And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, come hither ,.... Very probably to the door of the tabernacle: and hear the words of the Lord your God ; which he was about to deliver to them as from him, and in his name. read more
And Joshua said ,.... To the people as follows: hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you ; who has life in and of himself, and is the author of life to all his creatures; and is so called in opposition to the lifeless idols of the Gentiles: and it may be, as Abarbinel observes, to suggest to them, that though Moses was dead, the Lord lived, and lives for evermore; and by the following miracle of dividing the waters of Jordan, it would be a plain case that the Lord was yet... read more
Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth ,.... Some both Jewish and Christian interpreters, because there is a distinguishing accent on the word "covenant", read the words "the ark of the covenant, even the Lord of all the earth"; so in some copies of our English Bible, as if the ark was called the Lord of all the earth, because of his presence and dwelling there; but, as Kimchi observes, either the word "ark" is wanting, or the word "covenant", and may be supplied either... read more
Now therefore take ye twelve men ,.... For what end and purpose is not mentioned. Abarbinel is of opinion, that they were chosen and appointed, that every man might pitch upon and take a place for his tribe to encamp in, when they came on the other side Jordan: whether this was Joshua's view or no is not certain; however, the use he made of these, thus provided by divine direction, is related Joshua 4:2 , and these were to be taken out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man ... read more
And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the Lord ,.... Which they were bid to take up and carry, Joshua 3:6 , the Lord of all the earth ; this shows that not the ark, but the Lord, is called "the Lord of all the earth"; see Gill on Joshua 3:11 , shall rest in the waters of Jordan ; the meaning is, as soon as their feet should touch them, or they should set their feet in them, when they came to the brink of them: that ... read more
And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents to pass over Jordan ,.... Which they had pitched very near it, upon their removal from Shittim, and in which they had lodged the night past: and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people ; at the distance of two thousand cubits. read more
And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan ,.... Not to the bank, which was overflowed, but to the extremity of the water overflowing: and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water ; which was doubtless the first they came to, and not the brim or extremity of it on the other side: for Jordan overfloweth all its banks all the time of harvest ; that is, of barley harvest, as appears from the time of year; for it was in the first month, the... read more
That the waters which came down from above ,.... Above where the priests' feet rested, and which came down from Mount Lebanon, and the fountains of Jordan northward: stood and rose up upon an heap ; they stopped their current, and as the water came down they rose up on high, and made one vast heap of waters: very far from the city of Adam, that is, beside Zaretan ; the Cetib, or textual reading, is, "in Adam the city"; we follow the marginal reading, "from Adam": both readings, as... read more
And the priests that bare the ark of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan ,.... Which for its breadth Mr. Maundrell, the above mentioned traveller, says F3 Maundrell, Journey from Aleppo to Jerusalem, p. 83. might be about twenty yards over, and its depth exceeded his height; but Dr. Shaw F4 Travels, p. 346. , a later traveller still, says,"the river Jordan is by far the most considerable river, excepting the Nile, either of the coast of Syria, or of Barbary.... read more
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John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Joshua 3:8
And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the Lord ,.... Who were subject to Joshua, the chief governor of the nation, and general of the army, as well as the common people; and whose commands they were to obey, and especially when they appeared to be from the Lord: saying, when ye come to the brink of the water of Jordan ; not of the bank of it, but of the water, which had now overflowed its bank; that is, the brink or extremity of it, which was nearest to them, and to... read more