joshua-3:16-17

F.B. Meyer's 'Through the Bible' Commentary - Joshua 3:1-17

the Jordan Safely Crossed Joshua 3:1-17 For three days the host faced that swollen river. It was enough to appall them, except that, like Abraham, they dared to behold it in the light of the divine promise. Every method was adopted to impress on them that the river was cleft by and for the Ark. The distance between the people and the advancing priests was purposely widened that there might be no doubt about the miracle. Whenever we step out on the unknown path, the Ark of the Covenant, which... read more

G. Campbell Morgan

G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible - Joshua 3:1-17

The first movement in the actual advance of the people into the land was of such a nature as to impress them with e truth of their positive relation to God. There was nothing in this first advance calculated to give them any cause for personal glorying. They came on to the actual soil of Canaan not by deflecting the course of the intervening river nor by bridging it, but by direct divine intervention. Divine power arrested the rushing river and made a highway for them to the other side. The... read more

Robert Neighbour

Wells of Living Water Commentary - Joshua 3:1-17

Crossing the Jordan Joshua 3:1-17 INTRODUCTORY WORDS We wish to discuss the preparatory steps to the crossing of the Jordan. These steps are set forth in the opening verses of our chapter. 1. Lodging near the river Jordan. Before they could go across they had to come down by the riverside. However, as we see the Children of Israel camped by Jordan we can but remember that "near," or "by," is not enough. The fathers or elders of Israel had, of old, camped at Kadesh-barnea, just at the borders... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 3:14-16

Joshua 3:14-16 a ‘And so it was that when the people removed from their tents to pass over Jordan, the priests bearing the Ark of the covenant being before the people, and when those who bore the ark were come to Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the Ark were dipped in the brink of the water, for Jordan overflows all its banks all the time of harvest, that the waters which came down from above stood. They rose up in one heap a great way off at Adam, the city which is beside Zarethan,... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 3:17

‘ And the priests who bore the Ark of the covenant of YHWH stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all Israel passed over on dry ground, until all the nation were passed clean over Jordan.’ The priests then marched with the Ark into the middle of the Jordan and stood there on dry ground (ground on which there was no standing water) while all the people crossed over and safely reached the other side of the Jordan, having no doubts because they were confident that YHWH Himself was... read more

Arthur Peake

Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible - Joshua 3:1-17

Joshua 3:1 to Joshua 5:1 . The Crossing of Jordan.— Here we begin to meet with more serious difficulties. The old tradition was that after the Israelites had crossed the Jordan, they commemorated the event by the erection of twelve stones. But this simple narrative existed in two recensions, which differed as to the destination of these memorial stones. According to one account, they were to be placed in the midst of the river; according to the other, they were to be set up on the W. side of... read more

Matthew Poole

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible - Joshua 3:16

The waters rose up upon an heap; which having been affirmed by heathen writers to have been done by magicians, it is great impudence to disbelieve or doubt of God’s power to do it. Adam, that is beside Zaretan: the city Adam being more obscure, is described by its nearness to a more known place, Zaretan, or Zarthan, which some think is the same place mentioned 1 Kings 4:12; 1 Kings 7:46; but it rather seems to have been another place then eminent, but now unknown, as many thousands are. The... read more

Matthew Poole

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible - Joshua 3:17

Stood firm, i.e. in one and the same place and posture; their feet neither moved by any waters flowing in upon them, nor sinking into any mire, which one might think was at the bottom of the river. And this may be opposed unto their other standing in the brink of the water when they came to it, commanded Joshua 3:8, which was but for a while, till the waters were divided and gone away; and then they were to go farther, even into the midst of Jordan, as is here said, where they are to stand... read more

Joseph Exell

Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary - Joshua 3:14-17

CRITICAL NOTES.—Joshua 3:15. Jordan overfloweth] Owing to the melting of the snow on the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon mountains. “The swellings of Jordan” seems to have driven the wild beasts from their usual lairs (cf. Jeremiah 49:19). Joshua 3:16. The City Adam] The site is unknown; probably it was several miles to the north; the back-flow of the accumulated waters was apparent as far up the river as this city. Joshua 3:17. All the people] All excepting the women and children of the two and a... read more

Chuck Smith

Chuck Smith Bible Commentary - Joshua 3:1-17

Chapter 3As we get into chapter three,Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and they came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and they lodged there before they passed over. And they commanded the people, and he said, Now when you see the ark of the covenant moving out, you stay behind it two thousand cubits: [Which is about a half mile that they were to stay behind the ark, maybe two-thirds of a mile back from the ark of the covenant.] and the Levites... read more