Joshua 5 — Hebrew and Greek compared
Disparate in this chapter: MT 5:4, MT 5:5, MT 5:6
Each card keeps the independently rendered source readings above their shared comparison and reception notes. The badge records the source’s governing classification; disparate readings are marked in red. Each reading retains its original reference.
Joshua 5
The covenant renewed: circumcision of the heart in Christ
Patristic reading: Justin interprets the stone knives through Christ’s words and circumcision of the heart [JUS, §113]. Colossians 2:11–12 supplies an apostolic circumcision-and-baptism connection; the translations retain the physical rite.
5:1–8 | Fear beyond the Jordan; circumcision at Gilgal
Verse MT 5:1 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:1
When all the kings of the Amorites west of the Jordan and all the kings of the Canaanites by the sea heard that YHWH had dried up the Jordan’s waters before the sons of Israel until we had crossed, their hearts melted, and no spirit remained in them because of the sons of Israel.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:1
When the kings of the Amorites beyond the Jordan and the kings of Phoenicia by the sea heard that the Lord God had dried up the River Jordan before the sons of Israel as they crossed, their minds melted; they were dismayed, and no understanding remained in them because of the sons of Israel.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Hebrew’s displayed written form is first-person “we crossed”; Greek has “they.” Canaanites / Phoenicia and spirit / understanding are preserved as source-specific expressions.
Verse MT 5:2 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:2
At that time YHWH said to Joshua, “Make flint knives for yourself, and again circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:2
At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make stone knives for yourself from sharp rock, and sit down and circumcise the sons of Israel.”
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Greek has “sit down” instead of “again … a second time.” Neither wording licenses inserting later spiritual interpretation into the command.
Rabbinic: Rashi gives sharp knives through the Aramaic rendering and explains a renewed communal circumcision after the one in Egypt [R5, 5:2].
Saints: Justin interprets the stone knives as Christ’s words effecting circumcision of the heart [JUS, §113]. The physical rite remains explicit in both translations.
Verse MT 5:3 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:3
Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at the Hill of the Foreskins.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:3
Joshua made sharp stone knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at the place called Hill of the Foreskins.
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: The operation and descriptive place-name correspond.
Verse MT 5:4 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:4
This is why Joshua circumcised them: all the males who came out of Egypt, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the journey after leaving Egypt.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:4
This is how Joshua purified the sons of Israel: those born along the way and those among the people who had left Egypt who were still uncircumcised—
Classification & Notes
Disparate
Text: Hebrew explains the death of the departing military generation; Greek identifies uncircumcised people from the journey and the exodus. Read with verses 5–6 for the contrasting account.
Verse MT 5:5 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:5
All the people who came out had been circumcised, but none of the people born in the wilderness on the journey after leaving Egypt had been circumcised.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:5
Joshua circumcised all these.
Classification & Notes
Disparate
Text: Hebrew expressly says all who left Egypt were circumcised; Greek’s sentence, begun in verse 4, includes uncircumcised people who left Egypt. This is a substantive narrative contrast, not merely shorter wording.
Verse MT 5:6 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:6
For the sons of Israel walked in the wilderness forty years, until the whole nation of warriors who came out of Egypt had perished, because they did not obey YHWH’s voice. YHWH swore that He would not let them see the land He had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:6
For Israel had lived forty-two years in the wilderness of Madbaritis. Therefore most of the fighting men who had left the land of Egypt were uncircumcised, those who disobeyed God’s commands. He decreed that they should not see the land the Lord swore to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.
Classification & Notes
Disparate
Text: Forty / forty-two years differs. Greek’s explanation of uncircumcision and Hebrew’s account of the generation’s death also give this verse a different narrative force.
Verse MT 5:7 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:7
He raised up their sons in their place. Joshua circumcised them, because they were uncircumcised; they had not been circumcised on the journey.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:7
In their place He appointed their sons, whom Joshua circumcised because they had remained uncircumcised along the way.
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Both describe the succeeding generation and Joshua’s circumcision of it.
Verse MT 5:8 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:8
When the whole nation had finished being circumcised, they remained in their places in the camp until they recovered.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:8
After being circumcised, they rested there in the camp until they recovered.
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: Rest and recovery in the camp correspond.
Passover and holy ground: the Paschal gift of Christ
Published liturgical anchors: 5:10–15 at Great and Holy Saturday Vespers [L2]; 5:13–15 for the Synaxis of the Bodiless Powers [L3]; 5:9a, 10–12 on the Roman Fourth Sunday of Lent, Year C [L4]. The last is paired with 2 Corinthians 5:17–21 and Luke 15:1–3, 11–32.
5:9 | The reproach rolled away
L4 selects the opening part of verse 9 (9a); the full verse is translated here.
Verse MT 5:9 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:9
YHWH said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So that place was called Gilgal, as it is to this day.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:9
The Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, “Today I have removed the reproach of Egypt from you.” He called that place Gilgal.
Classification & Notes
Similar
Text: Hebrew’s “rolled away” echoes Gilgal and adds “to this day”; Greek uses the more general “removed.”
5:10–12 | The Passover kept in the land
L2 • Holy Saturday, Vespers, fifth reading: first part. L4 • Fourth Sunday of Lent, Year C: 10–12.
Verse MT 5:10 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:10
The sons of Israel camped at Gilgal and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month, at evening, on the plains of Jericho.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:10
The sons of Israel kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month, from evening, west of Jericho, beyond the Jordan, in the plain.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: The date agrees; Hebrew names Gilgal, while Greek supplies the western orientation and Jordan location.
Verse MT 5:11 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:11
On the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate from the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:11
They ate from the grain of the land: unleavened bread and new grain. On this day
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Greek has new grain instead of roasted grain and lacks “the day after the Passover.” Its final time phrase continues into verse 12.
Rabbinic: Rashi associates eating the land’s produce with the waving of the omer on the day after Passover [R5, 5:11]. The ritual explanation is not inserted into the verse.
Verse MT 5:12 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:12
The manna ceased the next day, when they ate from the produce of the land. There was no more manna for the sons of Israel; that year they ate from the yield of the land of Canaan.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:12
the manna failed after they had eaten from the grain of the land. There was no longer manna for the sons of Israel; that year they harvested the country of the Phoenicians.
Classification & Notes
Different
Text: Greek says they harvested the country and places the cessation “on this day” across the verse boundary; Hebrew has “the next day.”
5:13–15 | Before the Lord’s commander
L2 • Holy Saturday: concluding part. L3 • Synaxis of the Archangel Michael and the Other Bodiless Powers, Vespers, first reading.
Verse MT 5:13 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:13
When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted his eyes and saw a man standing opposite him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua approached him and said, “Are you for us or for our adversaries?”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:13
When Joshua was at Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing opposite him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua approached and said, “Are you one of ours or one of our opponents?”
Classification & Notes
Same
Text: The encounter and question correspond. The figure is first described as a man in both texts.
Verse MT 5:14 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:14
He said, “No; I have now come as commander of YHWH’s army.” Joshua fell on his face to the earth and bowed down. He said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:14
He said to him, “I have now arrived as commander-in-chief of the Lord’s host.” Joshua fell on his face to the earth and said to him, “Master, what do you command your servant?”
Classification & Notes
Divergent
Text: Greek lacks the initial “No” and separate bowing verb. Capitalization does not resolve the figure’s identity; later interpretations are attributed separately.
Verse MT 5:15 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
MT 5:15
The commander of YHWH’s army said to Joshua, “Remove your sandal from your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” Joshua did so.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
LXX 5:15
The Lord’s commander-in-chief said to Joshua, “Loosen the sandal from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy.”
Classification & Notes
Divergent
Text: Greek lacks the final statement of Joshua’s compliance. Both echo the holy-ground command in Exodus 3:5.
Rabbinic: Rashi identifies the commander as Michael, citing Daniel 10:21 [R5, 5:15].
Saints: The Church’s Synaxis of the Bodiless Powers reads 5:13–15 [L3]. The verse does not itself name the commander; its identity is left open in the translated wording.