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
The Israelites Cross the Jordan
1Joshua rose early in the morning, and they set out from Acacia Grove.#Hebrew “Shittim” And they came up to the Jordan, he and all the Israelites,#Literally “sons/children of Israel” and they spent the night there before they crossed over. 2At the end of the three days the officers passed through the midst of the camp, 3and they commanded the people: “When you see the Levitical priests carrying the ark of the covenant of Yahweh your God you must set out from your place and go after it. 4But there will be a distance between you and it of about two thousand cubits in measurement.#That is, about 1 km Do not come near it, so that you may know the way that you must go, for you have not passed on this way before.”#Literally “from yesterday three days before” 5And Joshua said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves, because tomorrow Yahweh will do wonders in your midst.” 6And Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over ahead of the people.”#Literally “before the presence of the people” And they took up the ark of the covenant and went ahead of the people.#Literally “before the presence of the people”
7Then Yahweh said to Joshua, “This day I will begin exalting you in the sight#Literally “in the eyes” of all Israel, that they may know that I was with Moses, and I will be with you. 8You will command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant, saying, ‘At the moment that you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you will stand still in the Jordan.’ ” 9And Joshua said to the Israelites,#Literally “sons/children of Israel” “Come here, and hear the words of Yahweh your God.” 10Joshua said, “By this you will know that the living God is in your midst, and he will certainly drive out the Canaanites from before you,#Or “from your presence” and the Hittites, Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites. 11Look! The ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth#Or “world” is about to cross over ahead of you into the Jordan. 12So then, take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe.#Literally “one man for the tribe” 13When the soles of the feet of the priests carrying the ark of Yahweh, Lord of all the earth,#Or “world” rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan will be cut off upstream,#Literally “going down from above” and they will stand still in one heap.
14And it happened, when the people set out from their tents to cross over the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant were ahead of the people.#Literally “before the presence of the people” 15When those carrying the ark came up to the Jordan, and the priests carrying the ark dipped their feet in the edge of the water (the Jordan was flowing over its banks during all the days of harvest), 16the waters flowing down from above stood still; they stood up in one heap very far from Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, while the waters flowing down to the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea,#That is, the Dead Sea were completely cut off;#Literally “they were completed they were cut off” and the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17And the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of Yahweh stood firmly on the dry land in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel crossed on dry ground, until all the nation finished crossing the Jordan.
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