Joshua 3:3 and 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.

◄ Joshua 3:3 ►

New International Version
giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it.

New Living Translation
giving these instructions to the people: “When you see the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD your God, move out from your positions and follow them.

English Standard Version
and commanded the people, “As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it.

Berean Standard Bible
and 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.

King James Bible
And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.

New King James Version
and they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it.

New American Standard Bible
and they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God with the Levitical priests carrying it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it.

NASB 1995
and they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God with the Levitical priests carrying it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it.

NASB 1977
and they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God with the Levitical priests carrying it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it.

Legacy Standard Bible
and they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of the covenant of Yahweh your God with the Levitical priests carrying it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it.

Amplified Bible
and they commanded the people, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from where you are and follow it.

Christian Standard Bible
and commanded the people, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God carried by the Levitical priests, you are to break camp and follow it.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
and commanded the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God carried by the Levitical priests, you must break camp and follow it.

American Standard Version
and they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of Jehovah your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.

English Revised Version
and they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They told the people, "As soon as you see the ark of the promise of the LORD your God and the Levitical priests who carry it, break camp and follow them.

Good News Translation
and told the people, "When you see the priests carrying the Covenant Box of the LORD your God, break camp and follow them.

International Standard Version
giving orders to the people. They said, "When you see the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then get up, leave where you are, and follow it.

Majority Standard Bible
and 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.

NET Bible
and commanded the people: "When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, you must leave here and walk behind it.

New Heart English Bible
and they commanded the people, saying, "When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then you shall move from your place, and follow it.

Webster's Bible Translation
And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.

World English Bible
and they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of Yahweh your God’s covenant, and the Levitical priests bearing it, then leave your place and follow it.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
and command the people, saying, “When you see the Ark of the Covenant of your God YHWH, and the priests, the Levites, carrying it, then you journey from your place, and have gone after it;

Young's Literal Translation
and command the people, saying, 'When ye see the ark of the covenant of Jehovah your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then ye journey from your place, and have gone after it;

Smith's Literal Translation
And they will command the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of Jehovah your God, and the priests the Levites lifting it up, and ye shall remove from your place and go after it.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And began to proclaim: When you shall see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests of the race of Levi carrying it, rise you up also, and follow them as they go before:

Catholic Public Domain Version
and they began to proclaim: “When you will see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests of the stock of Levi carrying it, you also shall rise up and follow those who are going before you.

New American Bible
and issued these commands to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD, your God, which the levitical priests will carry, you must break camp and follow it,

New Revised Standard Version
and commanded the people, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place. Follow it,

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And they commanded the people, saying, When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests and the Levites carrying it, then you must proceed from your place, and go after it.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they commanded the people and they said to them: “When you have seen the ark of the covenant of LORD JEHOVAH your God and the Priests and the Levites who bear it, then pick up from your places and go after it

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
and they commanded the people, saying: 'When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
and they charged the people, saying, When ye shall see the ark of the covenant of the Lord our God, and our priests and the Levites bearing it, ye shall depart from your places, and ye shall go after it.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Crossing the Jordan
…2After three days the officers went through the camp 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 cubits 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.”…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Exodus 13:21-22
And the LORD went before them in a pillar of cloud to guide their way by day, and in a pillar of fire to give them light by night, so that they could travel by day or night. / Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place before the people.

Numbers 10:33-34
So they set out on a three-day journey from the mountain of the LORD, with the ark of the covenant of the LORD traveling ahead of them for those three days to seek a resting place for them. / And the cloud of the LORD was over them by day when they set out from the camp.

Deuteronomy 31:9
So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel.

1 Samuel 4:4
So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the ark of the covenant of the LORD of Hosts, who sits enthroned between the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

2 Samuel 6:2-3
And he and all his troops set out for Baale of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name—the name of the LORD of Hosts, who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on it. / They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart,

1 Chronicles 15:25-28
So David, the elders of Israel, and the commanders of thousands went with rejoicing to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the house of Obed-edom. / And because God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. / Now David was dressed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, as well as the singers and Chenaniah, the director of music for the singers. David also wore a linen ephod. ...

Psalm 132:8
Arise, O LORD, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength.

Isaiah 52:12
For you will not leave in a hurry nor flee in haste, for the LORD goes before you, and the God of Israel is your rear guard.

Jeremiah 3:16-17
“In those days, when you multiply and increase in the land,” declares the LORD, “they will no longer discuss the ark of the covenant of the LORD. It will never come to mind, and no one will remember it or miss it, nor will another one be made. / At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the LORD, and all the nations will be gathered in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD. They will no longer follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.

Hebrews 9:4
containing the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. Inside the ark were the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant.

Revelation 11:19
Then the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple. And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a great hailstorm.

Matthew 24:30-31
At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. / And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Acts 7:44-45
Our fathers had the tabernacle of the Testimony with them in the wilderness. It was constructed exactly as God had directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen. / And our fathers who received it brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations God drove out before them. It remained until the time of David,

Treasury of Scripture

And they commanded the people, saying, When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then you shall remove from your place, and go after it.

When ye see

Joshua 3:11
Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan.

Numbers 10:33
And they departed from the mount of the LORD three days' journey: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them in the three days' journey, to search out a resting place for them.

the priests

Joshua 3:6,8,14-17
And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people…

Joshua 4:10
For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until every thing was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua: and the people hasted and passed over.

Joshua 6:6
And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD.

ye shall remove

Exodus 13:21,22
And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: …

Matthew 8:19
And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

Matthew 16:24
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

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Joshua 3

1. Joshua come to Jordan
2. The officers instruct the people for their passage
7. The Lord encourages Joshua
9. Joshua encourages the people
14. The water of Jordan are divided

Berean Study Bible

and commanded the people
This phrase indicates a direct order given to the Israelites, emphasizing the importance of obedience to divine instruction. The Hebrew root for "commanded" is "צָוָה" (tsavah), which conveys a sense of authoritative direction. In the context of the Israelites' journey, this command underscores the necessity of following God's guidance through His appointed leaders. Historically, the Israelites were a people accustomed to receiving and following commands from God through Moses, and now Joshua, as they navigated their covenant relationship with Him.

When you see the ark of the covenant
The "ark of the covenant" is central to Israel's worship and identity, representing God's presence among His people. The Hebrew word for "ark" is "אֲרוֹן" (aron), which means a chest or box, but in this context, it is a sacred object containing the tablets of the Law. The ark's presence signifies God's guidance and faithfulness to His promises. Archaeologically, while the exact appearance of the ark is not known, it is described in Exodus as being overlaid with gold and having cherubim on its cover, symbolizing the divine throne.

of the LORD your God
This phrase emphasizes the personal relationship between the Israelites and Yahweh, their covenant God. The use of "LORD" in all caps in English translations represents the tetragrammaton "יהוה" (YHWH), the sacred and personal name of God. This name is a reminder of God's eternal presence and His covenantal faithfulness. The phrase "your God" personalizes this relationship, reminding the Israelites that Yahweh is not a distant deity but their personal God who has chosen them as His people.

and the Levitical priests carrying it
The Levitical priests were set apart for the service of the tabernacle and later the temple. The Hebrew root for "priest" is "כֹּהֵן" (kohen), indicating one who mediates between God and the people. The priests carrying the ark signifies the holiness and reverence required in approaching God. Historically, the Levites were chosen from the tribe of Levi, and their role was crucial in maintaining the spiritual life of Israel. Their carrying of the ark highlights the sacredness of the task and the need for purity and dedication in service to God.

you are to set out from your positions and follow it
This instruction to "set out" and "follow" the ark is a call to action and faith. The Hebrew word for "set out" is "נָסַע" (nasa), meaning to pull up or journey, indicating movement and transition. The Israelites are being called to leave their current place and follow the ark, symbolizing God's leading. This act of following the ark is an act of trust, as they are stepping into the unknown, relying on God's presence to guide them. Scripturally, this mirrors the call to discipleship, where believers are called to follow God's leading, trusting in His provision and direction.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 3. - And they commanded the people, saying. These words are interesting as showing that all was orderly in the Israel-irish camp. Everything was carried on according to the strictest rules of military discipline. The removal of the ark was to be the signal for the advance of the whole host. The ark of the covenant. We may with advantage compare the religious use of the ark here and in ch. 6, with its superstitious use in 1 Samuel 4:3, 4. We do not read that when the Israelites were defeated at Ai, Joshua took the ark with him in a march to repair the disaster. Such a misuse of the symbol of God's Presence was only possible in days when faith had grown cold. When the Israelites had need of supernatural guidance, when they were placed in circumstances where no use of their own unaided powers could guide them, then they must repair to the ark of God. There they must seek counsel, this they must set before them to guide their ways. But to regard it as a charm which could possibly atone for their want of faith and their lack of obedience, was to profane it. Such temptations as these Jesus Christ resisted in the wilderness; such temptations Christians must resist now. We have no right to seek for supernatural aids where natural ones will suffice us - no right to invoke the special intervention of God till we have exhausted all the means He has placed at our disposal. Above all, we have no right to expect Him to save us from the consequences of our own sin and disobedience except on His own condition, that we shall truly repent. We may further remark that the Pillar of the Cloud and the fire, like the manna, had ceased, and even the ark of the covenant only preceded the Israelites on special occasions. The priests the Levites. This phrase has given rise to some discussion. Some editions of the LXX., as well as some Hebrew MSS., read, "the priests and the Levites." The Chaldee and Syriac versions have the same reading. The Vulgate - more correctly, as it would seem - renders "sacerdotes stirpis Levitiae," i.e., "the priests who are of the tribe of Levi" (see Joshua 8:33, Numbers 4:18, and Deuteronomy 31:9). Keil's explanation that this expression must be taken in opposition to non-Levitical and, therefore, unlawful priests, seems hardly satisfactory. It is not till much later - in fact, till the time of Jeroboam - that we hear of unlawful priests. It is more probable that it is intended to emphasise the position of Levi as the sacerdotal tribe, the one tribe which had no share in the operations of the war. So Rabbi Solomon Jarchi explains it, citing the B'reshith Babbah, which states that the phrase is found in forty-five places in the Bible, with the meaning that the priests are of the tribe of Levi.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

and commanded
וַיְצַוּוּ֮ (way·ṣaw·wū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 6680: To lay charge (upon), give charge (to), command, order

the people:
הָעָ֣ם (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

“When you see
כִּרְאֽוֹתְכֶ֗ם (kir·’ō·wṯ·ḵem)
Preposition-k | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 7200: To see

the ark
אֲר֤וֹן (’ă·rō·wn)
Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 727: A chest, ark

of the covenant
בְּרִית־ (bə·rîṯ-)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 1285: A covenant

of the LORD
יְהוָה֙ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

your God
אֱלֹ֣הֵיכֶ֔ם (’ĕ·lō·hê·ḵem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

being carried
נֹשְׂאִ֖ים (nō·śə·’îm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take

by the Levitical
הַלְוִיִּ֔ם (hal·wî·yim)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 3881: Levites -- descendant of Levi

priests,
וְהַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ (wə·hak·kō·hă·nîm)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3548: Priest

you
וְאַתֶּ֗ם (wə·’at·tem)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - second person masculine plural
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

are to set out
תִּסְעוּ֙ (tis·‘ū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 5265: To pull up, the tent-pins, start on a, journey

from your positions
מִמְּק֣וֹמְכֶ֔ם (mim·mə·qō·wm·ḵem)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 4725: A standing, a spot, a condition

and follow
וַהֲלַכְתֶּ֖ם (wa·hă·laḵ·tem)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

it.
אַחֲרָֽיו׃ (’a·ḥă·rāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 310: The hind or following part

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OT History: Joshua 3:3 And they commanded the people saying When (Josh. Jos)