Joshua 3:16

3:16 the water coming downstream toward them stopped flowing. ¹  It piled up far upstream ²  at Adam (the city near Zarethan); there was no water at all flowing to the sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea). ³  The people crossed the river opposite Jericho. ⁴ 

Joshua 6:1

6:1 Now Jericho ⁵  was shut tightly ⁶  because of the Israelites. No one was allowed to leave or enter. ⁷ 

Joshua 6:26

6:26 At that time Joshua made this solemn declaration: ⁸  “The man who attempts to rebuild ⁹  this city of Jericho ¹⁰  will stand condemned before the Lord. ¹¹  He will lose his firstborn son when he lays its foundations and his youngest son when he erects its gates!” ¹² 

Numbers 33:48

33:48 They traveled from the mountains of Abarim and camped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan River ¹³  across from Jericho. ¹⁴ 

[3:16]  ¹ tn Heb “the waters descending from above stood still.”

[3:16]  ² tn Heb “they stood in one pile very far away.”

[3:16]  ³ tn Heb “the [waters] descending toward the sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) were completely cut off.”

[3:16]  ⁴ map For the location of Jericho see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.

[6:1]  ⁵ map For location see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.

[6:1]  ⁶ tn Heb “was shutting and shut up.” HALOT 2:743 paraphrases, “blocking [any way of access] and blocked [against any who would leave].”

[6:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “there was no one going out and there was no one coming in.”

[6:26]  ⁸ tn Normally the Hiphil of שָׁבַע (shava’) has a causative sense (“make [someone] take an oath”; see Josh 2:17, 20), but here (see also Josh 23:7) no object is stated or implied. If Joshua is calling divine judgment down upon the one who attempts to rebuild Jericho, then “make a solemn appeal [to God as judge]” or “pronounce a curse” would be an appropriate translation. However, the tone seems stronger. Joshua appears to be announcing the certain punishment of the violator. 1 Kgs 16:34, which records the fulfillment of Joshua’s prediction, supports this. Casting Joshua in a prophetic role, it refers to Joshua’s statement as the “word of the Lord” spoken through Joshua.

[6:26]  ⁹ tn Heb “rises up and builds.”

[6:26]  ¹⁰ tc The LXX omits “Jericho.” It is probably a scribal addition.

[6:26]  ¹¹ tn The Hebrew phrase אָרוּר לִפְנֵי יְהוָה (’arur lifney yÿhvah, “cursed [i.e., condemned] before the Lord”) also occurs in 1 Sam 26:19.

[6:26]  ¹² tn Heb “With his firstborn he will lay its foundations and with his youngest he will erect its gates.” The Hebrew verb יַצִּיב (yatsiv, “he will erect”) is imperfect, not jussive, suggesting Joshua’s statement is a prediction, not an imprecation.

[33:48]  ¹³ tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[33:48]  ¹⁴ map For the location of Jericho see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.