Bible Strands
Joshua 5:7
And He raised up their sons in their place, and these were the ones Joshua circumcised. Until this time they were still uncircumcised, since they had not been circumcised along the way.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator records the transition at Gilgal after the wilderness generation perished for disobedience. This moment occurs just before the camp resumes its march into the Promised Land.
The words — The verb הֵקִים (hekim) literally means "he raised up," denoting the substitution of the new generation for the dead. The phrase בְּנֵיהֶם (benehem) translates to "their sons," identifying the specific cohort that Joshua circumcised.
The thread — The text states that the uncircumcised sons replaced their fathers, fulfilling the promise that the children would enter the land (Numbers 14:31; Deuteronomy 1:39). The narrative explicitly notes they remained uncircumcised during the forty-year journey before Joshua performed the rite.
Why it lands — The passage requires readers to acknowledge that covenant sign and land inheritance are tied to the physical offspring of the exodus generation. It demands recognition that the new population must undergo circumcision before the community can remain in the camp or proceed forward.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And their children, whom he raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised: for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them by the way.
Cross-references
- Numbers 14:31 But I will bring your children, whom you said would become plunder, into the land you have rejected—and they will enjoy it.
- Deuteronomy 1:39 And the little ones you said would become captives—your children who on that day did not know good from evil—will enter the land that I will give them, and they will possess it.