God cleans away the weight of the past so His people can begin anew under His guidance.
“Then the LORD said to Joshua, ‘Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.’ So the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day” (v.9). These words occur after Israel’s new generation is circumcised, symbolizing their renewed covenant relationship with the LORD. God spoke directly to Joshua, who had taken leadership of the nation after Moses’s death around 1406 BC, assuring him that the shame associated with their time in Egypt—the years of slavery and wandering—was fully removed. The phrasing “rolled away” is a play on words that relates to the name Gilgal, signifying that any taint or disgrace linking Israel to their former bondage had been lifted.
Here, Gilgal serves as the first encampment for Israel after crossing the Jordan and entering the Promised Land. It lies in the plains near Jericho, a region of low-lying land that slopes upward toward the central highlands of Canaan. Later in this chapter, Joshua encounters the captain of the LORD’s army (Joshua 5:13-15), an event that displays God’s intention to guide and fight on Israel’s behalf as they begin the conquest of Jericho. By naming the location Gilgal, Scripture highlights how integral it was for Israel to remember that God cleanses the past and prepares His people to claim new ground.
In a broader biblical context, removing the reproach of Egypt foreshadows the ultimate freedom God offers through Jesus, who also “rolls away” the burden of sin and grants believers a fresh identity (Romans 8:1-2). As Joshua (“Yehoshua” in Hebrew, meaning “Yahweh saves”) led the Israelites into a renewed covenant, he prefigured the Messiah’s ministry of deliverance. God’s steady faithfulness to free His people, both physically and spiritually, shines clearly in this verse, reminding believers that divine grace erases old shames and restores hope.
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Joshua 5:9 meaning
“Then the LORD said to Joshua, ‘Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.’ So the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day” (v.9). These words occur after Israel’s new generation is circumcised, symbolizing their renewed covenant relationship with the LORD. God spoke directly to Joshua, who had taken leadership of the nation after Moses’s death around 1406 BC, assuring him that the shame associated with their time in Egypt—the years of slavery and wandering—was fully removed. The phrasing “rolled away” is a play on words that relates to the name Gilgal, signifying that any taint or disgrace linking Israel to their former bondage had been lifted.
Here, Gilgal serves as the first encampment for Israel after crossing the Jordan and entering the Promised Land. It lies in the plains near Jericho, a region of low-lying land that slopes upward toward the central highlands of Canaan. Later in this chapter, Joshua encounters the captain of the LORD’s army (Joshua 5:13-15), an event that displays God’s intention to guide and fight on Israel’s behalf as they begin the conquest of Jericho. By naming the location Gilgal, Scripture highlights how integral it was for Israel to remember that God cleanses the past and prepares His people to claim new ground.
In a broader biblical context, removing the reproach of Egypt foreshadows the ultimate freedom God offers through Jesus, who also “rolls away” the burden of sin and grants believers a fresh identity (Romans 8:1-2). As Joshua (“Yehoshua” in Hebrew, meaning “Yahweh saves”) led the Israelites into a renewed covenant, he prefigured the Messiah’s ministry of deliverance. God’s steady faithfulness to free His people, both physically and spiritually, shines clearly in this verse, reminding believers that divine grace erases old shames and restores hope.