THEOSISTheodoret of Cyrus
The priests who construct the Lord's Covenant Tomb serve as a representation of John the Baptist, as he fulfills the role of a priest and is a descendant of a bishop.
Joshua 3:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers
And do thou command the priests, that carry the ark of the covenant, and say to them: When you shall have entered into part of the water of the Jordan, stand in it.
וְאַתָּ֗ה תְּצַוֶּה֙ אֶת־הַכֹּ֣הֲנִ֔ים נֹשְׂאֵ֥י אֲרֽוֹן־הַבְּרִ֖ית לֵאמֹ֑ר כְּבֹאֲכֶ֗ם עַד־קְצֵה֙ מֵ֣י הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן בַּיַּרְדֵּ֖ן תַּעֲמֹֽדוּ׃
The Church Fathers on this verse
2 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Vissarion (Nechaev)
At God's instruction, the priests bearing the Ark of the Covenant were to initiate the journey across the Jordan River. They were directed to pause as soon as they set foot in the flowing waters, that is, once their feet made contact with the river's edge. Simultaneously, as we will observe, the waters of the Jordan ceased their movement.
Cross references
Passages read together with this verse.
- Josh 3:3And began to proclaim: When you shall see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests of the race of Levi carrying it, rise you up also, and follow them as they go before:
- Josh 3:17And the people marched over against Jericho: and the priests that carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, stood girded upon the dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all the people passed over, through the channel that was dried up.
- 2 Chr 17:8And with them the Levites, Semeias, and Nathanias, and Zabadias, and Asael, and Semiramoth, and Jonathan, and Adonias, and Tobias, and Thobadonias Levites, and with them Elisama, and Joram priests.
- 2 Chr 17:9And they taught the people in Juda, having with them the book of the law of the Lord: and they went about all the cities of Juda, and instructed the people.
- 2 Chr 29:30And Ezechias and the princes commanded the Levites to praise the Lord with the words of David, and Asaph the seer: and they praised him with great joy, and bowing the knee adored.
- Lam 3:26Teth. It is good to wait with silence for the salvation of God.
- Neh 13:22I spoke also to the Levites that they should be purified, and should come to keep the gates, and to sanctify the sabbath day: for this also remember me, O my God, and spare me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.
- 2 Chr 29:27And Ezechias commanded that they should offer holocausts upon the altar: and when the holocausts were offered, they began to sing praises to the Lord, and to sound with trumpets, and divers instruments which David the king of Israel had prepared.