Joshua
Joshua 3:3–6
3and commanded the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, you are to set out from your positions and follow it. 4But keep a distance of about two thousand cubitsb between yourselves and the ark. Do not go near it, so that you can see the way to go, since you have never traveled this way before.”
5Then Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.” 6And he said to the priests, “Take the ark of the covenant and go on ahead of the people.” So they carried the ark of the covenant and went ahead of them.
Footnotes
- b 3:4 2,000 cubits is approximately 3,000 feet or 914.4 meters.
Word by word
Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.
Joshua 3:3
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| and commanded | וַיְצַוּוּ֮ | way·ṣaw·wū | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | H6680 lay charge (upon), give charge (to), charge, command, order |
| the people | הָעָ֣ם | hā·‘ām | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H5971 people |
| When you see | כִּרְאֽוֹתְכֶ֗ם | kir·’ō·wṯ·ḵem | Preposition-k; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; second person masculine plural | H7200 see |
| the ark | אֲר֤וֹן | ’ă·rō·wn | Noun - common singular construct | H727 chest, ark |
| of the covenant | בְּרִית־ | bə·rîṯ- | Noun - feminine singular construct | H1285 covenant |
| of the LORD | יְהוָה֙ | Yah·weh | Noun - proper - masculine singular | H3068 Yahweh |
| your God | אֱלֹ֣הֵיכֶ֔ם | ’ĕ·lō·hê·ḵem | Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine plural | H430 God |
| being carried | נֹשְׂאִ֖ים | nō·śə·’îm | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural | H5375 lift, take, carry |
| by the Levitical | הַלְוִיִּ֔ם | hal·wî·yim | Article; Noun - proper - masculine plural | H3881 Levite |
| priests | וְהַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ | wə·hak·kō·hă·nîm | Conjunctive waw, Article; Noun - masculine plural | H3548 priest |
| you | וְאַתֶּ֗ם | wə·’at·tem | Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - second person masculine plural | H859 thou |
| are to set out | תִּסְעוּ֙ | tis·‘ū | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural | H5265 pull out or up, set out, journey |
| from your positions | מִמְּק֣וֹמְכֶ֔ם | mim·mə·qō·wm·ḵem | Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine plural | H4725 standing, spot, condition |
| and follow | וַהֲלַכְתֶּ֖ם | wa·hă·laḵ·tem | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural | H1980 go, come, walk |
| it | אַחֲרָֽיו׃ | ’a·ḥă·rāw | Preposition; third person masculine singular | H310 behind |
Joshua 3:4
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| But | אַ֣ךְ׀ | ’aḵ | Adverb | H389 surely |
| keep a distance | רָח֣וֹק | rā·ḥō·wq | Adjective - masculine singular | H7350 distant, far |
| of about two thousand | כְּאַלְפַּ֥יִם | kə·’al·pa·yim | Preposition-k; Number - md | H505 thousand |
| cubits | אַמָּ֖ה | ’am·māh | Noun - feminine singular | H520 ell, cubit |
| between yourselves | בֵּֽינֵיכֶם֙ | bê·nê·ḵem | Preposition; second person masculine plural | H996 interval, space between |
| and the ark | וּבֵינוֹ | ū·ḇē·nō | Conjunctive waw; Preposition; third person masculine singular | H996 interval, space between |
| Do not | אַֽל־ | ’al- | Adverb | H408 prohibition, do not . . ., let not . . . |
| go near it | תִּקְרְב֣וּ | tiq·rə·ḇū | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural | H7126 come near, approach |
| so that | לְמַ֤עַן | lə·ma·‘an | Conjunction | H4616 purpose, intent |
| you can see | תֵּֽדְעוּ֙ | tê·ḏə·‘ū | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural | H3045 know |
| the way | הַדֶּ֙רֶךְ֙ | had·de·reḵ | Article; Noun - common singular | H1870 way, road, distance, journey, manner |
| to go | תֵּֽלְכוּ־ | tê·lə·ḵū- | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural | H1980 go, come, walk |
| since | כִּ֣י | kî | Conjunction | H3588 burning, branding |
| you have never | לֹ֧א | lō | Adverb - Negative particle | H3808 not |
| traveled | עֲבַרְתֶּ֛ם | ‘ă·ḇar·tem | Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine plural | H5674 pass over, through, by, pass on |
| this way | בַּדֶּ֖רֶךְ | bad·de·reḵ | Preposition-b, Article; Noun - common singular | H1870 way, road, distance, journey, manner |
| before | מִתְּמ֥וֹל | mit·tə·mō·wl | Preposition-m; Adverb | H8543 yesterday |
Joshua 3:5
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Then Joshua | יְהוֹשֻׁ֛עַ | yə·hō·wō·šu·a‘ | Noun - proper - masculine singular | H3091 Jehoshua |
| told | וַיֹּ֧אמֶר | way·yō·mer | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | H559 utter, say |
| the people | הָעָ֖ם | hā·‘ām | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H5971 people |
| Consecrate yourselves | הִתְקַדָּ֑שׁוּ | hiṯ·qad·dā·šū | Verb - Hitpael - Imperative - masculine plural | H6942 be set apart, consecrated |
| for | כִּ֣י | kî | Conjunction | H3588 burning, branding |
| tomorrow | מָחָ֗ר | mā·ḥār | Adverb | H4279 tomorrow, in time to come |
| the LORD | יְהוָ֛ה | Yah·weh | Noun - proper - masculine singular | H3068 Yahweh |
| will do | יַעֲשֶׂ֧ה | ya·‘ă·śeh | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | H6213 do, make |
| wonders | נִפְלָאֽוֹת׃ | nip̄·lā·’ō·wṯ | Verb - Nifal - Participle - feminine plural | H6381 be surpassing, extraordinary |
| among you | בְּקִרְבְּכֶ֖ם | bə·qir·bə·ḵem | Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine plural | H7130 inward part, midst |
Joshua 3:6
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| And | יְהוֹשֻׁ֙עַ֙ | yə·hō·wō·šu·a‘ | Noun - proper - masculine singular | H3091 Jehoshua |
| said | וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | way·yō·mer | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | H559 utter, say |
| to | אֶל־ | ’el- | Preposition | H413 motion to |
| the priests | הַכֹּהֲנִ֣ים | hak·kō·hă·nîm | Article; Noun - masculine plural | H3548 priest |
| Take | שְׂאוּ֙ | śə·’ū | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural | H5375 lift, take, carry |
| the ark | אֲר֣וֹן | ’ă·rō·wn | Noun - common singular construct | H727 chest, ark |
| of the covenant | הַבְּרִ֔ית | hab·bə·rîṯ | Article; Noun - feminine singular | H1285 covenant |
| and go on | וְעִבְר֖וּ | wə·‘iḇ·rū | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural | H5674 pass over, through, by, pass on |
| ahead of | לִפְנֵ֣י | lip̄·nê | Preposition-l; Noun - common plural construct | H6440 face, before |
| the people | הָעָ֑ם | hā·‘ām | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H5971 people |
| So they carried | וַיִּשְׂאוּ֙ | way·yiś·’ū | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | H5375 lift, take, carry |
| the ark | אֲר֣וֹן | ’ă·rō·wn | Noun - common singular construct | H727 chest, ark |
| of the covenant | הַבְּרִ֔ית | hab·bə·rîṯ | Article; Noun - feminine singular | H1285 covenant |
| and went | וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ | way·yê·lə·ḵū | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | H1980 go, come, walk |
| ahead | לִפְנֵ֥י | lip̄·nê | Preposition-l; Noun - common plural construct | H6440 face, before |
| of them | הָעָֽם׃ס | hā·‘ām | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H5971 people |
Cross-references
Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.
Joshua 3:3 Deuteronomy 31:9 · 2 Samuel 6:13 · Exodus 13:21–22 · Numbers 10:33 · Deuteronomy 31:25 · Joshua 3:8
Joshua 3:4 Psalm 89:7
Joshua 3:5 Joshua 7:13 · Leviticus 20:7 · Joel 2:16 · 1 Samuel 16:5 · John 17:19 · Exodus 19:10–15 · Leviticus 10:3 · Psalm 86:10 · Job 1:5 · Joshua 3:13
Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.
Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.