Joshua 3

The contents of this chapter which records the miraculous passage of Israel over Jordan, are given in 2 sections:
(1) Jos_3:1-6, describing the preliminary directions;
(2) Jos_3:7-17, the commencement of the passage;

Jos 3:1 And Joshua rose early in the morning. And they moved from Shittim and came to Jordan, he and all the sons of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over.

moved from Shittim - From Shittim, where they had lately been encamped, to Jordan, was about sixty stadia, according to Josephus; that is, about eight English miles. Shittim on both sides of Jordan has cedar groves that line the upper terraces of the valley

And Joshua rose early in the morning - the spies returned and the morning following Joshua rose early, which shows his readiness and alacrity to proceed in the expedition he was directed and encouraged to:

he and all the children of Israel; he as their general, and they an army of six hundred thousand fighting men under him.

Jos 3:2 And it happened after three days the officers went through the host.

After three days - These three days are probably to be thus understood: As soon as Joshua took the command of the army, he sent the spies to ascertain the state of Jericho; as we have seen Jos_1:12. They returned at the end of three days, or rather on the third day, and made their report. It was at this time, immediately on the return of the spies, that he made the proclamation mentioned here; in consequence of which the people immediately struck their tents, and marched forward to Jordan.

Through the host - The second time to give them more particular directions, as they had given them a general notice, Jos_1:10-11.

Jos 3:3 And they commanded the people saying, When you see the ark of the covenant of Jehovah your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then you shall move from your place and go after it.

and the priests the Levites bearing it: it was the business of the Levites, particularly the Kohathites, to bear the ark in journeying, but here the priests, who also were Levites, were to carry it: it is remarked in the Talmud that there are three places in which the priests are said to bear the ark; here, and when they surrounded Jericho, Jos_6:6; and when it was returned to its place in the times of David, 2Sa_15:29; and Kimchi and Abarbinel observe a fourth, when it was brought into Solomon's temple, 1Ki_8:6,

then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it; their usual signal for marching was the cloud. For all the time in the desert with Moses, the pillar of cloud marched first and showed them the way, and the ark moved after two of the standards (Judah and Reuben), and now the ark goes first.

Jos 3:4 Yet keep a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it, so that you may know the way by which you must go. For you have not passed this way before now.

Yet there shall be a space between you and it--These instructions refer exclusively to the advance into the river. The distance which the people were to keep in the rear of the ark was nearly a mile. Had they crowded too near the ark, the view would have been intercepted, and this intervening space, therefore, was ordered, that the chest containing the sacred symbols might be distinctly visible to all parts of the camp, and be recognized as their guide in the untrodden way.

Jos 3:5 And Joshua said to the people, Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow Jehovah will do wonders among you.

Sanctify yourselves - What was implied in this command we are not informed; but it is possible that it was similar to that given by Moses, Exo_19:10-15. They were to wash themselves and their garments, and abstain from every thing that might indispose their minds from a profitable attention to the miracle about to be wrought in their behalf. Exodus 19:10-15 And Jehovah said to Moses, Go to the people and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes. And be ready for the third day. For the third day Jehovah will come down in the sight of all the people upon Mount Sinai. And you shall set bounds to the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves. Do not go up into the mountain, or touch the border of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be surely put to death. There shall not be a hand to touch it, but that he shall surely be stoned or shot through; whether beast or man, it shall not live. When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come up to the mountain. And Moses went down from the mountain to the people, and sanctified the people. And they washed their clothes. And he said to the people, Be ready for the third day. Do not approach a woman.

sanctify yourselves; in a ceremonial sense, by washing their bodies and their clothes, and abstaining from their wives; and in a moral sense, by acts of religion and devotion, by prayer and meditation, and the exercise of repentance and, good works:

Jos 3:6 And Joshua spoke to 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.

Jos 3:7 And Jehovah said to Joshua, Today, I will begin to magnify you in the sight of all Israel so that they may know that I will be with you, as I was with Moses.

This day will I begin to magnify thee - As Moses was declared to he sent immediately from God with an extraordinary commission by the miracles which he worked, more especially that of dividing the Red Sea in two parts, so was Joshua both sent and accredited in a like manner. (Compare Jos_1:5, and Jos_4:14.) hence his authority was established, and obedience to him as their leader fully secured. What must have confirmed this authority was, his circumstantially foretelling how the waters should be cut off as soon as the feet of the priests had touched them, Jos_3:13.Other reasons are given in Jos_3:10; Jos_5:1.

Jos 3:8 And you shall command the priests that carry the ark of the covenant, saying, When you have come to the brink of the water of Jordan, you shall stand still in Jordan.

you shall stand - As soon as the priests stepped into the waters of Jordan, they were to stand still. The ark was to accomplish what had been done by the rod of Moses.

Jos 3:9 And Joshua said to the sons of Israel, Come here and hear the Words of Jehovah your God.

Jos 3:10 And Joshua said, By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites.

Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you - The Israelites were apt to be discouraged, and to faint at even the appearance of danger; it was necessary, therefore, that they should have the fullest assurance of the presence and assistance of God in the important enterprise on which they were now entering.

Canaanites or Amorites is used at times to designate the whole population of Canaan. With regard to the situation of each of these nations in the land of Canaan, Calmet remarks, that those called Canaanites chiefly inhabited what is called Phoenicia the lowlands of the sea coast and the Jordan valley Numbers 13:29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south, and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains. And the Canaanites dwell by the sea and by the coast of Jordan, the environs of Tyre and Sidon: the Hittites occupied the mountains, southward of the promised land: the Hivites dwelt by Ebal and Gerizim, Sichem and Gibeon, towards the mountains of Hermon Joshua 11:3 and to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the mountains, and to the Hivite under Hermon, in the land of Mizpeh: the Perizzites possibly not a distinct nation or tribe, but rather villagers, scattered through the country in general, lived in the central highlands in the time of Abraham and Jacob: the Girgashites possessed the country beyond the Jordan, towards the lake of Gennesareth: the Jebusites possessed Jerusalem Joshua 15:63 As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the sons of Judah could not drive them out. But the Jebusites live with the sons of Judah at Jerusalem to this day. Jerusalem was called Jebus at one time. The Amorites occupied the mountainous country in the vicinity of the western part of the Dead Sea, and also that part of the land of Moab which the Israelites conquered from Sihon and Og.

and that he will without fail - all the seven nations are mentioned, even the Girgashites, who are sometimes omitted, to assure them of the expulsion of them all, to make way for their entire possession of the land of Canaan, as had been promised them. Their inclusion makes the number 7, which in the bible refers to completeness.

the living God is among you – In the text, emphasis is placed on the fact that God is living, compared to the dead gods of the pagans.

Jos 3:11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passes over before you into Jordan.

The description of Jehovah as “Lord of the whole earth,” which is repeated in Jos_3:13, is very appropriately chosen for the purpose of strengthening confidence in the omnipotence of the Lord. This epithet “exalted the government of God over all the elements of the world, that the Israelites might have no doubt that as seas and rivers are under His control, the waters, although liquid by nature, would become stable at His nod” (Calvin). The expression, “passeth over before you into Jordan,” is more precisely explained in the course of the narrative: the ark of the covenant went (was carried) before the people into the river, and then stood still, as the bulwark of the people, till the passage was completed; so that the word “before” indicates the protection which it would afford.

Jos 3:12 And now take yourselves twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man.

Twelve men - For the work described, Jos_4:2-3.

Jos 3:13 And it shall be, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that carry the ark of Jehovah, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above. And they shall stand all in a heap.

It will come to pass, Joshua then concludes by foretelling the miracle itself:

Shall be cut off, so as to disappear; namely, at the place where the priests stand with the ark of the covenant. This took place through the waters standing still as a heap, or being heaped up, at some distance above the standing-place. The expression is taken from the song of Moses Exodus 15:8 And with the blast of Your nostrils the waters were gathered together; the floods stood upright like a heap; the depths were curdled in the heart of the sea.

Moses divided the waters of the Red Sea with his rod; Joshua was to do the same to the Jordan with the ark of the covenant, the appointed symbol and vehicle of the presence of the Almighty God since the conclusion of the covenant.

An heap - Being as it were congealed, as the Red - Sea was, Exo_15:8, and so kept from overflowing the country.

carry the ark of Jehovah, the Lord of all the earth – In the word Jehovah, the tetragrammaton YHWH is used. The word Lord, ’ādôn: A masculine noun meaning lord or master. The most frequent usage is of a human lord, but it is also used of divinity. Generally, it carries the nuances of authority rather than ownership. When used of divinity, it frequently occurs with yehōwāh (H3068), signifying His sovereignty (Exo_34:23; Jos_3:13; Isa_1:24). Israel's God is the Lord of all the earth and it is His right to give the land to Israel. As long as Israel followed Him, He showed how He is sovereign over the earth.

Jos 3:14 And it happened, when the people moved from their tents to pass over Jordan, and as the priests carried the ark of the covenant before the people,

Jos 3:15 and as those who bore the ark had come to Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bore the ark were dipped in the edge of the water (for Jordan overflows all its banks, all the time of harvest);

Jordan overfloweth all his banks - Rather “is full up to all his banks,” i. e. “brim-full.” This remark strikingly illustrates the suddenness and completeness, not less than the greatness, of the marvel. The Jordan River flows at the bottom of a deep valley, which descends to the water’s edge on either side in two, occasionally in three, terraces. Within the lowest of these the stream, ordinarily less than 100 feet wide in this lower part of its course, is confined. The margin is overgrown with a jungle of tamarisks and willows, which in the spring is reached by the rising waters and the river, occasionally at least, fills the ravine which forms its proper bed to the brim. Its highest rise takes place about the time when Joshua had to cross it. By the middle of April the river cannot be forded; and, if passed at all, can only be so by swimming. This, however, was a hazardous feat (compare 1Ch_12:15); and though no doubt performed by the two spies, was utterly out of the power of the mixed multitude that followed Joshua. The mere fact that the whole vast host crossed the stream of Jordan at this season, is no small proof of the miracle here recorded. No human agency then known and available could have transported them speedily and safely from bank to bank.

Jos 3:16 that the waters which came down from above stopped and rose up all in a heap, very far from the city Adam that is beside Zaretan. And those that came down toward the sea of the plain, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over across from Jericho.

The city of Adam is not named elsewhere, and Zarthan has also disappeared. It is, however, possibly connected with the Kurn Sartabeh (Horn of Sartabeh), the name given to a lofty and isolated hill some 17 miles on the river above Jericho, according to a commentator. From 1Ki_4:12 we learn that Zartanah was below Jezreel near Bethshean, or Scythopolis, and not far from Succoth, 1Ki_7:46. And it appears from Gen_33:17, Jos_13:27, that Succoth lay on the east side of Jordan, not far from the lake of Gennesareth; and probably Adam was on the same side to the north of Succoth. Zaretan, is supposed to be the same city as Zartanah, and Zarthan,

from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan--near mount Sartabeh, in the northern part of the Ghor (1Ki_7:46); that is, a distance of thirty miles from the Israelitish encampment; and

the salt sea - sometimes called the dead sea

the waters which came down from above-- the Sea of Galilee

Jos 3:17 And the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of Jehovah stood firm on dry ground in the middle of Jordan. And all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people had passed completely over Jordan.

the Israelites passed over on dry ground--the river about Jericho has a firm pebbly bottom, according to one commentator.