Commentary on Joshua - Keil & Delitzsch - David Cox

Keil and Delitzsch <strong>Commentary</strong> on the Old Testament
the ancient versions and some MSS also adopt it.
Verse 2-8. At that time (sc., the time of their encampment at Gilgal, and when the
Canaanites were in despair) Joshua had the people "circumcised again, the second
time." The word sheeniyt (OT:8145) (a second time) is only added to give emphasis
to shuwb (OT:7725), or as an explanation of it, and is not to be pressed, either here or
in Isa 11:11, as though it denoted the repetition of the same act in every respect, i.e.,
of an act of circumcision which had once before been performed upon the whole
nation. It merely expresses this meaning, "circumcise the people again, or the second
time, as it was formerly circumcised" (i.e., a circumcised people, not in the same
manner in which it once before had circumcision performed upon it). When the
people came out of Egypt they were none of them uncircumcised, as distinctly
affirmed in v. 5; but during their journey through the wilderness circumcision had
been neglected, so that now the nation was no longer circumcised, and therefore it
was necessary that circumcision should be performed upon the nation as a whole, by
circumcising all who were uncircumcised. The opinion of Masius and O. v. Gerlach ,
that the expression "the second time" refers to the introduction of circumcision, when
Abraham was circumcised with all his house, is very far-fetched. tsuriym (OT:6697)
charªbowt (OT:2719) are not "sharp knives," but "stone knives," which were used
according to ancient custom (see at Ex 4:25), literally knives of rocks (the plural
zurim is occasioned by charboth , as in Num 13:32, etc.; the singular might have been
used: see Ewald , §270, c. ).
Verse 3. Joshua had the circumcision performed "at the hill of the foreskins," as the
place was afterwards called from the fact that the foreskins were buried there.
Verse 4-7. The reason for the circumcision of the whole nation was the following: all
the fighting men who came out of Egypt had died in the wilderness by the way; for
all the people that came out were circumcised; but all that were born in the wilderness
during the journey had not been circumcised ( mimitsªrayim (OT:4714) bªtsee'taam
(OT:3318), on their coming out of Egypt, which only came to an end on their arrival
in Canaan). They walked
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