Joshua 3:2
New International Version
After three days the officers went throughout the camp,

New Living Translation
Three days later the Israelite officers went through the camp,

English Standard Version
At the end of three days the officers went through the camp

Berean Standard Bible
After three days the officers went through the camp

King James Bible
And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host;

New King James Version
So it was, after three days, that the officers went through the camp;

New American Standard Bible
Then at the end of three days the officers went through the midst of the camp;

NASB 1995
At the end of three days the officers went through the midst of the camp;

NASB 1977
And it came about at the end of three days that the officers went through the midst of the camp;

Legacy Standard Bible
Now it happened that at the end of three days the officers went through the midst of the camp;

Amplified Bible
And it happened at the end of three days that the officers went throughout the camp,

Christian Standard Bible
After three days the officers went through the camp

Holman Christian Standard Bible
After three days the officers went through the camp

American Standard Version
And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the midst of the camp;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And after three days the Rulers passed through within the camp

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And it came to pass after three days, that the scribes went through the camp;

Contemporary English Version
Two days later their leaders went through the camp,

Douay-Rheims Bible
After which, the heralds went through the midst of the camp,

English Revised Version
And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the midst of the camp;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Three days later the officers went through the camp.

Good News Translation
Three days later the leaders went through the camp

International Standard Version
Three days later, the officers went throughout the camp,

JPS Tanakh 1917
And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the midst of the camp;

Literal Standard Version
And it comes to pass, at the end of three days, that the authorities pass over into the midst of the camp,

Majority Standard Bible
After three days the officers went through the camp

New American Bible
Three days later the officers went through the camp

NET Bible
After three days the leaders went through the camp

New Revised Standard Version
At the end of three days the officers went through the camp

New Heart English Bible
It happened after three days, that the officers went through the midst of the camp;

Webster's Bible Translation
And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host;

World English Bible
After three days, the officers went through the middle of the camp;

Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass, at the end of three days, that the authorities pass over into the midst of the camp,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Crossing the Jordan
1Early the next morning Joshua got up and left Shittim with all the Israelites. They went as far as the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. 2 After 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.…

Cross References
Joshua 1:11
"Go through the camp and tell the people, 'Prepare your provisions, for within three days you will cross the Jordan to go in and take possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.'"

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.


Treasury of Scripture

And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host;

three days

Joshua 1:10,11
Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, …

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Authorities Authority Camp End Host Midst Officers Tents Three Throughout
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Authorities Authority Camp End Host Midst Officers Tents Three Throughout
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














(2) After three days.--See Joshua 1:2.

(2-6) PRELIMINARY ORDERS.--The priests are to bear the ark. This was usually the duty of the Levites of the family of Kohath; but both at the passage of Jordan and the taking of Jericho, the priests were employed as bearers. The people must be sanctified, as they were in preparation for the giving of the law at Sinai (in Exodus 19). And the ark itself takes, in some sense, a fresh position. The space of 2,000 cubits was left between the head of the column of Israelites and the ark, in order that they might all see it. Up to this time, during the whole of the Exodus, they had been led by the pillar of cloud and fire. The ark had led the van ever since they left Sinai (Numbers 10:33-34). But as the cloud had moved above the ark, where all the people could see it, the head of the column might follow the ark as closely as possible, without any inconvenience. Now the cloud was no longer with them. It was a visible token of God's presence especially granted to Moses, and with him it disappeared. The ark was now to be the only leader, and therefore it must be placed in a somewhat more conspicuous position. This difference of arrangement appears to be indicated by the words in Joshua 3:4, "Ye have not passed this way heretofore." The words may mean, "You are marching over untrodden ground;" but if so, they are not more applicable to this march than to many previous marches. They may also mean, "You have not marched in this manner heretofore," and this interpretation seems more to the purpose.

It may be of use to consider here, what was the actual significance of the position assigned to the ark in Joshua. What was the ark? It was a chest containing the ten commandments, written with the finger of God on two tables of stone prepared by Moses (Deuteronomy 10:1-5; Exodus 34:1; Exodus 34:28). But the ark was made for the law, not the law for the ark. The mercy-seat above was the covering of the law--the shield between that law and the people. Between the cherubim that formed the mercy-seat, was the throne of Jehovah. But the central thing, the only thing not of human workmanship, that remained in the ark, was "the law written with the finger of God." If we would exactly describe the position before us, we must say that the Israelites marched into Jordan led by the written law of God. The same written law, borne round the walls of Jericho, was the minister of vengeance to the Canaanites, as indeed it became afterwards to Israel when incautiously handled or invoked, as at Eben-ezer (1 Samuel 4), and as at Beth-shemesh (1 Samuel 6; comp. 2 Samuel 6), and also to the Philistines (1 Samuel 5). As soon as the army of Joshua reached the centre of Canaan, this same law was written on great stones in the heart of the country and became the law of the land. It is consistent with what we have already noted (Joshua 1:1) as to the difference between Moses and Joshua, that under Moses the people should follow the cloudy pillar, and under Joshua, the written law of God. But it is a strange picture, and one that may well call up our reverent wonder, that the Israelites should pass over Jordan and assail the Canaanites, with the ten commandments carried before them, and as it were leading the way. Was not this the direct object of the conquest of Canaan, that God's law should not only have a people to obey it, but a country in which its working might be exhibited to the nations, as the law of the land? . . .

Verse 2. - The officers. LXX., γραμματεις (see Joshua 1:10). This is evidently the history of the fulfilment of the command there given by Joshua. There he orders the officers to pass through the host; here the command is fulfilled. There is no reasonable doubt that the spies had returned before the order recorded in Joshua 1:10 had been given. Many commentators have raised objections to the order of the narrative in this and in the following chapter; and commentators like Houbigant, Masius (who says, "Narrationis ordo admodum perturbatus"), and Bishop Horsley, have suggested a different order of the verses. But Delitzsch has observed that the narrative is drawn up in a threefold order. First, the commencement of the crossing is detailed, from vers. 7-17 of this chapter; then (Joshua 4:1-14), its further progress; lastly (Joshua 4:15-24), its conclusion. And in each separate paragraph we have

(1) God's command to Joshua;

(2) Joshua's command to the people; and

(3) their fulfilment of his command. . . .

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
After
מִקְצֵ֖ה (miq·ṣêh)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7097: End, extremity

three
שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת (šə·lō·šeṯ)
Number - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7969: Three, third, thrice

days
יָמִ֑ים (yā·mîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3117: A day

the officers
הַשֹּׁטְרִ֖ים (haš·šō·ṭə·rîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 7860: A scribe, an official superintendent, magistrate

went
וַיַּעַבְר֥וּ (way·ya·‘aḇ·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5674: To pass over, through, or by, pass on

through
בְּקֶ֥רֶב (bə·qe·reḇ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7130: The nearest part, the center

the camp
הַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃ (ham·ma·ḥă·neh)
Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 4264: An encampment, an army


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OT History: Joshua 3:2 It happened after three days that (Josh. Jos)
Joshua 3:1
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