Joshua explicitly connects the upcoming miracle of crossing the Jordan not just to God's presence, but to His power to expel the hostile nations. This signifies that the miracle isn't merely about getting them into the land, but a divine guarantee of their ultimate victory and possession.
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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
As the Israelites stand on the brink of the Jordan River, a seemingly impassable barrier, Joshua rallies them with a divine promise. He assures them that the miracle of parting the river, heralded by the ark of the covenant's advance, is a tangible sign that the living God is with them. This act of power, Joshua explains, is not just about crossing the river but a clear demonstration that God will drive out all the hostile nations occupying the Promised Land.
How do we know God is truly with us? Joshua gives us a powerful clue in this verse, contrasting our God with the gods of the surrounding nations.
Joshua 3:10 emphasizes the distinction between the 'living God' and the gods worshipped by the Canaanites and other nations. The commentators highlight that the gods of the nations were lifeless, made of wood, stone, or metal – they couldn't see, hear, or act. Our God, however, is the 'living God,' full of life, power, and constant activity. He is the author of life itself.
This title, 'living God,' isn't just a poetic phrase. It's a profound statement about God's nature: He is dynamic, present, and actively engaged in the world and in the lives of His people. This is in stark contrast to the 'dull, dead, senseless' deities of the surrounding cultures. When Joshua reminds the Israelites of this, he's grounding their faith not in a distant, inactive deity, but in the very source of life and power who is present to act on their behalf, especially as they face the formidable task of entering Canaan.
The parting of the Jordan River was an incredible display of God's power. But Joshua connects this immediate miracle to something even bigger.
Joshua doesn't just present the miracle of crossing the Jordan as an isolated event; he frames it as definitive proof that God is present and will grant them victory over the Canaanite nations.
He explicitly states, 'Hereby 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 commentators emphasize that this sign was meant to assure the Israelites not only of God's immediate presence but also of their ultimate success in conquering the land. The miraculous passage of the Jordan, a powerful natural barrier, was a foreshadowing and a guarantee that God’s power would overcome the human inhabitants of the land as well. It was a pledge of complete possession, indicating that God doesn't start a work and leave it unfinished. The expulsion of the seven nations was the ultimate purpose, and the Jordan crossing was the divinely orchestrated sign that this purpose would be fulfilled.
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Understand the original words
el chai · Hebrew Noun Phrase
A title emphasizing that God is not a lifeless idol but the active, self-existent Creator who interacts with history and manifests His power on behalf of His people.
kena'ani · Hebrew Proper Noun (collective)
The collective name for the various idolatrous nations inhabiting the Promised Land; they represent the spiritual and moral opposition to God's kingdom that must be removed for Israel to dwell in holiness.
This verse is spoken at the very threshold of the Promised Land, immediately after a miraculous crossing of the Jordan River. Joshua uses this powerful sign to assure the people that God is not only present but is actively working to fulfill His promise of driving out the existing nations, setting the stage for the entire conquest.
c. 1400 BC— this verse
Conquest of Canaan Begins
Following the death of Moses, Joshua leads the Israelites across the Jordan River and begins the military conquest of the land of Canaan, driving out its inhabitants.
c. 1400 BC
Miraculous Crossing of the Jordan
The Jordan River miraculously parts as the Ark of the Covenant is carried by priests, allowing the Israelites to cross on dry ground. This event directly confirms God's presence and power.
c. 1400 BC
Fall of Jericho
The city of Jericho, the first major obstacle, falls to the Israelites after a miraculous siege, further demonstrating God's power to dispossess the Canaanites.
c. 1400 BC
Battle of Ai and the Sin of Achan
An initial defeat at Ai is followed by victory after the sin of Achan is dealt with, highlighting the importance of obedience in the conquest.
c. 1400 BC
Covenant Renewal at Shechem
After significant victories, Joshua gathers the people at Shechem to renew the covenant with God and remind them of His faithfulness and their ongoing responsibility.
God promises Moses, "My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest," showing a similar assurance of God's active presence and help in leading His people.
Deuteronomy 5:26The Israelites express awe at hearing the voice of the 'living God,' highlighting the contrast between the true God and the dead idols of the nations, just as Joshua emphasizes.
Psalm 114:1-5This psalm recounts the Exodus and the parting of the Red Sea, directly paralleling the Jordan miracle and affirming God's powerful, life-giving presence over natural forces and nations.
1 Samuel 17:45-47David confronts Goliath, declaring that he comes in the name of the 'LORD of hosts,' the 'living God of the armies of Israel,' showing how God's presence is the ultimate assurance of victory over formidable enemies.
Romans 8:31Paul's rhetorical question, 'If God is for us, who can be against us?' echoes the certainty Joshua conveys – that the living God's active presence guarantees overcoming any opposition.
calvinJoshua 3:1-13: "And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over."
Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that you may know the way by which you must go: for you have not passed this way heretofore.
Veruntamen interstitium erit inter vos et ipsam fere duorum milium cubitorum in mensura: ne appropinquetis e…
wesleyJoshua 3:10: "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."
3:10 Ye shall know - By experience and sensible evidence. The living God - Not a dull, dead, senseless God, such as the gods of the nations are; but a God of life, and power, and activity to watch over you, and work for you. Am…
Joshua explicitly connects the upcoming miracle of crossing the Jordan not just to God's presence, but to His power to expel the hostile nations. This signifies that the miracle isn't merely about getting them into the land, but a divine guarantee of their ultimate victory and possession.
As the Israelites stand on the brink of the Jordan River, a seemingly impassable barrier, Joshua rallies them with a divine promise. He assures them that the miracle of parting the river, heralded by the ark of the covenant's advance, is a tangible sign that the living God is with them. This act of power, Joshua explains, is not just about crossing the river but a clear demonstration that God will drive out all the hostile nations occupying the Promised Land.
As the Israelites stand on the brink of the Jordan River, a seemingly impassable barrier, Joshua rallies them with a divine promise. He assures them that the miracle of parting the river, heralded by the ark of the covenant's advance, is a tangible sign that the living God is with them. This act of power, Joshua explains, is not just about crossing the river but a clear demonstration that God will drive out all the hostile nations occupying the Promised Land.
"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 Jebusit…" — Joshua explicitly connects the upcoming miracle of crossing the Jordan not just to God's presence, but to His power to expel the hostile nations. This signifies that the miracle isn't merely about…
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Last reviewed October 2026
