Joshua 4:18
16 “Command the priests who carry the ark of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan.”
17 So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up from the Jordan.”
When the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up out of the Jordan and their feet touched the dry land, the waters of the Jordan returned to their course and overflowed all the banks as before.
19 On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho.
20 And there at Gilgal Joshua set up the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan.
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- When the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up out of the Jordan and their feet touched the dry land, the waters of the Jordan returned to their course and overflowed all the banks as before.
- KJV
- And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD were come up out of the midst of Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as they did before.
- WEB
- When the priests who bore the ark of the LORD’s covenant had come up out of the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet had been lifted up to the dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place, and went over all its banks, as before.
- ASV
- And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of Jehovah were come up out of the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests` feet were lifted up unto the dry ground, that the waters of the Jordan returned unto their place, and went over all its banks, as aforetime.
- DARBY
- And it came to pass when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of Jehovah had come up out of the midst of the Jordan, [when] the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up on to the dry land, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place, and they flowed as previously, over all its banks.
- BLB
- And it came to pass, when had come the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of YHWH from the midst of the Jordan, the soles of the feet of the priests having touched unto the dry land, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed as yesterday and the day before yesterday, over all its banks,
- ÅB
- Da nå prestene som bar Herrens pakts-ark, steg opp av Jordan og hadde satt sine føtter på det tørre land, da vendte Jordans vann tilbake til sitt leie og gikk som før over alle sine bredder.
- OTB
- Det skjedde at da prestene som bar Herrens paktsark kom opp fra midten av Jordan, og føttene deres berørte den tørre bakken, vendte vannet i Jordan tilbake til sitt sted og flommet over sine bredder som før.
- B1930
- Da nu prestene som bar Herrens pakts-ark, steg op av Jordan og hadde satt sine føtter på det tørre land, da vendte Jordans vann tilbake til sitt leie og gikk som før over alle sine bredder.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Joshua 3:15
Now the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest season. But as soon as the priests carrying the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge,
Read in contextJoshua 3:13
When the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD—the Lord of all the earth—touch down in the waters of the Jordan, its flowing waters will be cut off and will stand up in a heap.”
Read in contextIsaiah 8:8
It will pour into Judah, swirling and sweeping over it, reaching up to the neck; its spreading streams will cover your entire land, O Immanuel!
Read in context1 Chronicles 12:15
These are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks, and they put to flight all those in the valleys, both to the east and to the west.
Read in contextExodus 14:26–28
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.”
Read in context