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.
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)the water above that point began backing up a great distance away at a town called Adam, which is near Zarethan. And the water below that point flowed on to the Dead Sea until the riverbed was dry. Then all the people crossed over near the town of Jericho.

Context of Joshua 3:16

14So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. 15Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, 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. 17The 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.

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 3:13And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord—the Lord of all the earth—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and 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, though your footprints were not seen.
• Psalms 114:3The sea looked and fled, the Jordan turned back;
• Matthew 8:26He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
• Matthew 14:24and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
• 1 Kings 4:12Baana son of Ahilud—in Taanach and Megiddo, and in all of Beth Shan next to Zarethan below Jezreel, from Beth Shan to Abel Meholah across to Jokmeam;
• 1 Kings 7:46The king had them cast in clay molds in the plain of the Jordan between Sukkoth and Zarethan.
• Joshua 15:2Their southern boundary started from the bay at the southern end of the Dead Sea,
• Genesis 14:3All these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Dead Sea Valley).
• Numbers 34:3“ ‘Your southern side will include some of the Desert of Zin along the border of Edom. Your southern boundary will start in the east from the southern end of the Dead Sea,
• Deuteronomy 3:17Its western border was the Jordan in the Arabah, from Kinnereth to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea), below the slopes of Pisgah.

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