And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap.

JOSHUA 3:13KJV
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Joshua 3:13 (KJV)

What does Joshua 3:13 mean?

Joshua 3:13 says that when the priests carrying the ark of the LORD step into the Jordan River, the waters will stop flowing and pile up in a heap, allowing the people to cross. This verse describes a miraculous event that will happen as soon as the priests’ feet touch the river.

Joshua is speaking to the Israelites as they prepare to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land. The priests are carrying the ark, which represents God's presence. The verse sets up the expectation that God will act powerfully, stopping the river’s flow as a sign to the people that He is with them and leading them.

The Hebrew behind Joshua 3:13

  • "soles" (כַּף, kaph): This word means the bottom part of the foot, emphasizing that even the first touch of the priests' feet will trigger the miracle.
  • "rest" (נוּחַ, nuach): This word means to settle or come to rest, showing that the miracle begins not when the priests are deep in the water, but as soon as their feet settle on the riverbed.
  • "heap" (נֵד, ned): This word means a pile or mound, describing how the waters will stand up in a visible, unnatural way, highlighting the miraculous nature of the event.

Why Joshua 3:13 matters

  • Joshua 3:13 clarifies that the miracle depends on the priests’ obedience and God’s timing, not on human effort or ability.
  • The verse connects directly to the earlier crossing of the Red Sea, showing that God’s power is still with the Israelites as they enter a new chapter.
  • It emphasizes the significance of the ark of the LORD (יְהוָה, YHWH), reminding the people that God’s presence is what makes the impossible possible.

Where else these words appear

“heap” Hebrew H5067 · used in 6 verses

  • Exodus 15:8 And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.
  • Joshua 3:16 That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.
  • Psalms 78:13 He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap.

“rest” Hebrew H5117 · used in 64 verses

  • Genesis 8:4 And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.
  • 2 Samuel 21:10 And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water dropped upon them out of heaven, and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.
  • Isaiah 7:19 And they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, and upon all thorns, and upon all bushes.

“above” Hebrew H4605 · used in 134 verses

  • Genesis 6:16 A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.
  • Numbers 4:30 From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old shalt thou number them, every one that entereth into the service, to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation.
  • 2 Chronicles 16:12 And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians.