Joshua 3

King James Version

Full text for Joshua Chapter 3

1¶ And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over.

2And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host;

3And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.

4Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed [this] way heretofore.

5And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do wonders among you.

6And 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.

7¶ And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, [so] I will be with thee.

8And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan.

9And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the LORD your God.

10And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God [is] among you, and [that] 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.

11Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan.

12Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man.

13And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, [that] the waters of Jordan shall be cut off [from] the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap.

14¶ And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people;

15And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,)

16That the waters which came down from above stood [and] rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that [is] beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, [even] the salt sea, failed, [and] were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.

17And 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.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Joshua led the Israelites from Shittim to the Jordan River, where they prepared to cross. The Lord commanded that the priests bearing the Ark of the Covenant should lead the way, with the people following at a distance. As the priests' feet touched the water, the Jordan River miraculously parted, allowing all Israel to pass over on dry ground.

Medium Summary

After three days at the Jordan, Joshua's officers instructed the people to follow the Ark of the Covenant, borne by the Levite priests, maintaining a distance of two thousand cubits. Joshua commanded the people to sanctify themselves, promising that the Lord would perform wonders. The Lord then spoke to Joshua, affirming His intention to magnify him before all Israel, just as He had magnified Moses. As the priests stepped into the overflowing Jordan, the waters flowing downstream were cut off, piling up far upstream at Adam, beside Zaretan. This allowed the entire nation of Israel to cross the river on dry ground, directly opposite Jericho.

Long Summary

Joshua rose early, leading the Israelites from Shittim to the Jordan River, where they encamped for three days. Officers then instructed the people to follow the Ark of the Covenant, carried by the priests, maintaining a distance of two thousand cubits, as they had not traversed this path before. Joshua commanded the people to sanctify themselves, declaring that the Lord would perform wonders the following day. The Lord then addressed Joshua, promising to magnify him in the sight of all Israel, demonstrating His presence with Joshua as He had been with Moses. Joshua was instructed to tell the priests bearing the Ark to stand still in the Jordan's waters. Joshua then gathered the people, proclaiming that the parting of the Jordan would prove the living God's presence among them and His commitment to drive out the Canaanite nations. He also instructed them to select twelve men, one from each tribe. As the priests bearing the Ark stepped into the Jordan, which was overflowing its banks during harvest, the waters coming from upstream stood up in a heap far off at Adam, beside Zaretan, while the waters flowing downstream to the Salt Sea were completely cut off. The priests stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all the children of Israel passed over on dry ground until the entire multitude had safely crossed.

Core Concepts

  • Ark of the CovenantThe Ark served as the visible symbol of God's presence and was commanded to lead the Israelites into the Jordan, signifying divine guidance and authority in their passage.
  • SanctificationJoshua instructed the people to sanctify themselves, a ritual purification, in preparation for witnessing the miraculous wonders God was about to perform among them.
  • Joshua's MagnificationThe Lord explicitly stated His intention to magnify Joshua in the sight of all Israel, establishing his leadership and demonstrating that God was with him as He had been with Moses.
  • Miraculous Crossing of JordanThe central miracle of the chapter, where the waters of the Jordan River were cut off and stood in a heap, allowing the Israelites to cross on dry ground, demonstrating God's power.
  • Divine ProofThe parting of the Jordan served as undeniable proof to the Israelites that the living God was indeed among them and would fulfill His promise to drive out the inhabitants of the land.
  • Jordan at HarvestThe text notes that the Jordan overflowed its banks during harvest time, emphasizing the magnitude of the miracle as the river was at its fullest when it was parted.