Joshua 3

Joshua 3 is the third chapter of the Book of Joshua in the Hebrew Bible or in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. According to Jewish tradition, the book was attributed to the Joshua, with additions by the high priests Eleazar and Phinehas, but modern scholars view it as part of the Deuteronomistic History, which spans the books of Deuteronomy to 2 Kings, attributed to nationalistic and devotedly Yahwistic writers during the time of the reformer Judean king Josiah in 7th century BCE. This chapter focuses on the Israelites crossing the Jordan River westward into the land of Canaan under the leadership of Joshua, a part of a section comprising Joshua 1:1–5:12 about the entry to the land of Canaan.
Text.
This chapter was originally written in the Hebrew language. It is divided into 17 verses.
Textual witnesses.
Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text tradition, which includes the Codex Cairensis (895), Aleppo Codex (10th century), and Codex Leningradensis (1008). Fragments containing parts of this chapter in Hebrew were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls including 4Q48 (4QJosh; 100–50 BCE) with extant verses 15–17.
Extant ancient manuscripts of a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint (originally was made in the last few centuries BCE) include Codex Vaticanus (B; formula_1B; 4th century) and Codex Alexandrinus (A; formula_1A; 5th century). Fragments of the Septuagint Greek text containing this chapter is found in manuscripts such as Washington Manuscript I (5th century CE), and a reduced version of the Septuagint text is found in the illustrated Joshua Roll.
Analysis.
The narrative of Israelites entering the land of Canaan comprises verses 1:1 to 5:12 of the Book of Joshua and has the following outline:
Preparations and directives of the crossing (3:1–13).
The crossing of the Jordan narrative (3:1–5:1) consists of several units that backtrack and overlap, with a number of elements recounted more than once (e.g. the selection of men to carry the stones, 3:12; 4:2; the setting up of the stones, 4:8–9, 20). It includes a miraculous parting of the waters (Joshua 3:16) which recalls the crossing of the Reed Sea (Exodus 14:21–22; cf. Psalm 114:3, 5; Micah 6:4–5), to be followed by the first Passover kept in the new land (Joshua 5:10-12) corresponding to the first ever Passover in Egypt (Exodus 12–13). The centrality of the Ark of the Covenant in the whole narrative emphasizes the guidance of YHWH on the way into the land, and the preparation for the Holy War ahead (verse 10; Numbers 10:33–36), although the differences in the terminology of the ark throughout this chapter may indicate diverse origins:
The crossing narrative is connected to that of the spies (chapter 2) by the mention of Shittim (3:1), as well as bringing Joshua, together with 'all the Israelites', to the verge of Jordan for the crossing (cf. verse 17), where the officers play their part to observe the due timing of three days (verses 2–3; cf. 1:10–11). The crossing respects the requirements of holiness, the ark being attended by the properly authorized personnel (verses. 3, 6; cf. Numbers 3:5–10, 31), and the people keeping due distance, recalling the encounter with YHWH at Sinai (cf. Exodus 19:10–12). The preparations also include a reaffirmation of Joshua's leadership, and of YHWH's special promise to accompany him (3:7; cf. 1:5) throughout his conquest (verses 10–11; cf. Exodus 3:17). The phrase 'the LORD, the Lord of all the earth' (verse 13; cf. Micah 4:13; Psalm 97:5) states a claim to absolute universal dominion, as also found in other ancient Near-Eastern documents for local deities, for examples, Baal in Ugarit literature is written as "zbl b'I arș" ('the prince, lord of the earth').
Crossing the Jordan (3:14–17).
After all the preparations, an initial report of the crossing was given, with a note that it was miraculous, as the river being in its spring flood (verse 15) was suddenly cut off of its flow of water, leaving a dry land to walk on (verse 16). This passage anticipates a fuller account in the following chapter.