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Numbers 32:11
‘Because they did not follow Me wholeheartedly, not one of the men twenty years of age or older who came out of Egypt will see the land that I swore to give Abraham, Isaac,…
- Ezekiel 20:15
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 John Damascene, ORTHODOX FAITH 4.25; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; 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 and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.