Jos 4:13 | NET2full | STEP | About 40,000 battle-ready troops marched past the Lord to fight on the rift valley plains of Jericho .

‏ Joshua 4:13

13 About 40,000 battle-ready troops ^{▼▼tn Heb “men equipped for battle.”} marched past the Lord to fight ^{▼▼tn Heb “for war.”} on the rift valley plains ^{▼▼sn The עֲרָבָה (ʿaravah, “rift valley”) extends from Galilee to the Gulf of Aqaba. The עַרְבוֹת (ʿarevot) of Jericho” refer to the parts of the Jordan Valley in the vicinity of Jericho (see HALOT 880 s.v. עֲרָבָה). The region is characterized by gently sloping plains which descend about 450 feet over the five miles from Jericho to the Jordan. Many translation say simply the “plains of Jericho” for the portion west of the Jordan and “plains of Moab” for the eastern portion. The translation here clarifies that the plains are part of the rift valley basin.} of Jericho.