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 they broke camp to cross the Jordan River. The priests who carried the ark of the promise went ahead of the people. 15(The Jordan overflows all its banks during the harvest season.) When the priests who were carrying the ark came to the edge of the Jordan River and set foot in the water, the water stopped flowing from upstream. The water rose up like a dam as far away as the city of Adam near Zarethan. The water flowing down toward the Sea of the Plains (the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. Then the people crossed from the east side ⌞of the Jordan River⌟ directly opposite Jericho. 17The priests who carried the ark of the Lord’s promise stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan until the whole nation of Israel had crossed the Jordan River on dry ground.

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• That the watersמַיmayim · waterH4325
• which came downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
• from aboveמַ֫עַלma‛al · aboveH4605
• stoodעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
• rose upקוּםqûm · to arise: riseH6965
• upon anאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• heapנֵדnêd · heapH5067
• veryמְאֹדme'ôd · muchH3966
• farרָחַקrâchaq · to removeH7368
• from the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• Adamאָדָם'âdâm · AdamH121
• besideצַדtsad · sideH6654
• Zaretanצָֽרְתָןtsârethân · ZarethanH6891
• toward the seaיָםyâm · seaH3220
• of the plainעֲרָבָה‛ărâbâh · (Sea of) the ArabahH6160
• the saltמֶ֫לַחmelach · Salt (Sea)H4417
• failedתָּמַםtâmam · to finishH8552
• were cut offכָּרַתkârath · to cut: cutH3772
• and the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• passed overעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
• right against Jerichoיְרִיחוֹyerîychô yerêchô yerîychôh · JerichoH3405

Cross-references for Joshua 3:16

• Joshua 3:13The priests who carry the ark of the Lord, the Lord of the whole earth, will stand in the water of the Jordan. Then the water flowing from upstream will stop and stand up like a dam.”
• Psalms 29:10The Lord sat enthroned over the flood. The Lord sits enthroned as king forever.
• Psalms 77:19Your road went through the sea. Your path went through raging water, but your footprints could not be seen.
• Psalms 114:3The Red Sea looked at this and ran away. The Jordan River turned back.
• Matthew 8:26Jesus said to them, “Why do you cowards have so little faith?” Then he got up, gave an order to the wind and the sea, and the sea became very calm.
• Matthew 14:24The boat, now hundreds of yards from shore, was being thrown around by the waves because it was going against the wind.
• 1 Kings 4:12Baana, son of Ahilud, had Taanach, Megiddo, and all of Beth Shean. (This was near Zarethan, below Jezreel, from Beth Shean to Abel Meholah and over to Jokmeam.)
• 1 Kings 7:46The king cast them in foundries in the Jordan Valley between Succoth and Zarethan.
• Joshua 15:2The southern border starts from the south end of the Dead Sea
• Genesis 14:3The five kings joined forces and met in the valley of Siddim (that is, the Dead Sea).
• Numbers 34:3“The southern side includes part of the Desert of Zin along the border of Edom. In the east the southern border starts from the end of the Dead Sea
• Deuteronomy 3:17Their land included the plains around the Jordan River. The western border was the river, from the Sea of Galilee to the Sea of the Plains (the Dead Sea), which is near Mount Pisgah on 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