Joshua 3:16

Joshua 3:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.
• New International Version (NIV)the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.
• English Standard Version (ESV)the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho.
• New King James Version (NKJV)that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho.

Context of Joshua 3:16

14So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carried the ark of the covenant ahead of them. 15Now the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest season. But as soon as the priests carrying the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the flowing water stood still. It backed up as far upstream as Adam, a city in the area of Zarethan, while the water flowing toward the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed over the dry ground, until the entire nation had crossed the Jordan.

Joshua 3:16 word by word

וַיַּעַמְד֡וּ הַמַּיִם֩ הַיֹּרְדִ֨ים מִלְמַ֜עְלָה קָ֣מוּ נֵד־אֶחָ֗ד הַרְחֵ֨ק מְאֹ֜ד מֵֽאָדָ֤ם הָעִיר֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ מִצַּ֣ד צָֽרְתָ֔ן וְהַיֹּרְדִ֗ים עַ֣ל יָ֧ם הָעֲרָבָ֛ה יָם־הַמֶּ֖לַח תַּ֣מּוּ נִכְרָ֑תוּ וְהָעָ֥ם עָבְר֖וּ נֶ֥גֶד יְרִיחֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

• the flowingיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
• the flowingמַ֫עַלma‛al · aboveH4605
• waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
• stood stillעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
• It backed upקוּםqûm · to arise: riseH6965
• It backed upאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• It backed upנֵדnêd · heapH5067
• as far upstreamרָחַקrâchaq · to removeH7368
• as far upstreamמְאֹדme'ôd · muchH3966
• as Adamאָדָם'âdâm · AdamH121
• a cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• ·אֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• in the areaצַדtsad · sideH6654
• of Zarethanצָֽרְתָןtsârethân · ZarethanH6891
• towardעַל‛al · uponH5921
• the Seaיָםyâm · seaH3220
• of the Arabahעֲרָבָה‛ărâbâh · (Sea of) the ArabahH6160
• the Salt Seaמֶ֫לַחmelach · Salt (Sea)H4417
• was completelyתָּמַםtâmam · to finishH8552
• cut offכָּרַתkârath · to cut: cutH3772
• So the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• crossed overעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
• oppositeנֶ֫גֶדneged · beforeH5048
• Jerichoיְרִיחוֹyerîychô yerêchô yerîychôh · JerichoH3405

Cross-references for Joshua 3:16

• Joshua 3:13When the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD—the Lord of all the earth—touch down in the waters of the Jordan, its flowing waters will be cut off and will stand up in a heap.”
• Psalms 29:10The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King forever.
• Psalms 77:19Your path led through the sea, Your way through the mighty waters, but Your footprints were not to be found.
• Psalms 114:3The sea observed and fled; the Jordan turned back;
• Matthew 8:26“You of little faith,” Jesus replied, “why are you so afraid?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it was perfectly calm.
• Matthew 14:24but the boat was already far from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
• 1 Kings 4:12Baana son of Ahilud in Taanach, in Megiddo, and in all of Beth-shean next to Zarethan below Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah and on past Jokmeam;
• 1 Kings 7:46The king had them cast in clay molds in the plain of the Jordan between Succoth and Zarethan.
• Joshua 15:2Their southern border started at the bay on the southern tip of the Salt Sea,
• Genesis 14:3The latter five came as allies to the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea).
• Numbers 34:3Your southern border will extend from the Wilderness of Zin along the border of Edom. On the east, your southern border will run from the end of the Salt Sea,
• Deuteronomy 3:17The Jordan River in the Arabah bordered it from Chinnereth to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) with the slopes of Pisgah to the east.

Commentaries on Joshua 3:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Rose up upon a heap - That is, they continued to accumulate, filling up the whole of the channel toward the source, and the adjacent ground over which they were now spread, to a much greater depth, the power of God giving a contrary direction to the current. We need not suppose them to be gathered up like a mountain, instar montis, as the Vulgate expresses it, but that they continued to flow back in the course of the channel; and ere they could have…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16The passage should run “rose up, an heap far away, by Adam, the city which is beside Zarthan.” The city of Adam is not named elsewhere, and Zarthan (mentioned here and in marginal references.) has also disappeared. It is, however, probably connected with the modern Kurn Sartabeh (Horn of Sartabeh), the name given to a lofty and isolated hill some 17 miles on the river above Jericho.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-17Verses 14-17 Jordan overflowed all its banks. This magnified the power of God, and his kindness to Israel. Although those who oppose the salvation of God's people have all advantages, yet God can and will conquer. This passage over Jordan, as an entrance to Canaan, after their long, weary wanderings in the wilderness, shadowed out the believer's passage through death to heaven, after he has finished his wanderings in this sinful world. Jesus, typified by…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16Two amazing events happened. First, the water … backed up as far upstream as Adam. This was about 40 kilometers (25 miles) away. Second, the whole bed of the river dried up as the remaining water flowed to the Salt Sea.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 14-1714-16. And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, &c.--To understand the scene described we must imagine the band of priests with the ark on their shoulders, standing on the depressed edge of the river, while the mass of the people were at a mile's distance. Suddenly the whole bed of the river was dried up; a spectacle the more extraordinary in that it took place in the time of harvest, corresponding to our April or May--when "the…Read the comment

Topics related to Joshua 3:16

• Adam
• Dead Sea
• Miracles
• Salt
• Water
• Zaretan

In the dictionaries

• Adam
• Jericho
• Salt Sea
• Salt Sea, or Dead Sea
• Salt Sea, Dead Sea
• the sea, the Great Sea, the western sea
• Adam, the city of
• Admah
• Arabah
• Ark

Commentaries on Joshua 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings