Gilgal in Fausset's Bible Dictionary
1. Hebrew: "the Gilgal," i.e. rolling. Israel's first
encampment W. of Jordan (five miles) where they passed their
first night after crossing, and set up the twelve stones
taken from the river bed (Joshua 4:3; Joshua 4:19-20). Here
they kept the first Passoverin Canaan (Joshua 5:10). On
arising ground ("hill," Joshua 5:3; Joshua 5:9) in the hot
sunken Ghor between Jericho and the Jordan, one mile and a
half E. of Jericho; five miles and a half W. of Jordan
(Josephus, Ant. 5:1, 4, 11). On the N. side of wady Kelt,
one mile and a third from the tower of modern Jericho
(Eriha); toward the E. is a tamarisk, "Shejaret el Ithleh,"
which tradition makes the site of "the city of brass," whose
walls fell on their besiegers marching round them. A pool is
150 yards S.E. of the tree, such as Israel would need in
their long encampment at Gilgal; it is built with well
packed pebbles without cement.
S.E. of this are twelve or more small mounds, Tell
ayla't Jiljulieh, eight or ten ft. diameter, and three or
four high, possibly remains of Israel's camp (Conder,
Israel Exploration). The distances stated by Josephus
accord with this site. The Israelites born in the wilderness
were here circumcised with stone knives (Joshua 5:2 margin;
Exodus 4:25), which "rolling" away of the reproach of
uncircumcision gave the name. The sons under 20 years, when
at Kadesh in the second year of the wilderness journey the
murmuring nation was rejected (Numbers 14), had been already
circumcised; those born subsequently needed circumcision. As
God abrogated at Kadesh the covenant, the sons of the
rejected generation were not to receive the covenant rite.
The manna and pillar of cloud were not withdrawn, because
God would sustain the rising generation with the prospect of
the ban being removed, and of the covenant temporarily
suspended being renewed.
The sentence was exhausted when they crossed the
Zered and entered the Amorites' land (Deuteronomy 2:14;
Numbers 21:12-13), when all the sentenced generation was
dead (Numbers 26:63-65). Moses, himself under sentence to
die, did not venture on the steppes of Moab to direct the
circumcision of the younger generation without Jehovah's
command. And the rule of divine grace is first to give, then
to require; so first He showed His grace to Abraham by
leading him to Canaan and giving the promises, then enjoined
circumcision; also He did not give the law to Israel at
Sinai until first He had redeemed them from Egypt, and
thereby made them willing to promise obedience. So now He
did not require the renewal of circumcision, the covenant
sign of subjection to the law (Galatians 5:3), until He had
first showed His grace in giving them victory over Og and
Sihon, and in making a way through Jordan, a pledge that He
would fulfill all His promises and finally give them the
whole land.
The circumcision was performed the day after
crossing Jordan, i.e. the 11th day of the first month
(Galatians 4:19). The Passover was kept on the 14th (verse
10). The objection that all could not have been circumcised
in one day is futile. For the males in Israel at the census
in Moab shortly before were 601,730 upward of 20 years old,
besides 23,000 Levites of a month old and upward; at the
outside all the males would be less than one million. Of
these about 300,000 were 38 years old, therefore born before
the census at Kadesh and circumcised already; so that only
600,000 would remain to be circumcised. The uncircumcised
could easily be circumcised in one day with the help of the
circumcised; the latter would prepare and kill the Passover
lamb for their brethren whose soreness (Genesis 34:25) would
be no bar to their joining in the feast.
Read More about Gilgal in Fausset's Bible Dictionary