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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comKeil and Delitzsch Commentary - Joshua 3:11 - 3:11
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After this inspiriting promise, Joshua informed the people what the Lord intended to do first: “Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of the whole earth will go before you into Jordan.” כָּל־הָאָרֶץ 'adown is a genitive dependent upon הַבְרִית אֲרֹון, the strict subordination of the construct state being loosened in this case by the article before the nomen regens. The punctuators have therefore separated it from the latter by sakeph-katon, without thereby explaining it as in opposition or giving any support to the mistaken exposition of Buxtorff and Drusius, that “the ark of the covenant is called the ruler of the whole earth.” The description of Jehovah as “Lord of the whole earth,” which is repeated in Jos 3:13, is very appropriately chosen for the purpose of strengthening confidence in the omnipotence of the Lord. This epithet “exalted the government of God over all the elements of the world, that the Israelites might have no doubt that as seas and rivers are under His control, the waters, although liquid by nature, would become stable at His nod” (Calvin). The expression, “passeth over before you into Jordan,” is more precisely explained in the course of the narrative: the ark of the covenant went (was carried) before the people into the river, and then stood still, as the bulwark of the people, till the passage was completed; so that the word “before” indicates the protection which it would afford.
Jos 3:12-13
“And take to you (i.e., appoint) twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, one for each tribe.” For what purpose is not stated here, but is apparent from what follows (Jos 4:2.). The choice or appointment of these men was necessarily commanded before the crossing commenced, as they were to stand by the side of Joshua, or near the bearers of the ark of the covenant, so as to be at hand to perform the duty to be entrusted to them (Jos 4:3.). Joshua then concludes by foretelling the miracle itself: “It will come to pass, that when the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the Lord shall settle down in the water of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off; namely, the waters flowing down from above, and shall stand still as one heap.” “Shall be cut off,” so as to disappear; namely, at the place where the priests stand with the ark of the covenant. This took place through the waters standing still as a heap, or being heaped up, at some distance above the standing-place. אֶחָד נֵד is an accusative of more precise definition. The expression is taken from the song of Moses (Exo 15:8).