It is important that these men not be taken as a reference back to ancestors of the previous verse, as may be suggested by Good News Translation restructuring. In order to ease the situation, one may render “these men who had disobeyed the LORD” or “these men whom the LORD had brought out of Egypt.”

This new generation represents the Hebrew “those whom he (the LORD) raised up in their place.” A literal rendering of the text, such as Revised Standard Version, may suggest that the focus is upon the action of the Lord in raising up a new generation. Actually the real focus is upon the new generation which now takes the place of the previous one, “In the meantime the sons had taken the place of their fathers.”

The meaning of Joshua circumcised is “(whom) Joshua caused (or, commanded) to be circumcised.” Direct discourse is also possible: “It was this generation to whom Joshua said, ‘Get yourselves circumcised.’ ”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Newman, Barclay M. A Handbook on Joshua. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .