Joshua 3:9
New International Version
Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God.

New Living Translation
So Joshua told the Israelites, “Come and listen to what the LORD your God says.

English Standard Version
And Joshua said to the people of Israel, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God.”

Berean Standard Bible
So Joshua told the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God.”

Berean Literal Bible
And Joshua said to the sons of Israel, “Draw near here and listen to the words of YHWH your⁺ God.”

King James Bible
And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the LORD your God.

New King James Version
So Joshua said to the children of Israel, “Come here, and hear the words of the LORD your God.”

New American Standard Bible
Then Joshua said to the sons of Israel, “Come here, and hear the words of the LORD your God.”

NASB 1995
Then Joshua said to the sons of Israel, “Come here, and hear the words of the LORD your God.”

NASB 1977
Then Joshua said to the sons of Israel, “Come here, and hear the words of the LORD your God.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Joshua said to the sons of Israel, “Come near, and hear the words of Yahweh your God.”

Amplified Bible
Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here, and listen to the words of the LORD your God.”

Berean Annotated Bible
So Joshua (YHWH saves) told the Israelites (God prevails), “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your⁺ God {YHWH Eloheikem}.

Christian Standard Bible
Then Joshua told the Israelites, “Come closer and listen to the words of the LORD your God.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then Joshua told the Israelites, “Come closer and listen to the words of the LORD your God.”

American Standard Version
And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of Jehovah your God.

Contemporary English Version
Joshua spoke to the people: Come here and listen to what the LORD our God said he will do!

English Revised Version
And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the LORD your God.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So Joshua said to the people of Israel, "Come here, and listen to the words of the LORD your God."

Good News Translation
Then Joshua said to the people, "Come here and listen to what the LORD your God has to say.

International Standard Version
So Joshua told the Israelis, "Come here and listen to what the LORD your God has to say."

NET Bible
Joshua told the Israelites, "Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God!"

New Heart English Bible
Joshua said to the children of Israel, "Come here, and hear the words of the LORD your God."

Webster's Bible Translation
And Joshua said to the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the LORD your God.
Majority Text Translations
Majority Standard Bible
So Joshua told the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God.”

World English Bible
Joshua said to the children of Israel, “Come here, and hear the words of Yahweh your God.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Joshua says to the sons of Israel, “Come near here, and hear the words of your God YHWH”;

Berean Literal Bible
And Joshua said to the sons of Israel, “Draw near here and listen to the words of YHWH your⁺ God.”

Young's Literal Translation
And Joshua saith unto the sons of Israel, 'Come nigh hither, and hear the words of Jehovah your God;

Smith's Literal Translation
And Joshua will say to the sons of Israel, Come near here and hear the words of Jehovah your God.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Josue said to the children of Israel: Come hither and hear the word of the Lord your God.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And Joshua said to the sons of Israel, “Approach to here, and listen to the word of the Lord your God.”

New American Bible
So Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD, your God.”

New Revised Standard Version
Joshua then said to the Israelites, “Draw near and hear the words of the LORD your God.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And Joshua said to the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the LORD your God.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Yeshua said to the children of Israel: “Come here and hear the words of LORD JEHOVAH your God”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Joshua said unto the children of Israel: 'Come hither, and hear the words of the LORD your God.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Joshua said to the children of Israel, Come hither, and hearken to the word of the Lord our God.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Crossing the Jordan
8Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the waters, stand in the Jordan.’ ” 9So Joshua told the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God.” 10He continued, “This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that He will surely drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites.…

Cross References
So Joshua told the Israelites,

Joshua 24:1-2
Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges, and officers of Israel, and they presented themselves before God. / And Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your fathers, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates and worshiped other gods.

Joshua 23:2
he summoned all Israel, including its elders, leaders, judges, and officers. “I am old and well along in years,” he said,

Deuteronomy 31:11-13
when all Israel comes before the LORD your God at the place He will choose, you are to read this law in the hearing of all Israel. / Assemble the people—men, women, children, and the foreigners within your gates—so that they may listen and learn to fear the LORD your God and to follow carefully all the words of this law. / Then their children who do not know the law will listen and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as you live in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”
“Come here

Deuteronomy 5:27
Go near and listen to all that the LORD our God says. Then you can tell us everything the LORD our God tells you; we will listen and obey.”

Exodus 24:1
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD—you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of Israel’s elders—and you are to worship at a distance.

Exodus 19:17
Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.
and listen to the words

Deuteronomy 4:1
Hear now, O Israel, the statutes and ordinances I am teaching you to follow, so that you may live and may enter and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.

Deuteronomy 32:46-47
he said to them, “Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to carefully follow all the words of this law. / For they are not idle words to you, because they are your life, and by them you will live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”

Jeremiah 11:6
Then the LORD said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying: Hear the words of this covenant and carry them out.
of the LORD your God.”

Exodus 20:2
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

Deuteronomy 5:6
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

Deuteronomy 10:12
And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
Exodus 14:13-14
But Moses told the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the LORD’s salvation, which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. / The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

Deuteronomy 31:3-6
The LORD your God Himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will dispossess them. Joshua will cross ahead of you, as the LORD has said. / And the LORD will do to them as He did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, when He destroyed them along with their land. / The LORD will deliver them over to you, and you must do to them exactly as I have commanded you. …

Psalm 114:3-5
The sea observed and fled; the Jordan turned back; / the mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs. / Why was it, O sea, that you fled, O Jordan, that you turned back,

Isaiah 43:2
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you go through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched; the flames will not set you ablaze.


Treasury of Scripture

And Joshua said to the children of Israel, Come here, and hear the words of the LORD your God.

Hear the words

Deuteronomy 4:1
Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you.

Deuteronomy 12:8
Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes.

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Children Ear Hear Hither Israel Israelites Joshua Nigh Words
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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












So Joshua told the Israelites
Joshua, as the appointed leader after Moses, is fulfilling his role as the spiritual and military leader of Israel. This moment occurs as the Israelites are preparing to cross the Jordan River into the Promised Land. Joshua's leadership is crucial as he guides the people in faith and obedience. This phrase highlights the importance of leadership in guiding God's people, a theme seen throughout the Bible, such as in the leadership of Moses, David, and ultimately Jesus Christ.

Come here
This invitation to gather is significant in the context of ancient Israelite culture, where communal gatherings were central to religious and social life. It signifies a call to attention and readiness to receive divine instruction. The act of coming together as a community to hear God's word is a practice that continues in Christian worship today.

and listen to the words
Listening is a recurring theme in Scripture, emphasizing the importance of hearing and obeying God's commands. In Deuteronomy 6:4, the Shema begins with "Hear, O Israel," underscoring the necessity of attentive listening. This phrase underscores the importance of being receptive to God's guidance and instruction.

of the LORD your God
This phrase reaffirms the covenant relationship between the Israelites and Yahweh. The use of "LORD" in all capitals signifies the divine name YHWH, emphasizing God's eternal and unchanging nature. The possessive "your God" highlights the personal relationship and covenantal bond between God and His people. This covenant is foundational to Israel's identity and mission, and it foreshadows the new covenant established through Jesus Christ.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Joshua
The leader of the Israelites after Moses, tasked with leading them into the Promised Land. He is a central figure in the Book of Joshua, known for his faithfulness and obedience to God.

2. The Israelites
The chosen people of God, descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who are on the brink of entering the Promised Land after wandering in the wilderness for 40 years.

3. The Promised Land
The land of Canaan, promised by God to the descendants of Abraham. It represents God's faithfulness and the fulfillment of His promises.

4. The Jordan River
The river that the Israelites must cross to enter the Promised Land. It serves as a significant geographical and spiritual boundary.

5. The Words of the LORD
The divine instructions and promises given to the Israelites, which are crucial for their success and obedience as they enter the Promised Land.
Teaching Points
The Importance of Listening to God
Just as Joshua called the Israelites to listen to God's words, we must prioritize hearing and obeying God's voice in our lives. This requires intentional time in Scripture and prayer.

Leadership and Obedience
Joshua exemplifies godly leadership by directing the people to God's words. Leaders today should also guide others to seek and follow God's instructions.

Faith in God's Promises
The crossing of the Jordan River symbolizes stepping out in faith. We are called to trust in God's promises, even when facing seemingly insurmountable challenges.

Community in Faith
Joshua gathered the Israelites together to hear God's words, highlighting the importance of community in our spiritual journey. We should seek fellowship and accountability within the body of Christ.

Preparation for God's Work
Before entering the Promised Land, the Israelites needed to prepare by listening to God. Similarly, we must prepare our hearts and minds to be used by God in His work.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1. What is the meaning of Joshua 3:9?

2. How does Joshua 3:9 demonstrate the importance of listening to God's words today?

3. What can we learn from Joshua's leadership in Joshua 3:9 for our lives?

4. How does Joshua 3:9 connect with God's promises in Deuteronomy 31:6?

5. How can we apply the call to "come here" in our daily walk?

6. What role does faith play in understanding God's message in Joshua 3:9?

7. What does Joshua 3:9 reveal about God's communication with His people?

8. How does Joshua 3:9 demonstrate the importance of listening to God's word?

9. What historical context surrounds Joshua 3:9 and its significance?

10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Joshua 3?

11. What is Gibeon's significance in the Bible?

12. Joshua 17:12: Why couldn’t Manasseh drive out the Canaanites if God had already promised total victory?

13. Joshua 24:14-15 - How does this pledge to exclusively serve the Lord reconcile with the later biblical narratives showing continued idolatry in Israel?

14. How does sparing the Gibeonites (Joshua 9:15) align with instructions to destroy all Canaanite inhabitants (Deuteronomy 20:16-17)?
What Does Joshua 3:9 Mean
So Joshua told the Israelites

- Joshua, newly commissioned to succeed Moses (Joshua 1:1-5), steps into visible leadership just before Israel crosses the Jordan.

- By speaking, he exercises the God-given authority Moses had laid on him (Deuteronomy 31:7-8).

- This scene echoes earlier moments when a leader gathered the nation to hear God’s directives (Exodus 19:7; Numbers 27:18-20).

- Meaning: Joshua 3:9 signals that the people must look to Joshua as God’s appointed mouthpiece for the next act of redemption, underscoring the continuity of God’s plan.


“Come here

- The call unites the tribes physically and spiritually at the river’s edge, fostering shared expectation (1 Samuel 12:7).

- “Come” implies readiness to move from wandering to inheritance, just as Jesus later said, “Come, follow Me” (Mark 1:17), moving disciples from ordinary life to mission.

- Meaning: God often requires deliberate steps of proximity before revealing His power; Israel must draw near in faith, not hang back in fear (James 4:8a).


and listen

- The instruction focuses not on debating, but on hearing with intent to obey (Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Romans 10:17).

- Listening is the doorway to faith; Israel’s past failures sprang from ignoring God’s voice (Psalm 81:11-13).

- Meaning: The verse stresses that victory in Canaan hinges on heeding God’s Word, not military might.


to the words of the LORD your God.”

- Joshua points away from himself to “the words of the LORD,” affirming divine authorship and absolute reliability (Psalm 119:105; 2 Timothy 3:16).

- “Your God” reminds them of covenant intimacy—He is not a distant deity but the One who brought them out of Egypt and promises the land (Exodus 20:2; Isaiah 41:13).

- Meaning: Their future depends on trusting the spoken, unchanging Word that carries creative power (Isaiah 55:11) and never fails (Numbers 23:19).


summary

Joshua 3:9 captures a pivotal moment: God’s chosen leader gathers the nation, calls them to draw near, urges them to listen attentively, and anchors their confidence in the covenant Word of the LORD. The verse teaches that progress into God’s promises always begins with obedient hearts tuned to His authoritative, life-giving revelation.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So Joshua
יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ (yə·hō·wō·šu·a‘)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3091: Joshua -- 'the LORD is salvation', Moses' successor, also the name of a number of Israelites

told
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

the Israelites,
בְּנֵ֣י (bə·nê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

“Come
גֹּ֣שׁוּ (gō·šū)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 5066: To draw near, approach

here
הֵ֔נָּה (hên·nāh)
Adverb
Strong's 2008: Hither, thither

and listen
וְשִׁמְע֕וּ (wə·šim·‘ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

to the words
דִּבְרֵ֖י (diḇ·rê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

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

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


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OT History: Joshua 3:9 Joshua said to the children of Israel (Josh. Jos)
Joshua 3:8
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