Joshua 3:8

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

And 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.

Complete Jewish Bible:

Now you are to order the cohanim carrying the ark for the covenant as follows: 'When you come to the edge of the Yarden River, you are to stop in the Yarden itself.'"

Berean Standard Bible:

Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the waters, stand in the Jordan.’”

American Standard Version:

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

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

And thou shalt command^{H6680} the priests^{H3548} that bear^{H5375} the ark^{H727} of the covenant^{H1285}, saying^{H559}, When ye are come^{H935} to the brink^{H7097} of the water^{H4325} of Jordan^{H3383}, ye shall stand still^{H5975} in Jordan^{H3383}.

Cross-References (KJV):

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Commentary for Joshua 3:8

Joshua 3:8 is a pivotal verse in the narrative of the Israelites' journey to the Promised Land. The historical context is the transition of leadership from Moses to Joshua, as the Israelites stand on the cusp of entering Canaan after forty years of wandering in the wilderness. The verse is part of God's instructions to Joshua on how to cross the Jordan River, which represents a significant barrier to the fulfillment of God's promise to give the land to the Israelites.

In this verse, God commands Joshua to instruct the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant to take a central role in the crossing. The Ark was a sacred chest that housed the tablets of the Ten Commandments and was a powerful symbol of God's presence with His people. The priests are told to stand still at the edge of the Jordan, a seemingly counterintuitive directive since one would expect them to lead the way across. This pause at the brink of the water is symbolic, emphasizing divine intervention; God Himself would part the waters, just as He had done at the Red Sea, demonstrating His power and faithfulness to His people.

The themes present in this verse include divine guidance, the importance of faith and obedience, and the assurance of God's presence in times of transition and challenge. It underscores the idea that God's plans will be accomplished in His way and in His time, often in ways that defy human understanding. The crossing of the Jordan is also a prefiguration of Christian baptism, symbolizing entry into a new life and the crossing from death to life, from the old to the new. The verse thus encapsulates a moment of anticipation and transformation, as the Israelites prepare to step into the land that God had promised to their ancestors.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H6680
   There are 475 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: צָוָה
   Transliteration: tsâvâh
   Pronunciation: tsaw-vaw'
   Description: a primitive root; (intensively) to constitute, enjoin; appoint, (for-) bid, (give a) charge, (give a, give in, send with) command(-er, -ment), send a messenger, put, (set) in order.
   
2. Strong's Number: H3548
   There are 653 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: כֹּהֵן
   Transliteration: kôhên
   Pronunciation: ko-hane'
   Description: active participle of כָּהַן; literally one officiating, a priest; also (by courtesy) an acting priest (although a layman); chief ruler, [idiom] own, priest, prince, principal officer.
   
3. Strong's Number: H5375
   There are 611 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נָשָׂא
   Transliteration: nâsâʼ
   Pronunciation: naw-saw'
   Description: or נָסָה; (Psalm 4:6 (אֲבַד)), a primitive root; to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relative; accept, advance, arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up), bring (forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease, exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further, give, go on, help, high, hold up, honorable ([phrase] man), lade, lay, lift (self) up, lofty, marry, magnify, [idiom] needs, obtain, pardon, raise (up), receive, regard, respect, set (up), spare, stir up, [phrase] swear, take (away, up), [idiom] utterly, wear, yield.
   
4. Strong's Number: H727
   There are 467 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אָרוֹן
   Transliteration: ʼârôwn
   Pronunciation: aw-rone'
   Description: or אָרֹן; from אָרָה (in the sense of gathering); a box; ark, chest, coffin.
   
5. Strong's Number: H1285
   There are 264 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: בְּרִית
   Transliteration: bᵉrîyth
   Pronunciation: ber-eeth'
   Description: from בָּרָה (in the sense of cutting (like בָּרָא)); a compact (because made by passing between pieces of flesh); confederacy, (con-) feder(-ate), covenant, league.
   
6. Strong's Number: H559
   There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אָמַר
   Transliteration: ʼâmar
   Pronunciation: aw-mar'
   Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet.
   
7. Strong's Number: H935
   There are 2307 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: בּוֹא
   Transliteration: bôwʼ
   Pronunciation: bo
   Description: a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of applications); abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat, [phrase] employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, [phrase] follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, [phrase] have, [idiom] indeed, (in-) vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, [idiom] (well) stricken (in age), [idiom] surely, take (in), way.
   
8. Strong's Number: H7097
   There are 87 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: קָצֶה
   Transliteration: qâtseh
   Pronunciation: kaw-tseh'
   Description: or (negative only) קֵצֶה; from קָצָה; (used in a great variety of applications and idioms; compare קֵץ); an extremity; [idiom] after, border, brim, brink, edge, end, (in-) finite, frontier, outmost coast, quarter, shore, (out-) side, [idiom] some, ut(-ter-) most (part).
   
9. Strong's Number: H4325
   There are 525 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: מַיִם
   Transliteration: mayim
   Pronunciation: mah'-yim
   Description: dual of a primitive noun (but used in a singular sense); water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen; [phrase] piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).
   
10. Strong's Number: H3383
    There are 164 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: יַרְדֵּן
    Transliteration: Yardên
    Pronunciation: yar-dane'
    Description: from יָרַד; a descender; Jarden, the principal river of Palestine; Jordan.
    
11. Strong's Number: H5975
    There are 495 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: עָמַד
    Transliteration: ʻâmad
    Pronunciation: aw-mad'
    Description: a primitive root; to stand, in various relations (literal and figurative, intransitive and transitive); abide (behind), appoint, arise, cease, confirm, continue, dwell, be employed, endure, establish, leave, make, ordain, be (over), place, (be) present (self), raise up, remain, repair, [phrase] serve, set (forth, over, -tle, up), (make to, make to be at a, with-) stand (by, fast, firm, still, up), (be at a) stay (up), tarry.