Joshua 5:10

Analysis & Commentary

And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho.

This verse marks the first Passover celebrated in the Promised Land—a momentous occasion linking redemption from Egypt with inheritance of Canaan. The specific date "fourteenth day of the month at even" (arbaah asar yom lachodesh baarev, אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר יוֹם לַחֹדֶשׁ בָּעָרֶב) precisely follows the original Passover timing (Exodus 12:6, Leviticus 23:5), emphasizing continuity of covenant worship across forty years.

The location is significant: "the plains of Jericho" (bearavot Yericho, בְּעַרְבוֹת יְרִיחוֹ), within sight of the city they would soon conquer. Celebrating Passover—memorial of deliverance from Egypt—on the threshold of Canaan's conquest reinforced the theological connection between exodus and inheritance. God who delivered from bondage now gives the promised land. The Passover lamb's blood that protected Israel from judgment in Egypt prefigured the protection and victory God would give in Canaan.

Theologically, this Passover celebrates redemption accomplished (exodus complete, Jordan crossed, circumcision renewed) and anticipates coming victory (Jericho's fall imminent). It stands as a hinge between deliverance and inheritance, wandering and rest, promise and possession. This pattern prefigures Christian salvation: Christ our Passover is sacrificed (1 Corinthians 5:7), delivering us from sin's bondage (exodus) and bringing us into our spiritual inheritance (Canaan). The Lord's Supper similarly looks backward to Christ's sacrifice and forward to His return and our completed inheritance (1 Corinthians 11:26).

Historical Context

This Passover (approximately 1406 BCE) was the first celebrated in forty years apart from the original Egyptian Passover. Numbers 9:1-5 records a Passover at Sinai in the second year after exodus, but the text doesn't clearly indicate Passover celebration during subsequent wilderness wandering. The uncircumcised state of the wilderness generation may have prevented Passover observance, since circumcision was required for participation (Exodus 12:43-49).

The renewal of Passover after forty years demonstrated covenant restoration. The generation that experienced Egyptian bondage and celebrated the first Passover had died (except Joshua and Caleb). This new generation celebrated Passover for the first time as circumcised covenant members, marking their full incorporation into Israel's worship and identity. The meal connected them to their ancestors' redemption and to God's ongoing faithfulness.

Archaeological evidence from Jericho (Tell es-Sultan) shows occupation during the Late Bronze Age, consistent with the biblical chronology. The location "plains of Jericho" refers to the Jordan valley near the ancient city. Celebrating Passover within sight of a fortified enemy city demonstrated confidence in God's promised victory—the same God who defeated Egypt would defeat Jericho. The Passover meal thus became a declaration of faith and an act of spiritual warfare, proclaiming God's sovereignty over the land and its inhabitants.

Questions for Reflection

• How does celebrating Passover on the threshold of conquest illustrate the connection between remembering God's past faithfulness and trusting Him for future victories?
• In what ways does your regular participation in the Lord's Supper connect you to Christ's completed work and your yet-to-be-fully-realized inheritance?
• What does the forty-year gap in Passover observance teach about the importance of covenant signs and regular worship for maintaining covenant identity?
• How can you make commemorations of God's redemptive work (baptism anniversaries, conversion testimonies) strengthening reminders for current challenges?
• How does the typological connection between Passover and Christ's sacrifice deepen your understanding of communion as both memorial and anticipation?