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Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel ONCE AGAIN

tonychanyt

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Oct 2, 2011
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Berean Study Bible, Joshua 5:

2 At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel once again.”
Was this a 2nd circumcision?

once again.”
וְשׁ֛וּב (wə·šūḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

Brown-Driver-Briggs:

  1. turn back
  2. return, come or go back
  3. especially return unto
  4. a. bring back
Let's see the context:

6 The Israelites had moved about in the wilderness forty years until all the men who were of military age when they left Egypt had died, since they had not obeyed the Lord. For the Lord had sworn to them that they would not see the land he had solemnly promised their ancestors to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7 So he raised up their sons in their place, and these were the ones Joshua circumcised. They were still uncircumcised because they had not been circumcised on the way. 8 And after the whole nation had been circumcised, they remained where they were in camp until they were healed.
Joshua was addressing the new generation who had never been circumcised.

According to the literal interpretation of the word וְשׁ֛וּב and the context, it is not really a second circumcision. Joshua ordered a return to the circumcision ritual. So once again, the sons of Israel were being circumcised after a suspension of the ritual in the wilderness.

NIV:

At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites again.”
This wasn't a second circumcision of the same individuals, but rather a return to or renewal of the circumcision practice that had been suspended during the wilderness journey.