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Joshua 4:18

When the priests who bore the ark of Yahweh’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.

World English Bible · Public Domain

Parallel Translations

  • WEB World English Bible

    When the priests who bore the ark of Yahweh’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.

  • KJV King James Version

    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.

  • JPS JPS Tanakh (1917)

    And it came to pass, as the priests that bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up out of the midst of the Jordan, as soon as the soles of the priests' feet were drawn up unto the dry ground, that the waters of the Jordan returned unto their place, and went over all its banks, as aforetime.

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Cross-references (5)

Passages linked to Joshua 4:18 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.

  • Joshua 3:15 and when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark had dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks all the time of harvest),
  • Exodus 14:26-28 Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come again on the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.” Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it. Yahweh overthrew the Egyptians in the middle of the sea. The waters returned, and covered the chariots and the horsemen, even all Pharaoh’s army that went in after them into the sea. There remained not so much as one of them.
  • Joshua 3:13 It shall be that when the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of Yahweh, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan will be cut off. The waters that come down from above shall stand in one heap.”
  • 1 Chronicles 12:15 These are those who went over the Jordan in the first month, when it had overflowed all its banks; and they put to flight all who lived in the valleys, both toward the east and toward the west.
  • Isaiah 8:8 It will sweep onward into Judah. It will overflow and pass through. It will reach even to the neck. The stretching out of its wings will fill the width of your land, Immanuel.

Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)

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Explain this verse (11 sources)

Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.

John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Jos 4:18 And it came to pass, when the…

Jos 4:18 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.

Ver. 18. And it came to pass, when the priests, &c.] Not till then: as till Methuselah was deceased, the flood could not come; till Lot was housed in Zoar, Sodom could not be overthrown, &c. "He that walketh uprightly, walketh safely."

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And flowed over.] Heb., Went, sc, leisurely, and by degrees, according to God’s disposal and appointment.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain The waters came down from their heaps, and returned…
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And it came to pass, when the priests that…
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Their place - Returned into their proper channel, according…
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 18. The waters of Jordan returned unto their…
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Jos 4:18. The waters of Jordan returned — They…
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain it came to pass, when the priests that bare…
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 18. The soles of the priests’ feet were lifted…
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 18. the waters of Jordan returned] Thus the history…
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain When the priests ... were come up. There is…
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 4:18 After Israel crossed the river, the Jordan overflowed…

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