Joshua 5:13

God's holiness Courage and strength Spiritual warfare

¹¹ The day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate unleavened bread and roasted grain from the produce of the land.

¹² And the day after they had eaten from the produce of the land, the manna ceased. There was no more manna for the Israelites, so that year they began to eat the crops of the land of Canaan.

Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in His hand. Joshua approached Him and asked, “Are You for us or for our enemies?”

¹⁴ “Neither,” He replied. “I have now come as Commander of the LORD’s army.” Then Joshua fell facedown in reverence and asked Him, “What does my Lord have to say to His servant?”

¹⁵ The Commander of the LORD’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in His hand. Joshua approached Him and asked, “Are You for us or for our enemies?”
KJV: And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?
WEB: When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man stood in front of him with his sword drawn in his hand. Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our enemies?”
ASV: And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?
DARBY: And it came to pass when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, there stood a man before him with his sword drawn in his hand. And Joshua went to him, and said to him: Art thou for us, or for our enemies?
BLB: And it came to pass, in Joshua being by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand, and Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “[Are] You for us or for our enemies?”

ÅB: Mens Josva var ved Jeriko, hendte det at han løftet opp sine øyne og fikk se en mann som sto foran ham med et draget sverd i sin hånd; og Josva gikk bort til ham og sa: Hører du til oss eller til våre fiender?
OTB: Da Josva var nær Jeriko, så han opp og så en mann stå foran ham med et dratt sverd i hånden. Josva nærmet seg ham og spurte: "Er du for oss eller for våre motstandere?"
B1930: Mens Josva var ved Jeriko, hendte det at han løftet op sine øine og fikk se en mann som stod foran ham med et draget sverd i sin hånd; og Josva gikk bort til ham og sa: Hører du til oss eller til våre fiender?

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Genesis 18:2
And Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
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Numbers 22:23
When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, she turned off the path and went into a field. So Balaam beat her to return her to the path.
Read in context
Numbers 22:31
Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand. And Balaam bowed low and fell facedown.
Read in context
1 Chronicles 21:16–17
When David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem, David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown.
Read in context
1 Chronicles 21:30
but David could not go before it to inquire of God, because he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the LORD.
Read in context
Daniel 10:5
I lifted up my eyes, and behold, there was a certain man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist.
Read in context
Hosea 12:3–5
In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel, and in his vigor he wrestled with God.
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Exodus 23:23
For My angel will go before you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I will annihilate them.
Read in context