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.

JOSHUA 5:6KJV
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Joshua 5:6 (KJV)

What does Joshua 5:6 mean?

Joshua 5:6 explains that the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years until all the fighting men who left Egypt had died, because they did not obey God’s voice. God had sworn that these men would not see the promised land, a land described as flowing with milk and honey, which He had promised to their ancestors.

In this verse, the narrative is looking back on the events after the Exodus, as the new generation of Israelites stands on the edge of entering Canaan. The verse highlights the consequence of disobedience to God (the LORD) and reminds the reader of God’s faithfulness to His promises, even when fulfillment is delayed by human actions. Joshua is speaking to the people, recounting why only their children, not the original generation, would inherit the promised land.

The Hebrew behind Joshua 5:6

  • "Wilderness" (מִדְבָּר, midbar): This word often refers to a dry, uninhabited land, not just a desert but a place of testing and dependence on God. It emphasizes the harshness and challenge of Israel’s journey.
  • "Consumed" (תָּמַם, tamam): This word means to be finished or brought to an end. It stresses that the previous generation was completely gone before the new generation could enter the land.
  • "Obeyed" (שָׁמַע, shama): This verb means to listen or hear, but also carries the sense of responding or obeying. The failure was not just hearing God’s voice but failing to act on it.
  • "Land flowing with milk and honey" (אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבַשׁ, erets zavat chalav udevash): This phrase paints a picture of abundance and fertility, showing the contrast between the wilderness and the richness of what God had promised.

Why Joshua 5:6 matters

  • Joshua 5:6 clarifies that the delay in entering the promised land was not due to God’s unwillingness, but because of the people’s disobedience, which resulted in a whole generation missing out.
  • The verse connects the current generation’s hope to the faithfulness of God’s promise, showing that God’s word to their ancestors still stands, even after forty years.
  • By recalling the past, Joshua 5:6 sets the stage for the new generation to appreciate the significance of finally entering the land, underscoring the importance of listening to and trusting God.

Where else these words appear

“floweth” Hebrew H2100 · used in 41 verses

  • Exodus 3:8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
  • Leviticus 15:19 And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even.
  • Deuteronomy 26:9 And he hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even a land that floweth with milk and honey.

“milk” Hebrew H2461 · used in 44 verses

  • Genesis 18:8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.
  • Deuteronomy 11:9 And that ye may prolong your days in the land, which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give unto them and to their seed, a land that floweth with milk and honey.
  • Proverbs 30:33 Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.

“honey” Hebrew H1706 · used in 54 verses

  • Genesis 43:11 And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:
  • Deuteronomy 27:3 And thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law, when thou art passed over, that thou mayest go in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, a land that floweth with milk and honey; as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee.
  • Psalms 119:103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

“consumed” Hebrew H8552 · used in 62 verses

  • Genesis 47:15 And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth.
  • Joshua 8:24 And it came to pass, when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness wherein they chased them, and when they were all fallen on the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, that all the Israelites returned unto Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword.
  • Isaiah 16:4 Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, the spoiler ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land.