Joshua 3:5

 

And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do wonders among you.

 

a. NLT: Then Joshua told the people, “Purify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do great wonders among you.”

 

b. NIV: Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you.”

 

c. YLT: And Joshua saith unto the people, 'Sanctify yourselves, for to-morrow doth Jehovah do in your midst wonders.'

 

d. Amplified Bible Classic: And Joshua said to the people, Sanctify yourselves [that is, separate yourselves for a special holy purpose], for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.

 

e. Septuagint: And Joshua said to the people, Sanctify yourselves against to-morrow, for to-morrow the Lord will do wonders among you.

 

f. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: Joshua said to the people, “Prepare yourselves, for tomorrow HASHEM will do wonders in your midst.”

 

1. “And Joshua said unto the people…”

 

a. Joshua [Strong: 3091 * Yhowshuwa` yeh-ho-shoo'-ah or Yhowshua {yeh-ho-shoo'-ah}; from 3068 and 3467; Jehovah-saved; Jehoshua (i.e. Joshua), the Jewish leader:--Jehoshua, Jehoshuah, Joshua.]

 

b. said [Strong: 559 * 'amar aw-mar' a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech), utter, X verily, X yet.]

 

c. unto [Strong: 413 * 'el ale (but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el}); a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).]

 

d. the people [Strong: 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.]

 

2. “…Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do wonders among you.”

 

a. Sanctify yourselves [Strong: 6942 * qadash kaw-dash' a primitive root; to be (causatively, make, pronounce or observe as) clean (ceremonially or morally):--appoint, bid, consecrate, dedicate, defile, hallow, (be, keep) holy(-er, place), keep, prepare, proclaim, purify, sanctify(-ied one, self), X wholly.]

 

1). Perhaps similar to the command Moses gave when they arrived at Mount Sinai.

 

a). Exodus 19:10-15 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,

19:11 And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.

19:12 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death:

19:13 There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.

19:14 And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.

19:15 And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.

 

2). Adam Clark’s Commentary: They were to wash themselves and their garments, and abstain from every thing that might indispose their minds from a profitable attention to the miracle about to be wrought in their behalf.

 

3). Family Bible Notes: Sanctification of body and spirit is a preparation for seeing the glory of God, and experiencing the manifestations of his power and grace.

 

4). It is God who does the work but we must cooperate in obedience.

 

a). 1 Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

b. for [Strong: ki from 3588 * kiy kee a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed:--and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-)as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al- )though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.]

 

c. tomorrow [Strong: 4279 * machar maw-khar' probably from 309; properly, deferred, i.e. the morrow; usually (adverbially) tomorrow; indefinitely, hereafter:--time to come, tomorrow.]

 

d. the LORD [Strong: 3068 * Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw' from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord.]

 

e. will do [Strong: 6213 * `asah aw-saw' a primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application (as follows):--accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, X certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, + displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, + feast, (fight-)ing man, + finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, grant, great, + hinder, hold ((a feast)), X indeed, + be industrious, + journey, keep, labour, maintain, make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, + officer, pare, bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure, provide, put, requite, X sacrifice, serve, set, shew, X sin, spend, X surely, take, X thoroughly, trim, X very, + vex, be (warr-)ior, work(-man), yield, use.]

 

f. wonders [Strong: 6381 * pala' paw-law' a primitive root; properly, perhaps to separate, i.e. distinguish (literally or figuratively); by implication, to be (causatively, make) great, difficult, wonderful:--accomplish, (arise...too, be too) hard, hidden, things too high, (be, do, do a, shew) marvelous(-ly, -els, things, work), miracles, perform, separate, make singular, (be, great, make) wonderful(-ers, -ly, things, works), wondrous (things, works, -ly).]

 

g. among you [Strong: 7130 * qereb keh'-reb from 7126; properly, the nearest part, i.e. the center, whether literal, figurative or adverbial (especially with preposition):--X among, X before, bowels, X unto charge, + eat (up), X heart, X him, X in, inward (X -ly, part, -s, thought), midst, + out of, purtenance, X therein, X through, X within self.]

 

1). The crossing of the Jordan river as we shall see was not a lesser miracle than the parting of the Red Sea. The effect on the surrounding nations was astounding.

 

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.