Joshua 3:10 kjv
And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites.
Joshua 3:10 nkjv
And Joshua said, "By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites:
Joshua 3:10 niv
This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites.
Joshua 3:10 esv
And Joshua said, "Here is how you shall know that the living God is among you and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites.
Joshua 3:10 nlt
Today you will know that the living God is among you. He will surely drive out the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites ahead of you.
Joshua 3 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 31:6 | "Be strong and courageous... for it is the Lord your God who goes with you..." | God's promised presence and support |
| Josh 1:5 | "No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you..." | God's continued presence with Joshua and Israel |
| Ex 33:14 | "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." | God's presence brings victory and rest |
| Psa 46:7 | "The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress." | God's protective and mighty presence |
| Isa 41:10 | "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God..." | Reassurance based on God's active presence |
| Matt 1:23 | "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us)." | God's ultimate immanent presence |
| Deut 5:26 | "For who is there of all flesh who has heard the voice of the living God speaking... and has lived?" | The unique power and reality of the Living God |
| 1 Sam 17:26 | "...that this uncircumcised Philistine should defy the armies of the living God?" | God as actively present and mighty ruler |
| Psa 42:2 | "My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?" | Longing for connection with the active God |
| Jer 10:10-11 | "But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King." | Contrast with idols, God as true and living |
| Acts 14:15 | "...that you should turn from these vain things to the living God..." | Turning from idols to the true, living God |
| 1 Thes 1:9-10 | "...how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God..." | Repentance involves serving the Living God |
| Ex 23:29-30 | "I will not drive them out before you in one year... Little by little I will drive them out before you..." | Gradual but certain driving out of enemies |
| Ex 34:11 | "Observe what I command you this day: Behold, I will drive out before you the Amorites..." | God's direct action in driving out |
| Deut 7:1-2 | "When the LORD your God brings you into the land that you are entering... and clears away many nations before you..." | God's promise to clear the land |
| Deut 9:4-5 | "...it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is driving them out before you..." | God's judgment and reason for dispossession |
| Neh 9:24 | "So the descendants went in and took possession of the land... and subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites..." | Historical fulfillment of the dispossession |
| Psa 44:2-3 | "You with your own hand drove out the nations... for not by their own sword did they win the land..." | God's power, not human might, achieves victory |
| Gen 15:18-21 | "To your offspring I give this land... the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim..." | Covenant promise of land and dispossession |
| Ex 3:8 | "...to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey..." | God's purpose to bring Israel into the land |
| Ex 15:3 | "The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is his name." | God as a divine warrior |
| Deut 3:22 | "You shall not fear them, for it is the LORD your God who fights for you." | God fights on behalf of His people |
| Josh 4:22-24 | "...so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty..." | Jordan miracle as evidence of God's power |
Joshua 3 verses
Joshua 3 10 Meaning
Joshua 3:10 serves as a pivotal declaration by Joshua, revealing God's imminent, tangible presence among Israel, which guarantees their assured victory and the complete expulsion of the formidable Canaanite nations. This declaration reassures the Israelites and underscores the active power of the true God who fights for His people, distinguishing Him from lifeless idols. It is a promise of covenant faithfulness and divine intervention on the threshold of the Promised Land.
Joshua 3 10 Context
Joshua 3 finds the Israelites on the eastern bank of the Jordan River, poised to enter the Promised Land, forty years after their exodus from Egypt. Moses, their long-time leader, has passed away, and Joshua has assumed leadership. Chapter 3 specifically sets the stage for the miraculous crossing of the Jordan River. Prior to this verse, Joshua commands the people to sanctify themselves and prepares the priests with the Ark of the Covenant to lead the way. This moment is critical for affirming Joshua's authority in the eyes of Israel, demonstrating that God is truly with him as He was with Moses. Joshua's declaration in verse 10 immediately precedes the command for the priests to step into the Jordan, which miraculously stops the flow of the water. The historical context reveals nations like the Canaanites were idolatrous and morally corrupt, having filled the measure of their iniquity (Gen 15:16), making God's impending judgment through Israel a righteous act. The act of God driving them out directly fulfills centuries of covenant promises made to Abraham and his descendants.
Joshua 3 10 Word analysis
- And Joshua said: Signifies the transfer of divine authority from God to Joshua, confirming his prophetic role and leadership over Israel. This public declaration reinforces his position before the entire assembly, much like Moses' proclamations.
- Hereby: (Hebrew: בְּזֹאת, bəzō’t) Refers to the immediately impending action: the miraculous stopping of the Jordan River. This miracle will serve as the irrefutable evidence or sign. It's a pragmatic, tangible proof for a people accustomed to God's overt demonstrations of power.
- you shall know: (Hebrew: תֵּדְעוּן, tēḏʿūn) Emphasizes experiential and certain knowledge, not mere intellectual assent. It implies recognition and affirmation of God's presence and power through observing His actions.
- that the living God: (Hebrew: אֵל חַי, El Chai) A profoundly significant designation. "El" is a generic term for God, but "Chai" (living) distinguishes Yahweh from the lifeless, inert, impotent deities of the surrounding pagan nations (e.g., Baal, Dagon). The Living God is active, dynamic, personal, intervenes in history, and is capable of acting on behalf of His people, unlike idols which "have eyes but do not see, ears but do not hear" (Psa 115:5-7). This is a direct polemic against paganism.
- is among you: (Hebrew: בְּקִרְבְּכֶם, b'qirbekhem) Literally "in your midst" or "in your interior." This speaks to God's immanence, His active, present involvement with His people. It’s not a distant, removed deity, but one intimately involved in their daily lives and battles. It reassures Israel of God's intimate care and presence even in formidable challenges.
- and that he will without fail drive out: (Hebrew: הוֹרִישׁ יְהוֹרִישׁ, horish yehorish) Uses an infinitive absolute before the finite verb, a Hebrew idiom to intensify the certainty and completeness of the action. It means "surely drive out," "utterly dispossess," or "certainly dispossess." It conveys absolute certainty and divine determination. The dispossessing of the land is God's work, not primarily Israel's.
- from before you: Highlights that the expulsion will be directly in front of and for the benefit of Israel. God removes the obstacles from their path.
- the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites: This is a comprehensive list of seven major tribes inhabiting Canaan (often seven, sometimes more or less in other biblical lists, signifying totality). These represent the formidable obstacles to Israel's inheritance. Naming them underscores the scale of the task and the specificity of God's promise to overcome all the current inhabitants, thereby giving Israel full possession of the land as promised to Abraham (Gen 15).
Joshua 3 10 Bonus section
The specific naming of seven nations signifies totality or completeness, implying that no inhabitant of the promised land would ultimately resist God's plan for Israel to possess it. This echo of previous promises (e.g., Ex 3:8; 23:23; Deut 7:1) serves as a profound assurance for a people about to embark on a formidable conquest. The parallel between this declaration and the crossing of the Red Sea reinforces God's unchanging nature and power; what He did in the past, He can and will do again. Joshua’s prophecy establishes his credibility and links him to Moses' prophetic authority.
Joshua 3 10 Commentary
Joshua 3:10 stands as a declaration of faith and a promise of victory at a pivotal moment in Israel's history. Joshua, affirmed by God, speaks words that both confirm divine presence and predict guaranteed success. The "living God" imagery powerfully contrasts Yahweh with the dead, man-made idols worshipped by the surrounding nations, asserting His unique power and active engagement in history. God's presence "among you" signifies not merely proximity, but active support and divine leadership in their midst. The specific identification of the seven Canaanite tribes emphasizes the daunting nature of the conquest and the absolute certainty that God, not human might, will accomplish it. This verse lays the theological foundation for the subsequent miracle at the Jordan and the entire conquest narrative, affirming that Israel's triumph is wholly dependent on the sovereign, faithful action of their covenant God. It instructs future generations that victory comes from trusting God's promise and obeying His commands, rather than relying on their own strength or numbers.