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.
Here's why Joshua had to circumcise the people: All the men who had left Egypt, including all the warriors, had died during their journey through the wilderness after leaving Egypt.
This verse explains that Joshua needed to circumcise the new generation because all the original men who left Egypt had died during their 40 years in the wilderness.
📚 Historical Context
This occurred after Israel's 40-year wandering in the wilderness as punishment for their disobedience at Kadesh-Barnea, when they refused to enter the Promised Land the first time. The entire generation of fighting men who had witnessed God's miracles in Egypt died during this period, except for Joshua and Caleb who had shown faith. Now their children, who had grown up in the wilderness, needed to be circumcised before entering the Promised Land.
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