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

14And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people; 15And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,) 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. 17And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of Yhwh 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.

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

• 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 it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of Yhwh, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap.
• Psalms 29:10Yhwh sitteth upon the flood; yea, Yhwh sitteth King for ever.
• Psalms 77:19Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.
• Psalms 114:3The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back.
• Matthew 8:26And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
• Matthew 14:24But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.
• 1 Kings 4:12Baana the son of Ahilud; to him pertained Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth–shean, which is by Zartanah beneath Jezreel, from Beth–shean to Abel–meholah, even unto the place that is beyond Jokneam:
• 1 Kings 7:46In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarthan.
• Joshua 15:2And their south border was from the shore of the salt sea, from the bay that looketh southward:
• Genesis 14:3All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea.
• Numbers 34:3Then your south quarter shall be from the wilderness of Zin along by the coast of Edom, and your south border shall be the outmost coast of the salt sea eastward:
• Deuteronomy 3:17The plain also, and Jordan, and the coast thereof, from Chinnereth even unto the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, under Ashdoth–pisgah eastward.

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