Joshua 3:14 Made Simple

KJV ORIGINAL

And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people;

Close to the original. Clear modern English.

✦ MADE SIMPLE

So when the people broke camp and left their tents to cross the Jordan River, the priests carried the ark of the covenant ahead of them, leading the way.

⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE

This verse describes the moment when the Israelites began their historic crossing of the Jordan River, with the priests carrying God's sacred ark leading them forward.

📚 Historical Context

This occurred around 1400 BC as the Israelites were finally entering the Promised Land after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. The Jordan River was at flood stage, making it impossible to cross naturally, but God had promised to part the waters just as He had done with the Red Sea a generation earlier. The ark of the covenant, containing the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments, represented God's presence among His people.

Explore Similar Verses

2 Chronicles 5:5

They carried up the ark of the covenant, along with the tent of meeting and all the sacred items that were inside the tent. The priests and Levites were the ones who carried all these things up.

2 Chronicles 5:7

The priests carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its designated place in the temple—into the inner sanctuary, the most holy place, positioning it under the wings of the cherubim.

2 Chronicles 23:1

In the seventh year, Jehoiada gathered his courage and made an agreement with five military commanders: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zichri.

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