In biblical times, fording a river was a common method of crossing water bodies, especially in the absence of bridges or boats. A ford is a shallow place in a river or stream where people, animals, and vehicles can cross. The act of fording is significant in several biblical narratives, symbolizing transition, faith, and divine intervention.

Biblical References:

1. Jacob's Return to Canaan: One of the most notable instances of fording in the Bible is found in the account of Jacob. As Jacob returned to Canaan, he crossed the Jabbok River. This event is significant as it precedes his wrestling with the angel, a pivotal moment in his life. Genesis 32:22-24 states, "During the night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants, and his eleven sons, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. He took them and sent them across the stream, along with all his possessions. So Jacob was left all alone, and there a man wrestled with him until daybreak."

2. The Israelites Crossing the Jordan: Another significant fording event is the crossing of the Jordan River by the Israelites under Joshua's leadership. This crossing marked the entry into the Promised Land, a fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham. Joshua 3:14-17 describes this miraculous event: "So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carried the ark of the covenant ahead of them. Now the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest season. But as soon as the priests carrying the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water flowing downstream stood still, rising up in a mass that extended as far as Adam, a city near Zarethan. The water flowing toward the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off, and the people crossed over opposite Jericho."

3. David's Flight from Absalom: In 2 Samuel 17:22 , David and his followers ford the Jordan River during Absalom's rebellion. "So David and all the people with him set out and crossed the Jordan. By daybreak, there was no one left who had not crossed the Jordan."

Symbolism and Themes:

· Transition and Change: Fording often symbolizes a transition from one phase of life to another. For Jacob, it was a return to his homeland and a transformation into Israel. For the Israelites, it was the transition from wandering in the wilderness to settling in the Promised Land.

· Faith and Obedience: The act of fording, especially in the context of the Israelites crossing the Jordan, underscores the importance of faith and obedience to God's commands. The priests stepping into the flooded Jordan before the waters parted is a testament to their faith.

· Divine Intervention: In many instances, fording is accompanied by divine intervention, highlighting God's providence and power. The stopping of the Jordan's waters for the Israelites is a clear demonstration of God's miraculous intervention on behalf of His people.

Cultural and Historical Context:

In ancient Near Eastern cultures, rivers were often seen as barriers and boundaries. The ability to ford a river was crucial for trade, travel, and military campaigns. The biblical narratives of fording reflect the geographical realities of the region and the reliance on God's guidance and protection in overcoming natural obstacles.

Fording, as depicted in the Bible, is more than a physical act; it is a spiritual journey that reflects trust in God's promises and the courage to move forward despite challenges.(imp. & p. p.) of Ford.5674a. abar -- to pass over, through, or by, pass on
... across (1), drifting (1), enter (1), escapes the notice (1), ever bring (1), ever
bring...over (1), excel (1), fail (2), flood (1), ford (1), forded (1), forth ...
/hebrew/5674a.htm - 7k

Prayer Answered, Love Nourished
... And looking further yet, the believer's soul can see Death's river passed, the gloomy
steam forded; he can behold the hills of light on which standeth the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/prayer answered love nourished.htm

Travelling in Palestine --Roads, Inns, Hospitality, Custom-House ...
... Here the Jordan was forded, and the road led to Gilead, and thence either southwards,
or else north to Peraea, whence the traveller could make his way into ...
/.../sketches of jewish social life/chapter 4 travelling in palestineroads.htm

After the Death of the Emperor Honorius John Usurps the ...
... Now, no one had ever been known to have forded that lake before; but God then
rendered that passable, which had hitherto been impassable. ...
/.../the ecclesiastical history of scholasticus/chapter xxiii after the death of.htm

Consolation Proportionate to Spiritual Sufferings
... bed of down for thee; there it no riding to heaven in a chariot; the rough way must
be trodden; mountains must be climbed, rivers must be forded, dragons must ...
/.../consolation proportionate to spiritual sufferings.htm

He Does Battle for the Faith; He Restores Peace among those who ...
... their enemies unprepared and to return upon their own head the evil which they had
thought to do to them.[738] And when they had very easily forded a great ...
/.../chapter vii he does battle.htm

Unpossessed Possessions
... It was a long way off; there was a river to be forded; there were heights to be
climbed; there were weary marches to be taken; there were hard knocks going in ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/unpossessed possessions.htm

The Vanguard and Rereward of the Church
... the burning faggot. The march of the church lies through the flames, the
floods must be forded, torments must be endured. Did the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/the vanguard and rereward of.htm

The Way to God
... The more thou dost the more thou wilt have to do; when thou hast climbed a hill,
thou wilt see a mountain beyond, when thou hast forded a stream, thou wilt see ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/the way to god.htm

God in the Covenant
... Would this prepare thee to pass the Jordan, and to breast those stormy waves which
ere long must be forded by every man, when he is called from this world to ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/god in the covenant.htm

Though He were Dead
... Like Enoch, or Elias, we shall pass into the glory state without wading through
the black stream, while those who have already forded it shall prove to have ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 30 1884/though he were dead.htm

Forded (3 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (imp. & pp) of Ford. Multi-Version Concordance Forded
(3 Occurrences). Joshua 2:23 Then the two men returned ...
/f/forded.htm - 7k

Ford (3 Occurrences)

/f/ford.htm - 11k

Fords (9 Occurrences)

/f/fords.htm - 9k

Kishon (6 Occurrences)
... At the mouth of the river it is generally easily forded on the sand bank thrown
up by the waves beating against the current of the stream. ...
/k/kishon.htm - 12k

Euphrates (36 Occurrences)
... The ruins of another ancient bridge occur 200 miles lower down at the ancient
Thapsacus, where the Greeks forded it under Cyrus the younger. ...
/e/euphrates.htm - 26k

Red (124 Occurrences)
... The bar leading from Suez across, which is now sometimes forded, is too insignificant
to have furnished a passage-way as Robinson supposed (BR(3), I, 56-59). ...
/r/red.htm - 77k

Sea (4178 Occurrences)
... The bar leading from Suez across, which is now sometimes forded, is too insignificant
to have furnished a passage-way as Robinson supposed (BR(3), I, 56-59). ...
/s/sea.htm - 87k

Forded: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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