Joshua 5:15

“And the Captain of the Lord’s host said unto Joshua, etc.] As a trial and proof of his obedience to him: loose thy shoe from off thy foot; which is to be understood literally, as when the like was commanded Moses at Horeb, (<020305>Exodus 3:5); though some interpret it figuratively; as Abarbinel, “remove from thee such thoughts that thou shall take this city by strength:” for the place whereon thou standest [is] holy; because of the presence of this Person, and as long as he was there, though afterwards was as another place; the Jewish commentator, last mentioned, thinks this intimates that the city, and all in it (and all round about it), should be “cherem”, devoted, and so be holy to the…”

“From thy foot - In token of reverence and subjection. Holy - Consecrated by my presence. The very same orders which God gave to Moses at the bush, when he was sending him to bring Israel out of Egypt, he here gives to Joshua, for the confirming his faith, that as he had been with Moses, so he would be with him. Next: Joshua Chapter 6”

“5:15 Take off your sandals, for the place . . . is holy: This was what God told Moses at the burning bush (Exod 3:5). Joshua certainly recognized the similarity. This encounter would have encouraged Joshua of God’s blessing on Israel’s first action against Canaan.”

“Loose: Exo 3:5; Act 7:32, Act 7:33; Pe2 1:18 And Joshua: Many persons have been puzzled to know what was intended by this extraordinary appearance of the angel to Joshua, because they supposed that the whole business ends with the chapter; whereas it is continued in the succeeding one, the first verse of which is a mere parenthesis, simply relating to the state of Jericho at the time when Joshua was favoured with this encouraging vision; by which he was shewn that their help came from God alone, and that it was not by human might or power, but by the Lord of hosts they were to obtain the victory. Next: Joshua Chapter 6”