New English Translation
Joshua 3:17
17The 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.
Joshua 3:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.
- New International Version (NIV)The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.
Context of Joshua 3:17
15When the ones carrying the ark reached the Jordan and the feet of the priests carrying the ark touched the surface of the water – (the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest time) – 16the water coming downstream toward them stopped flowing. It piled up far upstream at Adam (the city near Zarethan); there was no water at all flowing to the sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea). The people crossed the river opposite Jericho. 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.
Read all of Joshua 3Joshua 3:17 word by word
וַיַּעַמְד֣וּ הַכֹּהֲנִ֡ים נֹ֠שְׂאֵי הָאָר֨וֹן בְּרִית־יְהוָ֜ה בֶּחָֽרָבָ֛ה בְּת֥וֹךְ הַיַּרְדֵּ֖ן הָכֵ֑ן וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל עֹֽבְרִים֙ בֶּחָ֣רָבָ֔ה עַ֤ד אֲשֶׁר־תַּ֙מּוּ֙ כָּל־הַגּ֔וֹי לַעֲבֹ֖ר אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּֽן׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the priestsכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
- that bareנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: bearH5375
- the arkאֲרוֹן'ârôn 'ârôn · arkH727
- of the covenantבְּרִיתberîyth · covenantH1285
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- stoodעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
- firmכּוּןkûn · to establish: establishH3559
- on dry groundחָֽרָבָהchârâbâh · dry groundH2724
- in the midstתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
- of Jordanיַרְדֵּןyardên · JordanH3383
- and all the Israelitesיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- passed overעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
- until all the peopleגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
- cleanתָּמַםtâmam · to finishH8552
Cross-references for Joshua 3:17
- Joshua 3:3and commanded the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by the Levitical priests, you must leave here and walk behind it.
- Joshua 4:3Instruct them, ‘Pick up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests stand firmly, and carry them over with you and put them in the place where you camp tonight.’”
- 2 Kings 2:8Elijah took his cloak, folded it up, and hit the water with it. The water divided, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
- Exodus 14:22So the Israelites went through the middle of the sea on dry ground, the water forming a wall for them on their right and on their left.
- Psalms 66:6He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot. Let us rejoice in him there!
- Isaiah 25:8he will swallow up death permanently. The sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from every face, and remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. Indeed, the Lord has announced it!
- Hebrews 11:29By faith they crossed the Red Sea as if on dry ground, but when the Egyptians tried it, they were swallowed up.
Commentaries on Joshua 3:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17The priests - stood firm on dry ground - They stood in the mid channel, and shifted not their position till the camp, consisting of nearly 600,000 effective men, besides women, children, etc., had passed over. Is it not surprising that the Canaanites did not dispute this passage with the Israelites? It is likely they would, had they had any expectation that such a passage would have been attempted. They must have known that the Israelitish camp was on the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17The miraculous passage to the holy land through Jordan is not less pregnant with typical meaning than that through the Red Sea (compare 1 Corinthians 10:1-2). The solemn inauguration of Joshua to his office, and his miraculous attestation, by the same waters with which Jesus was baptized on entering on the public exercise of His ministry (compare Matthew 3:16-17); the choice of twelve men, one from each tribe to be the bearers of the twelve stones, and…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. 17The repetition of the phrase on dry ground emphasizes that God performed a miracle.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. the priests ... and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground--the river about Jericho has a firm pebbly bottom, on which the host might pass, without inconvenience when the water was cleared off.Read the comment
Topics related to Joshua 3:17
In the dictionaries
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
New English Translation — © 1996-2016 Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.
Commentaries