Joshuachapter 3
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The Israelites Cross the Jordan River — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
A.Follow the ark — you have not passed this way beforevv. 1-6
1 Early the next morning Joshua got up and left Shittim with all the Israelites. They went as far as the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. 2 After three days the officers went through the camp 3 and commanded the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, you are to set out from your positions and follow it. 4 But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits between yourselves and the ark. Do not go near it, so that you can see the way to go, since you have never traveled this way before.” 5 Then Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.” 6 And he said to the priests, “Take the ark of the covenant and go on ahead of the people.” So they carried the ark of the covenant and went ahead of them.
B.The waters shall stand in one heapvv. 7-13
7 Now the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you just as I was with Moses. 8 Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the waters, stand in the Jordan.’” 9 So Joshua told the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God.” 10 He continued, “This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that He will surely drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites. 11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go ahead of you into the Jordan. 12 Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. 13 When the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD—the Lord of all the earth—touch down in the waters of the Jordan, its flowing waters will be cut off and will stand up in a heap.”
C.Priests' feet touch Jordan at flood stagevv. 14-17
14 So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carried the ark of the covenant ahead of them. 15 Now the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest season. But as soon as the priests carrying the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, 16 the flowing water stood still. It backed up as far upstream as Adam, a city in the area of Zarethan, while the water flowing toward the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed over the dry ground, until the entire nation had crossed the Jordan.
Chapter summary
The crossing.
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Chapter summary
The crossing.
Read the rest, the context and the outline ▾Show less ▴
The crossing. The people sanctify themselves ('to-morrow Jehovah will do wonders among you') and follow the ark at two thousand cubits' distance, since they have not passed this way before. Jordan is at flood stage in the days of harvest, yet the instant the priests' feet dip in the brim, the waters stand and rise up in a heap far off at Adam beside Zarethan, and the flow toward the Arabah and the Salt Sea is cut off. The priests stand firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan while all Israel passes clean over, and Joshua is magnified in their sight as Moses was.
Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary, John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament and John Calvin, Commentaries.
Context
History · Joshua — Joshua overview
- A. 1–6 Follow the ark — you have not passed this way before
- B. 7–13 The waters shall stand in one heap
- C. 14–17 Priests' feet touch Jordan at flood stage
Top cross-references8 chapters ▾
Joshua 34 verses
- Joshua 3:3and commanded the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, you are to set out from your positions and follow it.
- Joshua 3:13When the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD—the Lord of all the earth—touch down in the waters of the Jordan, its flowing waters will be cut off and will stand up in a heap.”
- Joshua 3:15Now the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest season. But as soon as the priests carrying the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge,
- Joshua 3:17The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed over the dry ground, until the entire nation had crossed the Jordan.
- Read Joshua 3 →
Joshua 44 verses
- Joshua 4:2“Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe,
- Joshua 4:4So Joshua summoned the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe,
- Joshua 4:9Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant stood. And the stones are there to this day.
- Joshua 4:14On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they revered him all the days of his life, just as they had revered Moses.
- Read Joshua 4 →
Joshua 12 verses
- Joshua 1:5No one shall stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so will I be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
- Joshua 1:10Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people:
- Read Joshua 1 →
Exodus 142 verses
- Exodus 14:22and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left.
- Exodus 14:29But the Israelites had walked through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left.
- Read Exodus 14 →
4 more chapters this one speaks with
Joshua 21 verse
- Joshua 2:1Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim, saying, “Go, inspect the land, especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.
- Read Joshua 2 →
Mark 11 verse
- Mark 1:35Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and slipped out to a solitary place to pray.
- Read Mark 1 →
Numbers 251 verse
- Numbers 25:1While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with the daughters of Moab,
- Read Numbers 25 →
Deuteronomy 311 verse
- Deuteronomy 31:9So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel.
- Read Deuteronomy 31 →
Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.