Discovery BoxJoshua 3:13-16 
Context3:13 When the feet 1 of the priests carrying the ark of the Lord, the Ruler 2 of the whole earth, touch 3 the water of the Jordan, the water coming downstream toward you will stop flowing and pile up.” 4
3:14 So when the people left their tents to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went 5 ahead of them. 3:15 When the ones carrying the ark reached the Jordan and the feet of the priests carrying the ark touched the surface 6 of the water – (the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest time) 7 – 3:16 the water coming downstream toward them stopped flowing. 8 It piled up far upstream 9 at Adam (the city near Zarethan); there was no water at all flowing to the sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea). 10 The people crossed the river opposite Jericho. 11
1 tn Heb “the soles of the feet.”
2 tn Or “Lord”; or “Master.”
3 tn Or “rest in.”
4 tn Heb “the waters of the Jordan, the waters descending from above, will be cut off so that they will stand in one pile.”
5 tn The verb, though not in the Hebrew, is added for clarification.
6 tn Heb “dipped into the edge.”
7 tn Heb “and the Jordan overflows all its banks all the days of harvest.”
sn The lengthy description of the priests’ arrival at the Jordan and the parenthetical reminder that the Jordan was at flood stage delay the climax of the story and add to its dramatic buildup.
8 tn Heb “the waters descending from above stood still.”
9 tn Heb “they stood in one pile very far away.”
10 tn Heb “the [waters] descending toward the sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) were completely cut off.”
sn The Salt Sea is an ancient name for the Dead Sea.
11 map For the location of Jericho see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.
