And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD.
Parallel translations
- WEB Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up Yahweh’s ark.
- BSB Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests took the ark of the LORD.
- NKJV And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord.
- NASB Now Joshua got up early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord.
- NLT Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests again carried the Ark of the Lord.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Joshua rose early and the priests again took up the ark. The leaders set the example of prompt, persistent obedience.
Overview
Joshua's early rising signals diligence and eagerness to obey God's command. The repeated taking up of the ark kept God's presence at the heart of each day's march. Faithful obedience is often a matter of steady repetition, returning each day to do what God has said.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Heb 11:7–8By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
- Josh 3:1And 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.
- Josh 6:6–8And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD.
- John 6:10–11And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
- Deut 31:25That Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying,
- Gen 22:3And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.
- John 9:6–7When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,
- John 2:5–8His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Joshua — the same name as Jesus, 'the LORD saves' — leads God's people into their inheritance, a shadow of the greater Joshua who brings us into the true rest and the promised land that remains.
How Joshua 6:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.