Joshua 3: The Jordan stops, and Israel crosses on dry ground
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Hebrew. How to read a study
What happens?
Israel camps by the Jordan, and the officers tell the people to follow the ark of the covenant when the priests carry it, keeping well back from it. Yahweh tells Joshua that from today he will make him great in Israel's eyes, and Joshua tells the people that the stopping of the Jordan will show them the living God is among them. When the priests' feet touch the water, the river coming down stops and rises in one heap far away, and all Israel crosses on dry ground while the priests stand in the middle of the Jordan.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. God's own words are in 2 of the 17 verses: his words to Joshua in verses 7 and 8. The officers speak to the people in verses 3 and 4. Joshua speaks to the people in verse 5, to the priests in verse 6, and to the people again in verses 9 to 13. Those are Joshua's words, so they are not in gold. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Joshua got up early in the morning; and they moved from Shittim and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel. They camped there before they crossed over.
In plain English: Joshua got up early in the morning, and he and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and came to the Jordan. They camped there before they crossed.
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2After three days, the officers went through the middle of the camp;
In plain English: At the end of three days, the officers went through the middle of the camp
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3and they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of Yahweh your God’s covenant, and the Levitical priests bearing it, then leave your place and follow it.
In plain English: and gave orders to the people: "When you see the ark of the covenant of Yahweh your God, and the priests, the Levites, carrying it, then set out from your place and follow it.
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4Yet there shall be a space between you and it of about two thousand cubits by measure—don’t come closer to it—that you may know the way by which you must go; for you have not passed this way before.”
In plain English: But keep a distance between you and it of about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it. Then you will know the way to go, because you have not been this way before (literally: yesterday and the day before)."
Good to know: The dictionary gives the cubit as the length of "the fore-arm (below the elbow)". The text does not say why the people must keep back from the ark; it says only that they will then know the way to go.
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5Joshua said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves; for tomorrow Yahweh will do wonders among you.”
In plain English: Joshua said to the people, "Make yourselves holy (this Bible: sanctify yourselves), because tomorrow Yahweh will do wonders among you."
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6Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and cross over before the people.” They took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people.
In plain English: Joshua said to the priests, "Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over ahead of the people." So they took up the ark of the covenant and went ahead of the people.
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7Yahweh said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to magnify you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.God speaks
In plain English: Yahweh said to Joshua, "Today I will begin to make you great in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.
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8You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’”God speaks
In plain English: Command the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: 'When you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan, stand still in the Jordan.'"
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9Joshua said to the children of Israel, “Come here, and hear the words of Yahweh your God.”
In plain English: Joshua said to the Israelites, "Come here and listen to the words of Yahweh your God."
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10Joshua said, “By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Hivite, the Perizzite, the Girgashite, the Amorite, and the Jebusite out from before you.
In plain English: Joshua said, "This is how you will know that the living God is among you, and that he will surely drive out before you the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Hivite, the Perizzite, the Girgashite, the Amorite and the Jebusite.
Good to know: Moses named the same seven nations in , in a different order.
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11Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passes over before you into the Jordan.
In plain English: Look, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing ahead of you into the Jordan.
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12Now therefore take twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, for every tribe a man.
In plain English: Now take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from each tribe.
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13It shall be that when the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of Yahweh, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan will be cut off. The waters that come down from above shall stand in one heap.”
In plain English: When the soles of the feet of the priests who carry the ark of Yahweh, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan will be cut off. The water coming down from upstream (literally: from above) will stand up in one heap."
The Hebrew word: "Heap" is ned, which the dictionary gives as "a mound, i.e. wave". It is in only 6 verses of the Bible. Two are here (verses 13 and 16), and two are about the Red Sea: , "The floods stood upright as a heap", and .
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14When the people moved from their tents to pass over the Jordan, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant being before the people,
In plain English: So when the people set out from their tents to cross the Jordan, with the priests carrying the ark of the covenant ahead of the people,
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15and when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark had dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks all the time of harvest),
In plain English: and when those carrying the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests carrying the ark dipped into the edge of the water (the Jordan overflows all its banks all through the time of harvest),
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16the waters which came down from above stood, and rose up in one heap a great way off, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and those that went down toward the sea of the Arabah, even the Salt Sea, were wholly cut off. Then the people passed over near Jericho.
In plain English: the water coming down from upstream stopped. It rose up in one heap a long way off, at Adam (or: from Adam), the city beside Zarethan. The water flowing down toward the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, was completely cut off. Then the people crossed over opposite Jericho.
Good to know: The Hebrew letters here spell "at Adam", and this Bible follows them. The Hebrew word cards on this page give "from Adam" instead. Read "at Adam", the water piled up at the town of Adam. Read "from Adam", it stood a long way off from the town of Adam.
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17The priests who bore the ark of Yahweh’s covenant stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the nation had passed completely over the Jordan.
In plain English: The priests carrying the ark of Yahweh's covenant stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan.
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