Joshua 3:16

 

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.

 

a. NLT: the water above that point began backing up a great distance away at a town called Adam, which is near Zarethan. And the water below that point flowed on to the Dead Sea[fn] until the riverbed was dry. Then all the people crossed over near the town of Jericho.

 

b. NIV: the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.

 

c. YLT: that the waters stand; those coming down from above have risen -- one heap, very far above Adam the city, which is at the side of Zaretan; and those going down by the sea of the plain, the Salt Sea, have been completely cut off; and the people have passed through over-against Jericho;

 

d. Amplified Bible Classic: Then the waters which came down from above stood and rose up in a heap far off, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt [Dead] Sea, were wholly cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho.

 

e. Septuagint: then the waters that came down from above stopped; there stood one solid heap very far off, as far as the region of Kariathiarim, and the lower part came down to the sea of Araba, the salt sea, till it completely failed; and the people stood opposite Jericho.

 

f. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: The waters descending from upstream stood still and they rose up in one column, very far from Adom, the city that is near Zarethan; and [the water] that descends to the sea of the plain, the Dead sea, ceased, and was cut off; and the people crossed opposite Jericho.

 

1. “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…”

 

a. the waters [Strong: 4325 * mayim mah'-yim dual of a primitive noun (but used in a singular sense); water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen:--+ piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).]

 

b. which came down [Strong: 3381 * yarad yaw-rad' a primitive root; to descend (literally, to go downwards; or conventionally to a lower region, as the shore, a boundary, the enemy, etc.; or figuratively, to fall); causatively, to bring down (in all the above applications); -X abundantly, bring down, carry down, cast down, (cause to) come(-ing) down, fall (down), get down, go(-ing) down(-ward), hang down, X indeed, let down, light (down), put down (off), (cause to, let) run down, sink, subdue, take down.]

 

c. from above [Strong: 4605 * ma`al mah'al from 5927; properly, the upper part, used only adverbially with prefix upward, above, overhead, from the top, etc.:-- above, exceeding(-ly), forward, on (X very) high, over, up(-on, -ward), very.]

 

d. stood [Strong: 5975 * `amad aw-mad' 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, + 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.]

 

e. and rose up [Strong: 6965 * quwm koom a primitive root; to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative):--abide, accomplish, X be clearer, confirm, continue, decree, X be dim, endure, X enemy, enjoin, get up, make good, help, hold, (help to) lift up (again), make, X but newly, ordain, perform, pitch, raise (up), rear (up), remain, (a-)rise (up) (again, against), rouse up, set (up), (e-)stablish, (make to) stand (up), stir up, strengthen, succeed, (as-, make) sure(-ly), (be) up(-hold, - rising).]

 

f. on a [Strong: 259 * 'echad ekh-awd' a numeral from 258; properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first:--a, alike, alone, altogether, and, any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-)ly, each (one), + eleven, every, few, first, + highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together,]

 

g. heap [Strong: 5067 * ned nade from 5110 in the sense of piling up; a mound, i.e. wave:--heap.]

 

1). This word is only used 6 times in the Old Testament, in 4 of those instances it is used to describe the miraculous crossings of the Red Sea and the Jordan River.

 

a). Exodus 15:8  And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.

 

b). Joshua 3:13 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.

 

c). Joshua 3:16

 

d). Psalm 78:13 He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap.

 

2). In the case of the Red Sea the “heap” is describing two walls of water that the Israelites walked through. In the case of the Jordan River crossing there was only one wall of water that began 25 miles upstream at the city of Adam. It is for this reason that the leaders of all the surrounding nations in Canaan lost all their courage. What a demonstration of support by God for the nation of Israel against their enemies. Who could stand against this amount of supernatural power? It was obvious to all that Israel’s God was the one true God!

 

a). Joshua 5:1 And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel.

 

h. very [Strong: 3966 * m`od meh-ode' from the same as 181; properly, vehemence, i.e. (with or without preposition) vehemently; by implication, wholly, speedily, etc. (often with other words as an intensive or superlative; especially when repeated):--diligently, especially, exceeding(-ly), far, fast, good, great(-ly), X louder and louder, might(-ily, -y), (so) much, quickly, (so) sore, utterly, very (+ much, sore), well.]

 

i. far [Strong: 7368 * rachaq raw-khak' a primitive root; to widen (in any direction), i.e. (intransitively) recede or (transitively) remove (literally or figuratively, of place or relation):--(a-, be, cast, drive, get, go, keep (self), put, remove, be too, (wander), withdraw) far (away, off), loose, X refrain, very, (be) a good way (off).]

 

j. from the city [Strong: 5892 * `iyr eer or (in the plural) par {awr}; or ayar (Judges 10:4) {aw-yar'}; from 5782 a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post):--Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.]

 

k. Adam [Strong: 121 * 'Adam aw-dawm' the same as 120; Adam the name of the first man, also of a place in Palestine:--Adam.]

 

l. that [Strong: 834 * 'aher ash-er' a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number); who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.:--X after, X alike, as (soon as), because, X every, for, + forasmuch, + from whence, + how(-soever), X if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), X though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where (+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, + whither(- soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun expletively, used to show the connection.]

 

m. is beside [Strong: 6654 * tsad tsad contr. from an unused root meaning to sidle off; a side; figuratively, an adversary:--(be-)side.]

 

n. Zaretan [Strong: 6891 * Tsarthan tsaw-reth-awn' perhaps for 6868; Tsarethan, a place in Palestine:--Zarthan.]

 

1). Gordon Lindsay: Here is a most important point. An act of faith took place before the waters parted. Sick persons often say that when the Lord heals them, they will get up and walk. But faith is a act. Jesus said, “Take up thy bed and walk.” When the act was attempted, the man was healed. The River Jordan did not part while the priests stood beside the water. It did only after their feet touched it.

 

2). Note in Amplified Bible: The city of Adam has been placed 16 miles up the river from Jericho, and it seems probable that a stretch of 20 or 30 miles of the riverbed was left dry.

 

3). Most scholars put the city of Adam over 15 miles up river, which means the river was not just parted, the entire river bed from over twenty miles was dry, from the city of Adam all the way to the Dead Sea.

 

2. “…and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off…”

 

a. and those that came down [Strong: 3381 * yarad yaw-rad' a primitive root; to descend (literally, to go downwards; or conventionally to a lower region, as the shore, a boundary, the enemy, etc.; or figuratively, to fall); causatively, to bring down (in all the above applications); -X abundantly, bring down, carry down, cast down, (cause to) come(-ing) down, fall (down), get down, go(-ing) down(-ward), hang down, X indeed, let down, light (down), put down (off), (cause to, let) run down, sink, subdue, take down.]

 

b. toward [Strong: 5921 * `al al properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications (as follow):--above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, X with.]

 

c. the sea [Strong: 3320 * yam yawm from an unused root meaning to roar; a sea (as breaking in noisy surf) or large body of water; specifically (with the article), the Mediterranean Sea; sometimes a large river, or an artifical basin; locally, the west, or (rarely) the south:--sea (X -faring man, (-shore)), south, west (-ern, side, -ward).]

 

d. of the plain [Strong: 6160 * `arabah ar-aw-baw' from 6150 (in the sense of sterility); a desert; especially (with the article prefix) the (generally) sterile valley of the Jordan and its continuation to the Red Sea:--Arabah, champaign, desert, evening, heaven, plain, wilderness.]

 

e. even the Salt [Strong: 4417 * melach meh'-lakh from 4414; properly, powder, i.e. (specifically) salt (as easily pulverized and dissolved:--salt((-pit)).]

 

f. sea [Strong: 3320 * yam yawm from an unused root meaning to roar; a sea (as breaking in noisy surf) or large body of water; specifically (with the article), the Mediterranean Sea; sometimes a large river, or an artifical basin; locally, the west, or (rarely) the south:--sea (X -faring man, (-shore)), south, west (-ern, side, -ward).]

 

g. failed [Strong: 8552 * tamam taw-mam' a primitive root; to complete, in a good or a bad sense, literal, or figurative, transitive or intransitive (as follows):--accomplish, cease, be clean (pass-)ed, consume, have done, (come to an, have an, make an) end, fail, come to the full, be all gone, X be all here, be (make) perfect, be spent, sum, be (shew self) upright, be wasted, whole.]

 

h. and were cut off [Strong: 3772 * karath kaw-rath' a primitive root; to cut (off, down or asunder); by implication, to destroy or consume; specifically, to covenant (i.e. make an alliance or bargain, originally by cutting flesh and passing between the pieces):--be chewed, be con-(feder-)ate, covenant, cut (down, off), destroy, fail, feller, be freed, hew (down), make a league ((covenant)), X lose, perish, X utterly, X want.]

 

3. “…and the people passed over right against Jericho.”

 

a. and the people [5971 * `am am from 6004; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock:--folk, men, nation, people.]

 

b. passed over [Strong: 5674 * `abar aw-bar' a primitive root; to cross over; used very widely of any transition (literal or figurative; transitive, intransitive, intensive, causative); specifically, to cover (in copulation):--alienate, alter, X at all, beyond, bring (over, through), carry over, (over-)come (on, over), conduct (over), convey over, current, deliver, do away, enter, escape, fail, gender, get over, (make) go (away, beyond, by, forth, his way, in, on, over, through), have away (more), lay, meddle, overrun, make partition, (cause to, give, make to, over) pass(-age, along, away, beyond, by, -enger, on, out, over, through), (cause to, make) + proclaim(-amation), perish, provoke to anger, put away, rage, + raiser of taxes, remove, send over, set apart, + shave, cause to (make) sound, X speedily, X sweet smelling, take (away), (make to) transgress(-or), translate, turn away, (way-)faring man, be wrath.]

 

c. right against [Strong: 5048 * neged neh'-ghed from 5046; a front, i.e. part opposite; specifically a counterpart, or mate; usually (adverbial, especially with preposition) over against or before:--about, (over) against, X aloof, X far (off), X from, over, presence, X other side, sight, X to view.]

 

d. Jericho [Strong: 3405 * Yriychow yer-ee-kho' or Yrechow {yer-ay-kho'}; or variation (1Kings 16:34) Yriychoh {yer-ee-kho'}; perhaps from 3394; its month; or else from 7306 ; fragrant; Jericho or Jerecho, a place in Palestine:--Jericho.]

 

1). As we saw previously this miracle was different than the parting of the Red Sea in that the Red Sea was parted completely before they even began to walk through it (Exodus 14:21, 22). In the case of the Jordan river though, it was not that way. What we see is the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant toward a river overflowing its banks and the current is not slow. Every river I have seen that was flooded was moving a whole lot faster than when it is not flooded. As the priests get 25 feet to the river nothing changes, 20, 15 ten and nothing changes. They are 5 feet from the river and nothing changes. It was not parted until the soles of the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark hit the water. Saints, that took faith, it took faith for Joshua who received the direct word from God, and it took faith for the priests carrying the Ark. Nothing happened until they obeyed God.

 

2). There was no water in the Jordan River from the city of Adam to the Dead Sea a distance of about 25 miles

 

3). An interesting element about the location of the crossing of the Jordan River is it’s the same place that Elijah and Elisha crossed before Elijah was taken up in the fiery chariot and where of course Elisha crossed going back. You will notice both partings, Elijah’s and Elisha’s both took place at Jericho, the Jordan river being about seven miles away. I personally believe it was at the very same spot where Israel crossed the Jordan over 5 centuries earlier.

 

a). 2 Kings 2:1-14 And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

2:2 And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.

2:3 And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.

2:4 And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.

2:5 And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day?  And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.

2:6 And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.

2:7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.

2:8 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.

2:9 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.

2:10 And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.

2:11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

2:12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.

2:13 He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;

2:14 And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where  is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.