That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far at the city Adam, that is beside Zarethan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right opposite Jericho.
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George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Mountain. Hebrew, "heap or bottle. "The billows were forced to roll back almost as far as the lake of Genesareth, where Sarthan stands, about twenty leagues above Jericho.
Sarthan. Hebrew, "rose up on a heap, very far from (or to) the city of Adom, that is beside Sarthan. "The situation of Adom can only be ascertained by that of Sarthan, which was near Bethsan, or Scythopolis, (3 Kings iv. 12,) in the vale of Jezrahel, on the Jordan. Many copies of the Septuagint read Cariathiarim, though it was six or seven leagues up the country, west of Jericho. (Calmet)
The swelling billows might perhaps be seen from this place. (Haydock)
But it could not properly determine how far the waters rolled back. (Calmet)
Failed. Hebrew, "and those that came down towards the sea of the plain, (or of Araba, which means a desert, fit only for pasturage) the salt sea, failed, were cut off "from the waters above Jericho. The Jordan after running three miles in the lake of Sodom, without mixing its waters, becomes at last reluctantly confounded with it. Velut invitus.postremo ebibitur, aquasque laudatas perdit, pestilent bus mixtus. (Pliny, v. 15.)
