Joshua 5:1-2

5:1 When all the Amorite kings on the west side of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the seacoast heard how the Lord had dried up the water of the Jordan before the Israelites while they ¹  crossed, they lost their courage and could not even breathe for fear of the Israelites. ² 

A New Generation is Circumcised

5:2 At that time the Lord told Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites once again.” ³ 

Joshua 9:4

9:4 they did something clever. They collected some provisions ⁴  and put worn-out sacks on their donkeys, along with worn-out wineskins that were ripped and patched.

¹ tc Another textual tradition has, “while we crossed.”

² tn Heb “their heart[s] melted and there was no longer in them breathe because of the sons of Israel.”

³ tn Heb “return, circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.” The Hebrew term שׁוּב (shuv, “return”) is used here in an adverbial sense to indicate the repetition of an action.

⁴ tc Heb “and they went and [?].” The root and meaning of the verb form יִצְטַיָּרוּ (yitstayyaru) are uncertain. The form is most likely a corruption of יִצְטַיָּדוּ (yitstayyadu), read by some Hebrew mss and ancient versions, from the root צוּד (tsud, “take provisions,” BDB 845 s.v. II צוד) which also occurs in v. 11. Note NRSV “they went and prepared provisions”; cf. NEB “They went and disguised themselves”; NIV “they went as a delegation.”