1.
And 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.
early in the morning : i.e. after the command in Joshua 1:2 .
children = sons.
2.
And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host;
after = at the end of.
host = camp.
3.
And 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.
the ark . Not the cloud, but the ark; as from Sinai. Compare Numbers 10:33 .
the LORD your God = Jehovah your Elohim . App-4 .
the Levites. Some codices, with three early printed editions, Septuagint, and Syriac, reed "and the Levites". bearing it. Supply the Ellipsis ( App-6 .) by adding "[going before]" from next clause.
4.
Yet 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.
a space. This is very significant. Compare Exodus 19:12 , Exodus 13:22 .Leviticus 10:3 .
cubits. See App-51 . About Joshua 1:5 miles.
5.
And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do wonders among you.
6.
And 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.
7.
And 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.
the LORD (Hebrew. Jehovah. said unto Joshua (or him), at nine sundry times: Joshua 3:7 ; Joshua 5:2 ; Joshua 6:2 ; Joshua 7:10 , Joshua 8:1 , Joshua 8:18 ; Joshua 10:8 ; Joshua 11:6 ; Joshua 13:1 .
as = according as.
8.
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.
9.
And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the LORD your God.
10.
And 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.
living. This title always has a latent reference to idols. Here, to the gods of the idolatrous nations named.
GOD. Hebrew. 'el. App-4 .
and. Note the Figure of speech Polysendeton ( App-6 ), to emphasise the seven nations.
11.
Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan.
Behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6 .
the Lord of all the earth. Hebrew the Adon. of all the earth. A title connected with sovereignty in the earth. Compare Joshua 3:11 , Joshua 3:13 .Zechariah 6:5 , the only three occurrences of this full title. See App-4 .; and compare Psalms 97:5 .Micah 4:3 .Zechariah 4:14 .
12.
Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man.
twelve. The number of governmental perfection See App-10 .
men . Hebrew. 'ish. See App-14 .
13.
And 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.
the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah . App-4 .
cut off . Three times here, for Israel; 2 Kings 2:8 , for Elijah; and 2 Kings 2:14 , for Elisha.
an heap one heap. Compare Psalms 114:3 .
14.
And 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;
15.
And 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,)
for. Note the parenthesis.
overfloweth. So to the present day.
banks . Hebrew found only four times in O.T.; here, Jos 4:18 . 1 Chronicles 12:15 .Isaiah 8:7 . All but the last, of the Jordan.
harvest = barley harvest. Compare note on Joshua 2:6 .
16.
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.
Adam. The waters were divided at (or near) the city "Adam", and they were heaped up at (or near) "Zaretun", another city far off from "Adam".
Zaretan in the land of Manasseh. Called Zartanah in 1 Kings 4:12 . The brazen vessels of the temple were cast there in the plain of Jordan (1 Kings 7:46 .
sea of the plain: i.e. the Dead Sea.
salt sea. Figure of speech. Polyonymia. App-6 .
the People passed over. A way cleft through the sea (Exodus 14 ), through the river (Joshua 3 ), and in the future through the air Philippians 3:14 , 1 Thessalonians 4:17 ).
17.
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.
all the Israelites: better = all Israel.
were passed clean over = finished passing over.