Joshuachapter 4

A.Twelve stones lifted out of the riverbedvv. 1-9

1 When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, 2 “Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, 3 and command them: ‘Take up for yourselves twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan where the priests were standing, carry them with you, and set them down in the place where you spend the night.’” 4 So Joshua summoned the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, 5 and said to them, “Cross over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of Israel, 6 to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ 7 you are to tell them, ‘The waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters were cut off.’ Therefore these stones will be a memorial to the Israelites forever.” 8 Thus the Israelites did as Joshua had commanded them. They took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, one for each tribe of Israel, just as the LORD had told Joshua; and they carried them to the camp, where they set them down. 9 Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant stood. And the stones are there to this day.

B.All Israel passes over on dry groundvv. 10-18

10 Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until the people had completed everything the LORD had commanded Joshua to tell them, just as Moses had directed Joshua. The people hurried across, 11 and after everyone had finished crossing, the priests with the ark of the LORD crossed in the sight of the people. 12 The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over before the Israelites, armed for battle as Moses had instructed them. 13 About 40,000 troops armed for battle crossed over before the LORD into the plains of Jericho. 14 On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they revered him all the days of his life, just as they had revered Moses. 15 Then the LORD said to Joshua, 16 “Command the priests who carry the ark of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan.” 17 So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up from the Jordan.” 18 When the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up out of the Jordan and their feet touched the dry land, the waters of the Jordan returned to their course and overflowed all the banks as before.

C.Gilgal: a memorial built for the children's questionvv. 19-24

19 On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. 20 And there at Gilgal Joshua set up the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan. 21 Then Joshua said to the Israelites, “In the future, when your children ask their fathers, ‘What is the meaning of these stones?’ 22 you are to tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ 23 For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, just as He did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over. 24 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, and so that you may always fear the LORD your God.”

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Chapter summary

Two heaps of stones fix the miracle in memory.

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Two heaps of stones fix the miracle in memory. Twelve men, one from each tribe, carry twelve stones from where the priests' feet stood and set them up in the lodging place at Gilgal; twelve more are set in the midst of Jordan itself. The reason is catechetical: when your children ask in time to come, What mean ye by these stones?, you tell them the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant. Israel comes up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, the day the Passover lamb was taken, and camps in the east border of Jericho.

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary, John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament and John Calvin, Commentaries.

Context

History · Joshua — Joshua overview

A. 1–9 Twelve stones lifted out of the riverbed
B. 10–18 All Israel passes over on dry ground
C. 19–24 Gilgal: a memorial built for the children's question

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

Joshua 48 verses
- Joshua 4:2“Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe,
- Joshua 4:3and command them: ‘Take up for yourselves twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan where the priests were standing, carry them with you, and set them down in the place where you spend the night.’”
- Joshua 4:6to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’
- Joshua 4:8Thus the Israelites did as Joshua had commanded them. They took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, one for each tribe of Israel, just as the LORD had told Joshua; and they carried them to the camp, where they set them down.
- Joshua 4:18When the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up out of the Jordan and their feet touched the dry land, the waters of the Jordan returned to their course and overflowed all the banks as before.
- Joshua 4:19On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho.
- Read Joshua 4: 2 more there →
Joshua 37 verses
- Joshua 3:3and commanded the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, you are to set out from your positions and follow it.
- Joshua 3:7Now the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you just as I was with Moses.
- Joshua 3:8Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the waters, stand in the Jordan.’”
- Joshua 3:12Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe.
- Joshua 3:13When the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD—the Lord of all the earth—touch down in the waters of the Jordan, its flowing waters will be cut off and will stand up in a heap.”
- Joshua 3:15Now 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,
- Read Joshua 3: 1 more there →
Joshua 12 verses
- Joshua 1:14Your wives, your young children, and your livestock may remain in the land that Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But all your mighty men of valor must be armed for battle to cross over ahead of your brothers and help them,
- Joshua 1:16So they answered Joshua, “Everything you have commanded us we will do, and everywhere you send us we will go.
- Read Joshua 1 →
Acts 162 verses
- Acts 16:23And after striking them with many blows, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to guard them securely.
- Acts 16:35When daylight came, the magistrates sent their officers with the order: “Release those men.”
- Read Acts 16 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

Exodus 142 verses
- Exodus 14:21Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove back the sea with a strong east wind that turned it into dry land. So the waters were divided,
- Exodus 14:26Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.”
- Read Exodus 14 →
Deuteronomy 271 verse
- Deuteronomy 27:2And on the day you cross the Jordan into the land that the LORD your God is giving you, set up large stones and coat them with plaster.
- Read Deuteronomy 27 →
1 Kings 181 verse
- 1 Kings 18:31And Elijah took twelve stones, one for each tribe of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come and said, “Israel shall be your name.”
- Read 1 Kings 18 →
Numbers 131 verse
- Numbers 13:2“Send out for yourself men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each of their fathers’ tribes send one man who is a leader among them.”
- Read Numbers 13 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.