Old Testament · History

Joshua 3

Crossing the Jordan

The priests step into a flooded river and the water stops. A new generation crosses on dry ground — echoing the Red Sea their parents saw.

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1And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over.

2And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host;

3And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.

4Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore.

5And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do wonders among you.

6And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people.

7And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.

8And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan.

9And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the LORD your God.

10And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites.

11Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan.

12Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man.

13And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, 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.

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,)

16That 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 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.

Understand This

Joshua 3, explained

What Joshua 3 is saying

The Israelites approach the Jordan River at flood stage, and the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant step into the water. The river miraculously stops flowing, piling up at the city of Adam, and the entire nation crosses on dry ground. This crossing deliberately mirrors the Red Sea event, confirming Joshua's authority as Moses' successor.

The background behind it

The Jordan crossing occurred during spring harvest when snowmelt from Mount Hermon caused annual flooding, making the miracle's timing particularly dramatic. The mention of the city of Adam (v. 16) provides a specific geographic marker approximately 18 miles upstream.

Themes running underneath

The typological parallel with the Exodus crossing (cf. Exodus 14) establishes continuity between Moses and Joshua and between the old generation and the new. The Ark's centrality emphasizes that Yahweh Himself leads His people into the land.

Why it still matters

God often asks for obedience before providing evidence—the priests had to step into the flood before the waters parted. Faith sometimes means getting your feet wet first.

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Scripture text: King James Version — public domain.