Josué 5

¹ Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over, their hearts melted and their spirits failed for fear of the Israelites.

² At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel once again.”

³ So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth.

⁴ Now this is why Joshua circumcised them: All those who came out of Egypt—all the men of war—had died on the journey in the wilderness after they had left Egypt.

⁵ Though all who had come out were circumcised, none of those born in the wilderness on the journey from Egypt had been circumcised.

⁶ For 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.

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.

⁸ And after all the nation had been circumcised, they stayed there in the camp until they were healed.

⁹ Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So that place has been called Gilgal to this day.

Note · Josué 5.1–9

La génération du désert reçoit à son tour le signe

L’expression d’une seconde circoncision concerne le peuple à travers deux générations, non une répétition de l’opération sur les mêmes personnes. Le temps laissé à la guérison rend visible une vulnérabilité au milieu de la marche. Le récit rattache ensuite le nom de Guilgal à l’effacement de l’opprobre, dans une explication mémorielle du lieu.

¹⁰ On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while the Israelites were camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they kept the Passover.

¹¹ The day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate unleavened bread and roasted grain from the produce of the land.

¹² And the day after they had eaten from the produce of the land, the manna ceased. There was no more manna for the Israelites, so that year they began to eat the crops of the land of Canaan.

Note · Josué 5.10–12

La fin de la manne n’est pas la fin du don

La Pâque précède l’alimentation tirée du pays. Le passage d’une nourriture quotidienne exceptionnelle aux produits de la terre marque un changement de condition. Il ne permet pas de conclure que le travail et les ressources ordinaires seraient moins dignes de gratitude que les formes spectaculaires d’un secours reçu.

¹³ Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in His hand. Joshua approached Him and asked, “Are You for us or for our enemies?”

¹⁴ “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?”

¹⁵ The Commander of the LORD’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

Note · Josué 5.13–15

La présence divine ne se réduit pas à un renfort pour nos projets

À la question des camps répond une présentation qui oblige Josué à écouter. Certains chrétiens comprennent cette figure comme une manifestation du Christ avant l’incarnation ; le texte de Josué ne l’identifie pas explicitement ainsi. Le geste des sandales retirées relie surtout la rencontre à la sainteté déjà reconnue dans l’histoire de Moïse.