The Skeptics Annotated Bible (208 page)

(4.24)
“That ye might fear the LORD your God for ever.”
132 Should we fear God?

5
And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel.

(5.2-3) At God’s command, Joshua makes some knives and circumcises “again the children of Israel the second time” (ouch!) at the “hill of the foreskins.”

2 At that time
the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time.

(5.2)
“The LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time.”

3
And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.

(5.3)
“And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.”

4 And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise: All the people that came out of Egypt, that were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of Egypt.

5 Now all the people that came out were circumcised: but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised.

6 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.

(5.6)
“The children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness.”
It took the Israelites 40 years to travel from Egypt to Canaan, yet such a journey, even at that time, would have taken no more than a few weeks.

7 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.

8 And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole.

9 And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day.

10 And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho.

11 And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day.

12 And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.

(5.13-15) Joshua meets a man with a sword in his hand who claims to be the captain of God’s army. Joshua seemed to think God’s captain was God himself, as he bowed down to worship him. Apparently the God-angel-man guy agreed, telling Joshua to take off his shoe, since he was standing on holy ground (as Moses was told to do in Exodus 3.5). But whoever it was, he disappeared, never to return again.

13 And it came to pass, when
Joshua
was by Jericho, that he
lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man
over against him
with his sword drawn
in his hand:
and Joshua
went unto him, and
said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?

(5.13)
“Joshua … lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man … with his sword drawn … and Joshua … said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?”

14
And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship
, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?

(5.14)
“And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship.”

15
And the captain of the LORD’S host said unto Joshua
,
Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.

(5.15)
“And the captain of the LORD’s host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.”

6
Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.

(6.2-27)
God’s plan for the destruction of Jericho
Have seven priests go before the ark with seven trumpets of ram’s horns. On the seventh day, go around the city seven times. Finally, the priests blow a long blast from the ram’s horns, all the people shout, and the walls will fall down.

2 And
the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho
, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.

(6.2)
“The LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho.”

3 And ye shall compass the city,
all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.

(6.3)
“All ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.
”

4 And
seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.

(6.4)
“Seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.”

5 And it shall come to pass, that
when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat
, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.

(6.5)
“When they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat.”

6 And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and
let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD.

(6.6)
“Let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD.”

7 And he said unto the people, Pass on, and compass the city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the LORD.

8 And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken unto the people, that the
seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns passed on before the LORD, and blew with the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them.

(6.8)
“Seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns passed on before the LORD, and blew with the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them.”

9 And the armed men went before the priests that blew with the trumpets, and the rereward came after the ark, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.

10 And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout.

11 So the ark of the LORD compassed the city, going about it once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp.

12 And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD.

13
And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually
, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rereward came after the ark of the LORD, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.