What Does Joshua 3:17 Mean?
And the priests who lifted the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood steady on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had finished crossing over Jordan.
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.THE KEY
The crossing stays open until the entire people have passed through.
THE MEANING
The verse holds two movements together: the priests stand in the river, and the people keep crossing until everyone is across. The path is walkable in the middle of what would otherwise stop them.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that a visible obstacle means no passage is possible: the way opens within the river, and remains open until the crossing is complete.
THE ROOT
עֹבְרִים
ʿovrīm
GROWS FROM
עבר
ʿ-b-r
to cross over, pass through
“crossed over” in this verse is ʿovrīm. The same root describes the people as they are crossing and the crossing they finish. It ties the ongoing movement to its completion: the passage holds until the whole people are through.
ALSO GROWS
ʿēver: beyond, across; the far side
עֵבֶר
The crossing carries people from one side to another, so the root also names what lies beyond.
maʿavār: passage, crossing, or ford
מַעֲבָר
The passage itself grows from the same root as the act of passing through.
וַיַּעַמְדוּ
wayyaʿamdû
GROWS FROM
עמד
ʿ-m-d
to stand, take a position
“stood steady” in this verse is wayyaʿamdû. The priests’ standing is the still point in the scene while the people move. A related word for a pillar comes from this same root: their position holds as the crossing continues.
ALSO GROWS
ʿōmēd: one who stands; standing
עֹמֵד
It names the continuing posture at the center of the river.
ʿammûd: pillar, column
עַמּוּד
The pillar is a standing form of the same root, echoing how the priests’ fixed position marks the passage.
THE PATTERN
A way through threatening waters becomes walkable and stays open until the people have crossed.
And the children of Israel came into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them, on their right hand and on their left.He overturns the sea into dry land; they pass through the flood on foot; there we rejoice in him.Now, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all of them passed through the sea.THE THREAD
When you cross through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not kindle upon you.Joshua and Isaiah use the same Hebrew root, עבר (ʿ-b-r), meaning to cross over or pass through. Joshua names a whole people crossing the Jordan; Isaiah speaks of the reader passing through waters without being swallowed by them.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us