The Meaning of Joshua 5:6 Explained

Joshua 5:6

KJV: For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: unto whom the LORD sware that he would not shew them the land, which the LORD sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey.

YLT: for forty years have the sons of Israel gone in the wilderness, till all the nation of the men of war who are coming out of Egypt, who hearkened not to the voice of Jehovah, to whom Jehovah hath sworn not to show them the land which Jehovah sware to their fathers to give to us, a land flowing with milk and honey, are consumed;

Darby: For the children of Israel had walked forty years in the wilderness, till the whole nation of men of war had perished who had come out of Egypt, who had not hearkened to the voice of Jehovah; to whom Jehovah had sworn that he would not show them the land which Jehovah had sworn unto their fathers that he would give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.

ASV: For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the nation, even the men of war that came forth out of Egypt, were consumed, because they hearkened not unto the voice of Jehovah: unto whom Jehovah sware that he would not let them see the land which Jehovah sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For the children  of Israel  walked  forty  years  in the wilderness,  till all the people  [that were] men  of war,  which came out  of Egypt,  were consumed,  because they obeyed  not the voice  of the LORD:  unto whom the LORD  sware  that he would not shew  them the land,  which the LORD  sware  unto their fathers  that he would give  us, a land  that floweth  with milk  and honey. 

What does Joshua 5:6 Mean?

Context Summary

Joshua 5:1-12 - Renewing The Covenant With God
Evidently the people of Canaan realized that they were entering into conflict with God Almighty. This made their bitter resistance less excusable. But before Israel could go forward into the campaign, they must undergo that initial rite which from the days of Abraham had separated them unto God, Genesis 17:1-27. The outbreak at Kadesh had practically annulled that relationship, which now must be renewed, Numbers 14:1-45.
Before we can serve God's high purposes in the world, we must be separated from sin. The old nature must be denied and put away, and the new nature, which is holy, harmless and separate from sin, must become ours. Nothing but death can meet the case, Colossians 2:11; 2 Corinthians 7:1.
The circumcised soul alone may eat of the Passover, which is Christ. We need to feed on Him, keeping the daily feast with joy, 1 Corinthians 5:7-8; John 6:51; John 6:54. [source]

Chapter Summary: Joshua 5

1  The Canaanites are afraid
2  Joshua renews circumcision
10  The Passover is kept at Gilgal
12  manna ceases
13  An angel appears to Joshua

What do the individual words in Joshua 5:6 mean?

For forty years walked the sons of Israel in the wilderness till were consumed all the people [who were] men of war who came out of Egypt because not they did obey the voice of Yahweh to whom swore Yahweh to whom that not He would show them - the land which had sworn Yahweh to their fathers that He would give us a land flowing with milk and honey
כִּ֣י ׀ אַרְבָּעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֗ה הָלְכ֣וּ בְנֵֽי־ יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ בַּמִּדְבָּר֒ עַד־ תֹּ֨ם כָּל־ הַגּ֜וֹי אַנְשֵׁ֤י הַמִּלְחָמָה֙ הַיֹּצְאִ֣ים מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־ שָׁמְע֖וּ בְּק֣וֹל יְהוָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר נִשְׁבַּ֤ע יְהוָה֙ לָהֶ֔ם לְבִלְתִּ֞י הַרְאוֹתָ֣ם אֶת־ הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֩ נִשְׁבַּ֨ע יְהוָ֤ה לַֽאֲבוֹתָם֙ לָ֣תֶת לָ֔נוּ אֶ֛רֶץ זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָֽשׁ

אַרְבָּעִ֣ים  forty 
Parse: Number, common plural
Root: אַרְבָּעִים  
Sense: forty.
שָׁנָ֗ה  years 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.
הָלְכ֣וּ  walked 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
בְנֵֽי־  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵל֮  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
בַּמִּדְבָּר֒  in  the  wilderness 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
עַד־  till 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
תֹּ֨ם  were  consumed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: תָּמַם  
Sense: to be complete, be finished, be at an end.
הַגּ֜וֹי  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
אַנְשֵׁ֤י  [who  were]  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
הַמִּלְחָמָה֙  of  war 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִלְחָמָה  
Sense: battle, war.
הַיֹּצְאִ֣ים  who  came  out 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם  of  Egypt 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  because 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
שָׁמְע֖וּ  they  did  obey 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
בְּק֣וֹל  the  voice 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
יְהוָ֑ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֲשֶׁ֨ר  to  whom 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
נִשְׁבַּ֤ע  swore 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁבַע  
Sense: to swear, adjure.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
לָהֶ֔ם  to  whom 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
לְבִלְתִּ֞י  that  not 
Parse: Preposition-l
Root: בִּלְתִּי  
Sense: not, except adv.
הַרְאוֹתָ֣ם  He  would  show  them 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct, third person masculine plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הָאָ֗רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
נִשְׁבַּ֨ע  had  sworn 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁבַע  
Sense: to swear, adjure.
יְהוָ֤ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
לַֽאֲבוֹתָם֙  to  their  fathers 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
לָ֣תֶת  that  He  would  give 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לָ֔נוּ  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
אֶ֛רֶץ  a  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
זָבַ֥ת  flowing 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular construct
Root: זוּב  
Sense: to flow, gush, issue, discharge.
חָלָ֖ב  with  milk 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חָלָב  
Sense: milk, sour milk, cheese.
וּדְבָֽשׁ  and  honey 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דְּבַשׁ  
Sense: honey.