Hereby ye shall know, to wit, by experience and sensible evidence. The living God; not a dull, dead, senseless, and unactive god, such as the gods of the nations are; but a God of life, and power, and activity, to watch over you, and work for you. Is among you; is present with you to strengthen and help you, as the phrase signifies, Exodus 17:7; Deuteronomy 31:17; Joshua 22:31. read more
Into part of the river. read more
CRITICAL NOTES.—Joshua 3:1. In the morning] The morning after the addresses and reply recorded in chap. Joshua 1:10-18. From Shittim to Jordan] Josephus (v. 1. 1) gives the distance as sixty stadia, or furlongs, being nearly eight English miles. Lodged there] i.e., rested there till the return of the spies, and till the completion of the time named in chap. Joshua 1:11. There is nothing in the verse which requires the misleading conjecture that they lodged here only one night. Joshua 3:2. After... read more
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
Joshua 3:5 . Sanctify yourselves, by washings and purifications. The Persians, when commissioned to march against Babylon, are called God’s sanctified ones; for the ministers of his vengeance are holy. Isaiah 13:3. Joshua 3:13 . The waters of Jordan. The river near the place where the Israelites passed was a rapid stream; its depth is from five to six feet, and its breadth about twenty yards. But by overflowing its banks it has worked an outward bank at the distance of two hundred and... read more
Joshua 3:9-13Come hither, and hear the words of the Lord.The environment of worshipThat is a bold challenge. That is a voice we need. Every age wants some Joshua, some mighty soldier of the Cross, to say, “Come, hear the upper music, the Divine melody, the holy revelation.” Have we the hearing ear? If we could hear better we could hear more. “Come hither.” Does that indicate a point in space, a place, a boundary, a sanctuary? If so, it would be quite in keeping with Oriental thought in general,... read more
Jos 3:10 And 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. Ver. 10. Hereby ye shall know that the living God. ] "Living" and "giving," as 1 Timothy 6:17 . "Trust in the living God, who giveth us all things richly to enjoy." The Canaanites, and the Hittites, &c. ] To these seven... read more
Jos 3:11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan. Ver. 11. Behold the ark of the covenant, even the Lord of heaven and earth. ] Where the ark is, and where the ordinances are, there God is: hence the ark is called God’s face, Psa 105:4 yea, God’s self. Psa 132:5 read more
Hereby ye: Numbers 15:28-Amos :, 1 Kings 18:36, 1 Kings 18:37, 1 Kings 22:28, Psalms 9:16, Isaiah 7:14, 2 Corinthians 13:2, 2 Corinthians 13:3 living: Deuteronomy 5:26, 1 Samuel 17:26, 2 Kings 19:4, Jeremiah 10:10, Hosea 1:10, Matthew 16:16, John 6:69, 1 Thessalonians 1:9, Hebrews 10:31 among: Joshua 22:31, Exodus 17:7, Deuteronomy 31:17, Judges 6:12, Judges 6:13 drive out from: Joshua 21:45, Genesis 15:15-Job :, Exodus 3:8, Exodus 23:27-Amos :, Exodus 33:2, Deuteronomy 7:1, Psalms 44:2,... read more
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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