📖 Joshua — Chapter 3 (KJV)
Read the complete King James Version chapter below, then explore the passage sections, check what you remember, and keep your private study notes.
Scripture source: Project Gutenberg KJV, ebook 10.
Joshua 3:1 And Joshua Rrose 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.
Joshua 3:2 And it came to pass after Rthree days, that the officers went through the host;
Joshua 3:3 And they commanded the people, saying, RWhen 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.
Joshua 3:4 Yet there shall be Ra 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 Theretofore.
Joshua 3:5 And Joshua said unto the people, RSanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do wonders among you.
Joshua 3:6 And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, RTake 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.
Joshua 3:7 And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to Rmagnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.
Joshua 3:8 And thou shalt Rcommand 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.
Joshua 3:9 And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and Rhear the words of the LORD your God.
Joshua 3:10 And Joshua said, RHereby 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.
Joshua 3:11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of Rthe LORD of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan.
Joshua 3:12 Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man.
Joshua 3:13 And it shall come to pass, as soon as Rthe 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.
Joshua 3:14 And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests Rbearing the ark of the covenant before the people;
Joshua 3:15 And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and Rthe 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,)
Joshua 3:16 That the waters which came down from above stood and Rrose 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.
Joshua 3:17 And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD Rstood 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.
📚 Study This Chapter
📖 What We’re Reading
Joshua 3:1–6 — Following the ark
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
Israel camps before crossing Jordan and is instructed to follow the ark while keeping a distance. Joshua calls for sanctification in anticipation of God's work.
Key Truth: The people prepare to follow God's appointed direction.
Check What You Remember
1. By what river did Israel lodge before crossing? (Joshua 3:1)
Find it in Joshua 3:1 (KJV).
2. What was carried by the priests for the people to follow? (Joshua 3:3)
Find it in Joshua 3:3 (KJV).
3. What did Joshua tell the people to do before the LORD's wonders? (Joshua 3:5)
Find it in Joshua 3:5 (KJV).
📖 What We’re Reading
Joshua 3:7–13 — The promised opening of the river
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
The LORD promises to establish Joshua's leadership. Joshua tells Israel that the living God will make a way when the priests' feet reach the waters.
Key Truth: The crossing will attest that the living God is among Israel.
Check What You Remember
1. Whose leadership would the LORD begin to magnify? (Joshua 3:7)
Find it in Joshua 3:7 (KJV).
2. How many men were to be selected from the tribes? (Joshua 3:12)
Find it in Joshua 3:12 (KJV).
3. What would the waters become when they stood together? (Joshua 3:13)
Find it in Joshua 3:13 (KJV).
📖 What We’re Reading
Joshua 3:14–17 — Crossing on dry ground
🌱 What These Verses Teach Us
As the priests enter the overflowing Jordan, the water is stopped upstream. The priests stand firm while the whole nation crosses on dry ground.
Key Truth: God makes a passage through an obstacle Israel could not remove.
Check What You Remember
1. At what season did Jordan overflow its banks? (Joshua 3:15)
Find it in Joshua 3:15 (KJV).
2. What town is named where the waters stood in a heap? (Joshua 3:16)
Find it in Joshua 3:16 (KJV).
3. On what kind of ground did the people cross? (Joshua 3:17)
Find it in Joshua 3:17 (KJV).
Related Scripture (KJV)
Exodus 14:21 — Compare the Jordan crossing with the earlier passage through the sea.
This related passage is selected for its connection with this chapter. It is separate from the chapter text.
Reflect and Apply
Which truth from this chapter do you want to remember? What question or related Scripture would you like to explore next? You can keep these thoughts in your private Notes below.
Advanced Questions and Answers
Study this chapter’s wording, patterns, contrasts, and meaning in greater depth.
1. Why must the people keep their distance from the ark?
2. What does the crossing demonstrate about Joshua’s leadership?
3. How does Joshua interpret the coming sign of the waters?
4. What happens when the priests’ feet reach the water?
5. How long do the priests remain in the riverbed?
Notes
Write what you want to remember, questions to explore, or Scriptures to look up later. Your saved notes are private to your account.
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