10 And Joshua H3091 said, H559 Hereby ye shall know H3045 that the living H2416 God H410 is among H7130 you, and that he will without fail H3423 drive out H3423 from before H6440 you the Canaanites, H3669 and the Hittites, H2850 and the Hivites, H2340 and the Perizzites, H6522 and the Girgashites, H1622 and the Amorites, H567 and the Jebusites. H2983
11 Behold, the ark H727 of the covenant H1285 of the Lord H113 of all the earth H776 passeth over H5674 before H6440 you into Jordan. H3383
12 Now therefore take H3947 you twelve H8147 H6240 men H376 out of the tribes H7626 of Israel, H3478 out of every H259 tribe H7626 a man. H376
13 And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles H3709 of the feet H7272 of the priests H3548 that bear H5375 the ark H727 of the LORD, H3068 the Lord H113 of all the earth, H776 shall rest H5117 in the waters H4325 of Jordan, H3383 that the waters H4325 of Jordan H3383 shall be cut off H3772 from the waters H4325 that come down H3381 from above; H4605 and they shall stand H5975 upon an H259 heap. H5067
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Joshua 3
Commentary on Joshua 3 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 3
This chapter, and that which follows it, give us the history of Israel's passing through Jordan into Canaan, and a very memorable history it is. Long afterwards, they are told to remember what God did for them between Shittim (whence they decamped, v. 1). and Gilgal, where they next pitched, ch. 4:19, Mic. 6:5, that they might know the righteousness of the Lord. By Joshua's order they marched up to the river's side (v. 1), and then almighty power led them through it. They passed through the Red Sea unexpectedly, and in their flight by night, but they have notice some time before of their passing through Jordan, and their expectations raised.
Jos 3:1-6
Rahab, in mentioning to the spies the drying up of the Red Sea (ch. 2:10), the report of which terrified the Canaanites more than anything else, intimates that those on that side the water expected that Jordan, that great defence of their country, would in like manner give way to them. Whether the Israelites had any expectation of it does not appear. God often did things for them which they looked not for, Isa. 64:3. Now here we are told,
Jos 3:7-13
We may observe here how God honours Joshua, and by this wondrous work he is about to do designs to make Israel know that he is their governor, and then how Joshua honours God and endeavours by it to make Israel know that he is their God. Thus those that honour God he will honour, and those whom he has advanced should do what they can in their places to exalt him.
Jos 3:14-17
Here we have a short and plain account of the dividing of the river Jordan, and the passage of the children of Israel through it. The story is not garnished with the flowers of rhetoric (gold needs not to be painted), but it tell us, in short, matter of fact.