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Joshua 3:2-12

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2 1At the end of three days the officers went through the camp
3 and commanded the people, "As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by 2the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it.
4 3Yet there shall be a distance between you and it, about 2,000 cubits[a] in length. Do not come near it, in order that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before."
5 Then Joshua said to the people, 4"Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you."
6 And Joshua said to the priests, 5"Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on before the people." So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.
7 The LORD said to Joshua, "Today I will begin to 6exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, 7as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.
8 And as for you, command 8the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, 'When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, 9you shall stand still in the Jordan.'"
9 And Joshua said to the people of Israel, "Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God."
10 And Joshua said, "Here is how you shall know that 10the living God is among you and that he will without fail 11drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites.
11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of 12the Lord of all the earth[b]13 is passing over before you into the Jordan.
12 Now therefore 14take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, 15from each tribe a man.
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Joshua 3:2-12 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 3

Joshua removed from Shittim to Jordan, where he stayed three days, Jos 3:1,2; the people are directed to move when they saw the ark bore by the priests, and what distance they should keep from it, Jos 3:3,4; are bid to sanctify themselves against the morrow, when wonders would be wrought, Jos 3:5; and the priests are ordered to take up the ark, Jos 3:6; Joshua is encouraged by the Lord, and instructed to command the priests when they come to Jordan to stand still in it, Jos 3:7,8; and he declares to all the people, as a token that God would drive the Canaanites from before them, that as soon as the feet of the priests bearing the ark should rest in the waters of Jordan, they should be parted, and make way for them to pass through, Jos 3:9-13; which accordingly came to pass, so that all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, Jos 3:14-17.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 15

  • 1. Joshua 1:10, 11
  • 2. ver. 8; Deuteronomy 31:9, 25
  • 3. [Exodus 19:12]
  • 4. Joshua 7:13; Ex. 19:10, 14, 15; Leviticus 20:7; Numbers 11:18; 1 Samuel 16:5; Joel 2:16
  • 5. Numbers 4:15
  • 6. Joshua 4:14; 1 Chronicles 29:25; 2 Chronicles 1:1
  • 7. Joshua 1:5
  • 8. ver. 3
  • 9. ver. 17
  • 10. Deuteronomy 5:26; 1 Samuel 17:26
  • 11. Exodus 33:2; Deuteronomy 7:1; Psalms 44:2; [Exodus 13:5]
  • 12. Micah 4:13; Zechariah 4:14; Zechariah 6:5
  • 13. [Deuteronomy 9:3]
  • 14. Joshua 4:2, 4
  • 15. [Numbers 13:2]

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
  • [b]. Hebrew the ark of the covenant, the Lord of all the earth
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.