Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
0.11UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.1UNLIKELY
Fear
0.57LIKELY
Joy
0.61LIKELY
Sadness
0.21UNLIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.49UNLIKELY
Confident
0.23UNLIKELY
Tentative
0UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.8LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.91LIKELY
Extraversion
0.12UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.41UNLIKELY
Emotional Range
0.73LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
(1) And then, as soon as all the kings of the Amorites heard,
who [were] on the other side of the Jordan to the west,
while all the kings of the Canaanites [heard]
who [were] at the sea, that Yahweh had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the sons of Israel until they crossed over,
their heart melted
and there wasn't in them any longer inner strength from before the sons of Israel.
(2) It was at that time that Yahweh said to Joshua,
"Make for yourself swords of flint,
and again circumcise the sons of Israel a second time."
(3) And Joshua made swords of flint,
and he circumcised the sons of Israel at the Hill of the Foreskins,
(4) And this was the reason that Joshua circumcised all the people:
It was all the ones coming out from Egypt, the men of war who had died in the wilderness on the way while/when they came out from Egypt.
(5) for/because circumcised were all the people coming out,
while all the people born in the desert on the way while they were going out from Egypt were not circumcised.
(6) for/because forty years the sons of Israel walked in the wilderness until the whole nation-- the men of war coming out from Egypt-- finished (died),
who had not listened to the voice of Yahweh,
who Yahweh had sworn to them not to let them see the land
that Yahweh had sworn with an oath to their ancestors, to give to us a land flowing with milk and honey,
(7) while their children he raised in their place.
It was them that Joshua circumcised.
For uncircumcised were they.
For they had not circumcised them on the way.
(8) And then, after all the nation had finished being circumcised, they dwelled/remained under them (?) in the camp until they recovered.
(9) And Yahweh said to Joshua,
"Today I have rolled away the disgrace of Egypt from over you."
And he called the name of that place Gilgal,
until this day.
(10) And the children of Israel camped in Gilgal,
and they observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening on the plains of Jericho.
(11) And they ate from the produce of the land on the next day of the Passover, unleavened bread and roasted corn on that very day,
(12) And the manna rested/ceased from the next day at their eating from the produce of the land,
and there wasn't any longer for the children of Israel manna,
and they ate from the crop of the land of Canaan in that year.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Verse 1:
(1) And then, as soon as all the kings of the Amorites heard
who [were] on the other side of the Jordan to the west,
while all the kings of the Canaanites [heard?]
who [were] at the sea, that Yahweh had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the sons of Israel until they crossed over,
their heart melted
and there wasn't in them any longer inner strength from before the sons of Israel.
Since the very beginning of Joshua, we've been waiting for this moment.
Yahweh is going to give Israel a home, where they can live in peace, in covenant relationship with him.
And for weeks now, we've been ready to grab our swords, and get this thing done.
AJ begins chapter 5 with a description of all the kings of the Amorites and Canaanites.
Everyone has heard what Yahweh did for his people, in drying up the waters of the Jordan, and everyone has panicked.
Rahab had already told the Israelite spies how the people's hearts had melted (2:11), and that was BEFORE the Jordan crossing.
When your enemy's hearts have melted, and when they are in total despair-- surely now, is the time to attack.
Touch them, and they will fall over before you.
They will flee in terror.
Verse 2:
(2) It was at that time that Yahweh said to Joshua,
"Make for yourself swords of flint,
and again circumcise the sons of Israel a second time."
Here, we find our expectations built up, only to have them frustrated again.
The kings are terrified, and it's at that time, Yahweh tells Joshua to make swords.
And we are ready to hop out of our seats and cheer, because it's time to be brave and take the land.
!!!!!!!!!!
But these swords are not for Jericho.
Yahweh needs them to make swords so they can be circumcised a second time.
And we sit here, and we maybe don't know what to do with this.
We tend to think that the book of Joshua is basically about two things: the conquest of the land, and the distribution of that land to the different tribes.
But chapter 5 doesn't fit.
Something is wrong with our understanding.
We are missing something.
What is it?
Why is circumcision important?
Let's keep reading, and see if we can't find an answer.
Verse 3:
(3) And Joshua made swords of flint,
and he circumcised the sons of Israel at the Hill of the Foreskins,
First of all, this is hilarious.
Someday, when I'm a grown up, I won't smile when I read this.
But that day is not today.
Verse 3 describes Joshua faithfully obeying Yahweh's command.
At this point in the book, we expect this.
Joshua is a good leader.
At every point, he always obeys Yahweh.
When Joshua was done, at some point, the location where he circumcised all the Israelites was renamed.
That hill forever became known as the Hill of the Foreskins.
This hill is apparently well-known-- AJ can give its name and assume his readers know where it is.
So when you went on vacation to the Jordan River with your family, and you showed your children the memorial in the Jordan that Joshua made, and the one in Gilgal, you'd also show them the Hill of the Foreskins.
And you'd tell your son, this hill marks the spot where Joshua obeyed Yahweh by circumcising all the men of Israel.
So the weird thing about circumcision in this verse, is that Israelite men were supposed to be circumcised 8 days after birth.
Why on earth, did Joshua have to do this for all of them now?
Verses 4-7 explain why:
(4) And this was the reason that Joshua circumcised all the people:
It was all the ones coming out from Egypt, the men of war, who had died in the wilderness on the road while/when they came out from Egypt
(5) for/because circumcised were all the people coming out,
while all the people born in the desert on the way while they were going out from Egypt were not circumcised.
(6) for/because forty years the sons of Israel walked in the desert until the whole nation--the men of war coming out from Egypt-- finished (died),
who had not listened to the voice of Yahweh,
who Yahweh had sworn to them not to let them see the land
that Yahweh had sworn with an oath to their ancestors, to give to us a land flowing with milk and honey,
(7) while their children he raised in their place.
It was them that Joshua circumcised,
For uncircumcised were they.
For they had not circumcised them on the way.
Picture 2 generations of Israelite men.
The older group, group 1, was the group that came out from Egypt.
They were circumcised.
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9