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(KJV) Joshua 1:11

11 Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the LORD your God giveth you to possess it.

In the above text Joshua promises the Israelites that they will cross the jordan within three days

He sends spies from Shittim to check the land who return after three days(Joshua 2:1)

They leave Shittim after the report of the spies & go to the jordan were they camp for another three days,they then cross on the fourth day.(Joshua 3:1-3)

From the time of the promise to the crossing of jordan it seems it took around seven days.

Did Joshua give a wrong timeline?

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  • Joshua 1:11, 2:16, 2:22 and 3:2 seem to refer to the same time period.
    – Lucian
    Dec 11 '17 at 12:40
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Joshua 1:10-11 (ESV)

10 And Joshua commanded the officers of the people, 11 “Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare your provisions, for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess.’”

We cannot assume that all the events of Joshua 1-3 were serial in nature. We are never told exactly when the officers went through the people. So, we can't assume that the three days recorded in chapter 2:22 (below) were an additional three days to the ones listed in chapter 1 verse 11. Both of the these "three day" periods could have been the same three days.

Joshua 2:22-23 (ESV)

22 They departed and went into the hills and remained there three days until the pursuers returned, and the pursuers searched all along the way and found nothing. 23 Then the two men returned.

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  • Indeed, it may be that the officers going through the camp in Chapter 1:11 and the officers going through the camp in 3:2 speak of the same event, with chapter 2 being either either previous or concurrent.
    – Mike Borden
    Dec 16 '19 at 12:31

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