In biblical times, fords were shallow places in a river or stream that could be crossed on foot or by vehicle. These natural crossings were significant in the ancient Near East, where bridges were rare. Fords often served as strategic locations for travel, trade, and military maneuvers. The Bible mentions several fords, highlighting their importance in the historical and spiritual narratives of the Scriptures.

Fords of the Jordan River

The Jordan River, a major waterway in the biblical landscape, had several fords that were crucial for crossing. One of the most notable mentions is in the account of the Israelites entering the Promised Land. In Joshua 2:7, the spies sent by Joshua to scout Jericho fled to the fords of the Jordan to escape capture: "So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the roads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as they had gone out, the gate was shut."

Another significant event involving the fords of the Jordan is found in Judges 12:5-6, during the conflict between the Gileadites and the Ephraimites. The Gileadites seized the fords of the Jordan to prevent the Ephraimites from escaping: "The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Ephraim, and whenever a fugitive from Ephraim would say, 'Let me cross over,' the Gileadites would ask him, 'Are you an Ephraimite?' If he answered, 'No,' they would tell him, 'Please say Shibboleth.' If he said, 'Sibboleth,' because he could not pronounce it correctly, they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan."

Fords in Military Strategy

Fords were often pivotal in military strategies, serving as points of control or ambush. In 2 Samuel 17:22, David and his people crossed the Jordan at a ford 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."

The control of fords could determine the outcome of battles, as seen in the account of Gideon in Judges 7. After defeating the Midianites, Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, instructing them to seize the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth-barah, including the fords, to cut off the Midianites' escape route.

Symbolic and Spiritual Significance

Beyond their practical use, fords can also carry symbolic and spiritual significance in the biblical narrative. The crossing of the Jordan River by the Israelites under Joshua's leadership is a profound moment of transition and faith. It symbolizes the movement from the wilderness into the fulfillment of God's promises. The miraculous parting of the Jordan's waters at the fords (Joshua 3:14-17) echoes the earlier crossing of the Red Sea, reinforcing themes of deliverance and divine intervention.

In summary, fords in the Bible are more than mere geographical features; they are integral to the unfolding of God's plan and the history of His people. They serve as settings for divine encounters, moments of decision, and acts of faith, reflecting the broader spiritual journey of the biblical narrative.4569b. mabarah -- a ford, pass, passage
... 4569a, 4569b. mabarah. 4570 . a ford, pass, passage. Transliteration: mabarah
Short Definition: fords. Word Origin from abar Definition ...
/hebrew/4569b.htm - 5k

6160. arabah -- a steppe or desert plain, also a desert valley ...
... a desert valley running S. from the Sea of Galilee NASB Word Usage Arabah (28),
desert (7), desert plain (2), desert plains (2), deserts (3), fords (1), plain ...
/hebrew/6160.htm - 6k

5679. abarah -- ford
... ford. Transliteration: abarah Phonetic Spelling: (ab-aw-raw') Short Definition:
ford. Word Origin from abar Definition ford NASB Word Usage ford (1), fords (1). ...
/hebrew/5679.htm - 6k

The Voice in the Wilderness.
... When his time to speak came he came out of the wilderness to a place on the
banks of the Jordan, just above Jericho, called The Fords. ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter vi the voice in.htm

In Jericho and at Bethany - Jericho - a Guest with Zacch??us - the ...
... 11.) ONCE more, and now for the last time, were the fords of Jordan passed,
and Christ was on the soil of Jud??a proper. Behind ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xxiv in jericho and.htm

The Nations of the North-East
... East. The kings of Mitanni held guard over the fords of the Euphrates,
and intrigued in Palestine against the Egyptian Pharaohs. ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter iv the nations of.htm

Prayer --The All-Important Essence of Earthly Worship
... The great events and crowning periods of the life of Jesus we find Him in
prayer"at the beginning of His ministry, at the fords of the Jordan, when the Holy ...
/.../bounds/the reality of prayer/iii prayerthe all-important essence of.htm

Jesus Christ an Example of Prayer
... He is in the act of prayer when we find Him at the fords of the Jordan, when the
waters of baptism, at the hands of John the Baptist, are upon Him. ...
/.../bounds/the reality of prayer/vii jesus christ an example.htm

The First Disciples
... his ministry of preaching and baptizing, moving northward up the Jordan valley to
Bethany, on the eastern side of the river, near one of the fords below the ...
/.../rhees/the life of jesus of nazareth/viii the first disciples.htm

A Nation's Struggle for a Home and Freedom.
... The first of the two main fords in the lower Jordan is just below the point where
the Wady Kelt enters the Jordan from the west and deposits its mass of mud ...
/.../kent/the making of a nation/study xii a nations struggle.htm

The Beginning of an Endless Friendship.
... of years. It led down to the river, and then along its bank through a village
scatteringly nestled by the fords of the river. The ...
/.../gordon/quiet talks on service/the beginning of an endless.htm

The First Disciples: iii. Philip
... Christ did not casually stumble upon Philip, upon that morning, before they departed
from the fords of the Jordan on their short journey to Cana of Galilee. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture i/the first disciples iii philip.htm

The Last Journey to Jerusalem.
... It was the time of the Passover Feast at Jerusalem, and as they crossed at the Fords
of Jordan and went over the Jericho plain they must have joined some of ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter xxxiii the last journey.htm

Fords (9 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Fords (9 Occurrences). ... Judges 12:5 The Gileadites
took the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. ...
/f/fords.htm - 9k

Ford (3 Occurrences)
... Mention is frequently made of the fords of the Jordan (Joshua 2:7; Judges 3:28;
12:5, 6), which must have been very numerous; about fifty perhaps. ...
/f/ford.htm - 11k

E'phraimites (9 Occurrences)
... with their villages. (See RSV). Judges 12:5 And the Gileadites took the
fords of the Jordan against the E'phraimites. And when any ...
/e/e'phraimites.htm - 9k

Ehud (12 Occurrences)
... At length Ehud, by a stratagem, put Eglon to death with a two-edged dagger a cubit
long, and routed the Moabites at the fords of the Jordan, putting 10,000 of ...
/e/ehud.htm - 11k

Shibboleth (1 Occurrence)
... defeated by the Gileadites under the leadership of Jephthah, and tried to escape
by the "passages of the Jordan," the Gileadites seized the fords and would ...
/s/shibboleth.htm - 8k

Arnon (23 Occurrences)
... A wide stretch of country thus drains into the valley by means of a great network
of smaller wadies-the "valleys of Arnon." The "fords of the Arnon" (Isaiah 16 ...
/a/arnon.htm - 17k

Joshua (211 Occurrences)
... of Jericho, the frontier and fortified city which first stands in the way of an
invader from the East who proposes to cross the river by the fords near its ...
/j/joshua.htm - 101k

Seized (118 Occurrences)
... he said to them, "Follow after me; for the LORD has given your enemies the Moabites
into your hand." So they went down after him, and seized the fords of the ...
/s/seized.htm - 34k

Opposite (137 Occurrences)
... (BBE). Judges 3:28 He said to them, "Follow me; for Yahweh has delivered your enemies
the Moabites into your hand." They followed him, and took the fords of the ...
/o/opposite.htm - 37k

Kishon (6 Occurrences)
... ft. deep through the plain. It is easily crossed at the fords by those who
know how to avoid the localities of the springs. In time ...
/k/kishon.htm - 12k

What is the meaning of shibboleth in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

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