Joshua 3
3
Israel Crosses the Jordan
1 Bright and early the next morning Joshua and the Israelites left Shittim and came to the Jordan.#tn Heb “And Joshua arose early in the morning and he and the Israelites left Shittim and came to the Jordan.” They camped there before crossing the river.#tn The words “the river,” though not in the Hebrew text, have been supplied in the translation for clarity. 2 After three days the leaders went through the camp 3 and commanded the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God#sn The ark of the covenant refers to the wooden chest that symbolized God’s presence among his covenant people. being carried by the Levitical priests, you must leave here#tn Heb “set out from your place.” and walk#tn Or “march.” behind it. 4 But stay about three thousand feet behind it.#tn Heb “But there should be a distance between you and it, about two thousand cubits in measurement.”sn The precise distance is uncertain, but the measurement designated אַמָּה (’ammah, “cubit”) was probably equivalent to approximately eighteen inches (one and one-half feet, or 45 cm) in length. Keep your distance#tn Heb “do not approach it.” so you can see#tn Heb “know.” which way you should go, for you have not traveled this way before.”
5 Joshua told the people, “Ritually consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will perform miraculous deeds among you.” 6 Joshua told the priests, “Pick up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they picked up the ark of the covenant and went ahead of the people.
7 The Lord told Joshua, “This very day I will begin to honor you before all Israel#tn Or more literally, “to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel.” so they will know that I am with you just as I was with Moses. 8 Instruct the priests carrying the ark of the covenant, ‘When you reach the bank of the Jordan River,#tn Heb “the edge of the waters of the Jordan.” The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied for clarity. wade into the water.’”#tn Heb “stand in the Jordan.” Here the repetition of the word “Jordan” would be redundant according to contemporary English style, so it was not included in the translation.
9 Joshua told the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God!” 10 Joshua continued,#tn Heb “said.” “This is how you will know the living God is among you and that he will truly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites. 11 Look! The ark of the covenant of the Ruler#tn Or “Lord”; or “Master.” of the whole earth is ready to enter the Jordan ahead of you. 12 Now select for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one per tribe. 13 When the feet#tn Heb “the soles of the feet.” of the priests carrying the ark of the Lord, the Ruler#tn Or “Lord”; or “Master.” of the whole earth, touch#tn Or “rest in.” the water of the Jordan, the water coming downstream toward you will stop flowing and pile up.”#tn Heb “the waters of the Jordan, the waters descending from above, will be cut off so that they will stand in one pile.”
14 So when the people left their tents to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went#tn The verb, though not in the Hebrew, is added for clarification. ahead of them. 15 When the ones carrying the ark reached the Jordan and the feet of the priests carrying the ark touched the surface#tn Heb “dipped into the edge.” of the water – (the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest time)#tn Heb “and the Jordan overflows all its banks all the days of harvest.”sn The lengthy description of the priests’ arrival at the Jordan and the parenthetical reminder that the Jordan was at flood stage delay the climax of the story and add to its dramatic buildup. – 16 the water coming downstream toward them stopped flowing.#tn Heb “the waters descending from above stood still.” It piled up far upstream#tn Heb “they stood in one pile very far away.” at Adam (the city near Zarethan); there was no water at all flowing to the sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea).#tn Heb “the [waters] descending toward the sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) were completely cut off.”sn The Salt Sea is an ancient name for the Dead Sea. The people crossed the river opposite Jericho.#map For the location of Jericho see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1. 17 The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan. All Israel crossed over on dry ground until the entire nation was on the other side.#tn Heb “and all Israel was crossing over on dry ground until all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan.”
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Joshua 3
3
1 Joshua 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. 2After three days, the officers went through the middle of the camp; 3and they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of the LORD your God’s covenant, and the Levitical priests bearing it, then leave your place and follow it. 4Yet there shall be a space between you and it of about two thousand cubits#3:4 A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters, so 2,000 cubits is about 920 meters. 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.”
5 Joshua said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves; for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.”
6 Joshua 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.
7 The LORD 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. 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.’”
9 Joshua said to the children of Israel, “Come here, and hear the words of the LORD your God.” 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. 11Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord#3:11 The word translated “Lord” (mixed case) is “Adonai.” of all the earth passes over before you into the Jordan. 12Now therefore take twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, for every tribe a man. 13It shall be that when the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of GOD, 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.”
14 When the people moved from their tents to pass over the Jordan, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant being before the people, 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), 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. 17The priests who bore the ark of the LORD’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.
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