And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day.
The reproach of Egypt was not that they were scorned by Pharaoh's people, as some claim, but that they lay under the charge of desertion. They needed the seal of circumcision to prove they were God's covenant people, called out by His hand long before, not rebels acting on their own.
AI summary
The Canaanite kings had held their nerve until now, trusting their fortified cities and populated lands to hold the invaders at bay. But when word came that Israel had crossed Jordan by miracle, not by force, their hearts melted like wax; the God of nature Himself fought for this people, and all their courage evaporated.
AI summary
Commenting on Joshua 5:1-9
Uncircumcision was their reproach because the Hebrews counted all the uncircumcised as defiled. By circumcision they declared themselves God's servants and worshippers, no longer bearing the shame of Egypt's bondage but entering as free heirs of Abraham.
AI summary