Joshua 3:17
in Joshua 3The 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of Jehovah stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel passed over on dry ground, until all the nation were passed clean over the Jordan.
KJV
And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.
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This verse in Joshua 3
Commentary
11 notes on this verseAnd the priests that bare the ark of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan,.... Which for its breadth Mr. Maundrell, the above mentioned traveller, says (c) might be about twenty yards over, and its depth exceeded his height; but Dr. Shaw (d), a later traveller still, says,"the river Jordan is by far the most considerable river, excepting the Nile, either of the coast of Syria, or of Barbary.
This site's exposition
stood firm on dry ground
Dry ground is the Red Sea wording of Exodus 14:16 and 14:22, and Elijah crosses this river on it again at 2 Kings 2:8. Albert Barnes sets beside it 1 Corinthians 10:1-2, where Paul reads the sea crossing the same way.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
Then there are the deeds of Joshua, who was marked out with Christ's name; under his guidance the Jordan kept its stream stationary and its waters still as it recoiled from the countenance of the divine ark. A strange power divided the river. One section …
A commentator
Gregory of NyssaTHE LIFE OF GREGORY THE WONDERWORKER 7.55 · Written before 395.
proposed
Joshua son of Nun made the Jordan River stop, but only as long as the ark was in the water. As soon as the people had crossed to the other side and the ark had come through, he gave the river back its usual flow again. The bottom of the deep in the Red Sea was denuded of water when the sea was driven back to either side by the Spirit, but the duration of the marvel was the passage of the army through the deep on the dry strip. But after that the surface of the sea became one again, and the temporary gap was flooded over. So this remains a unique event which occurred in such a way that the marvel did not lose credibility because of the passage of time, since it continues to be testified to by visible traces.
And do not imagine that these deeds are only in former times and nothing so great as this is brought forth in you who are now the hearer of them. For all things are fulfilled in you according to a mystical reckoning. Indeed you who long to draw near to the hearing of the divine law have recently forsaken the darkness of idolatry and are now for the first time forsaking Egypt.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
5 And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the L ORD will do wonders among you. 6 And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:96%@v5-6
And this may be opposed to their standing on the bank of the water when they came to it, commanded, ver. 8, which was but for a while, 'till the waters were divided and gone away; and then they were to go farther, even into the midst of Jordan, where they are to stand constantly and fixedly, as this Hebrew word signifies, until all were passed over.
quarantine:anchor (2026-07-29) — cites-ver-8-anchored-17-17
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
It was to encourage the faith of the people, that they might go triumphantly into Canaan, and fear no evil, no, not in this valley of the shadow of death (for so the divided river was), being assured of God's presence, which interposed between them and the greatest danger, between them and the proud waters, which otherwise had gone over their souls.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The miraculous passage to the holy land through Jordan is not less pregnant with typical meaning than that through the Red Sea (compare 1Co 10:1-2).
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the priests . . . and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground--the river about Jericho has a firm pebbly bottom, on which the host might pass, without inconvenience when the water was cleared off.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The priests - stood firm on dry ground - They stood in the mid channel, and shifted not their position till the camp, consisting of nearly 600,000 effective men, besides women, children, etc., had passed over. 1. Is it not surprising that the Canaanites did not dispute this passage with the Israelites? It is likely they would, had they had any expectation that such a passage would have been attempted. They must have known that the Israelitish camp was on the other side of the Jordan, but could they have supposed that a passage for such a host was possible when the banks of the Jordan were quite overflowed? It was not merely because they were panic struck that they did not dispute this passage, but because they must have supposed it impossible; and when they found the attempt was made, the passage was effected before they could prepare to prevent it. 2. God now appears in such a way, and works in such a manner, as to leave no doubt concerning his presence or his power, or of his love to Israel. After this, was it possible for this people ever to doubt his being or his bounty? This, with the miraculous passage of the Red Sea, were well calculated to have established their faith for ever; and those who did not yield to the evidence afforded by these two miracles were incapable of rational conviction. 3. In some respects the passage of the Jordan was more strikingly miraculous than that even of the Red Sea. In the latter God was pleased to employ an agent; the sea went back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, Exo 14:21. Nothing of this kind appeared in the passage of the Jordan; a very rapid river (for so all travelers allow it to be) went back to its source without any kind of agency but the invisible hand of the invisible God. 4. […]
The words behind it
22 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּעַמְד֣וּ | vaiyaamdu | and they stood | H5975 → | 521 times |
| הַכֹּהֲנִ֡ים | hakohanim | the priests | H3548 → | 750 times |
| נֹ֠שְׂאֵי | noseei | [the] bearers of | H5375 → | 656 times |
| הָאָר֨וֹן | haaron | the ark | H727 → | 202 times |
| בְּרִית־ | berit- | [the] covenant of | H1285 → | 284 times |
| יְהוָ֜ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| בֶּחָֽרָבָ֛ה | becharavah | on the dry ground | H2724 → | 8 times |
| בְּת֥וֹךְ | betokh | in [the] middle of | H8432 → | 418 times |
| הַיַּרְדֵּ֖ן | haiyarden | the Jordan | H3383 → | 182 times |
| הָכֵ֑ן | hakhen | firmly | H3559 → | 217 times |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| עֹֽבְרִים֙ | ʾoerim | [were] passing over | H5674 → | 556 times |
| בֶּחָ֣רָבָ֔ה | becharavah | on the dry ground | H2724 → | 8 times |
| עַ֤ד | ʾad | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| תַּ֙מּוּ֙ | tamu | they had finished | H8552 → | 63 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַגּ֔וֹי | hagoy | the nation | H1471 → | 561 times |
| לַעֲבֹ֖ר | laavor | to pass over | H5674 → | 556 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַיַּרְדֵּֽן׃ | haiyarden | the Jordan | H3383 → | 182 times |
וַיַּעַמְד֣וּand they stood
vaiyaamduH5975 →521 times
הַכֹּהֲנִ֡יםthe priests
hakohanimH3548 →750 times
נֹ֠שְׂאֵי[the] bearers of
noseeiH5375 →656 times
הָאָר֨וֹןthe ark
haaronH727 →202 times
בְּרִית־[the] covenant of
berit-H1285 →284 times
יְהוָ֜הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
בֶּחָֽרָבָ֛הon the dry ground
becharavahH2724 →8 times
בְּת֥וֹךְin [the] middle of
betokhH8432 →418 times
הַיַּרְדֵּ֖ןthe Jordan
haiyardenH3383 →182 times
הָכֵ֑ןfirmly
hakhenH3559 →217 times
וְכָל־and all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
עֹֽבְרִים֙[were] passing over
ʾoerimH5674 →556 times
בֶּחָ֣רָבָ֔הon the dry ground
becharavahH2724 →8 times
עַ֤דuntil
ʾadH5704 →1261 times
אֲשֶׁר־that
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
תַּ֙מּוּ֙they had finished
tamuH8552 →63 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַגּ֔וֹיthe nation
hagoyH1471 →561 times
לַעֲבֹ֖רto pass over
laavorH5674 →556 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַיַּרְדֵּֽן׃the Jordan
haiyardenH3383 →182 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 25:8He will swallow up death forever. The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from every face and remove the disgrace of His people from the whole earth. For the LORD has spoken.
it leads to
- Revelation 21:4
‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.”
- Revelation 7:17
For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd. ‘He will lead them to springs of living water,’ and ‘God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”
- 1 Corinthians 15:54
When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come to pass: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
- Hosea 13:14
I will ransom them from the power of Sheol; I will redeem them from Death. Where, O Death, are your plagues? Where, O Sheol, is your sting? Compassion is hidden from My eyes.
- 1 Corinthians 15:26
The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
- Revelation 21:4
Through
Exodus 14:22and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left.
it leads to
- Psalms 78:13
He split the sea and brought them through; He set the waters upright like a wall.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Hebrews 11:29
By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were drowned.
- Psalms 78:13
Through
Psalms 66:6He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the waters on foot; there we rejoiced in Him.
it leads to
- Joshua 3:16
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…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Joshua 3:16
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
On this verse
About Joshua
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Gregory of Nyssa, THE LIFE OF GREGORY THE WONDERWORKER 7.55; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON JOSHUA 4.1 and Paulinus of Nola, POEM 27.511.