After the circumcision was completed may be translated “After all the men had been circumcised.” It may be necessary to translate “After Joshua had circumcised all the men” or “… had caused (commanded) all the men to be circumcised.”

The whole nation is a reference to the men of Israel, as the Hebrew form of the verb stayed (masculine plural) clarifies. The verse may then be rendered, “After all the men of Israel had been circumcised, they stayed in the camp until their wounds had healed.”

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 .