Joshua 3:3

3:3 and commanded the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God ¹  being carried by the Levitical priests, you must leave here ²  and walk ³  behind it.

Joshua 3:14-17

3:14 So when the people left their tents to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ⁴  ahead of them. 3:15 When the ones carrying the ark reached the Jordan and the feet of the priests carrying the ark touched the surface ⁵  of the water – (the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest time) ⁶  – 3:16 the water coming downstream toward them stopped flowing. ⁷  It piled up far upstream ⁸  at Adam (the city near Zarethan); there was no water at all flowing to the sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea). ⁹  The people crossed the river opposite Jericho. ¹⁰  3:17 The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan. All Israel crossed over on dry ground until the entire nation was on the other side. ¹¹ 

[3:3]  ¹ sn The ark of the covenant refers to the wooden chest that symbolized God’s presence among his covenant people.

[3:3]  ² tn Heb “set out from your place.”

[3:3]  ³ tn Or “march.”

[3:14]  ⁴ tn The verb, though not in the Hebrew, is added for clarification.

[3:15]  ⁵ tn Heb “dipped into the edge.”

[3:15]  ⁶ tn Heb “and the Jordan overflows all its banks all the days of harvest.”

[3:16]  ⁷ tn Heb “the waters descending from above stood still.”

[3:16]  ⁸ tn Heb “they stood in one pile very far away.”

[3:16]  ⁹ tn Heb “the [waters] descending toward the sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) were completely cut off.”

[3:16]  ¹⁰ map For the location of Jericho see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.

[3:17]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and all Israel was crossing over on dry ground until all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan.”