Joshua 4:3
in Joshua 4and 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.’”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of the Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and carry them over with you, and lay them down in the lodging-place, where ye shall lodge this night.
KJV
And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night.
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This verse in Joshua 4
Commentary
10 notes on this verseThe people of the Hebrews, as we learn, after many sufferings, and after accomplishing their weary course in the desert, did not enter the land of promise until it had first been brought, with Joshua for its guide and the pilot of its life, to the passage of the Jordan. But it is clear that Joshua also, who set up the twelve stones in the stream, was anticipating the coming of the twelve disciples, the ministers of Baptism.
This site's exposition
the LORD said to Joshua
on Joshua 4:1-3
The order comes while the priests stand in the riverbed and the water is held back, so the memorial is arranged before the miracle closes. The stones come from under the priests’ feet in the channel, ground no one could otherwise reach, so the monument is built from the riverbed.
This site's exposition
set them down in the place where you spend the night
The lodging place is left unnamed here. Clarke identifies it with the place called Gilgal at verse 19, and Barnes, following Josephus, puts that camp nearly five miles from the river. Each man carried his stone the whole way from the channel.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
Also, twelve stones from Jordan's bed, Left dry when waters backward flowed, He raised and firmly set in place, The type of Christ's apostles twelve.
The twelve patriarchs destined to become twelve tribes were arranged to be a type and pattern of the number of the apostles. So were the twelve fountains in the desert and twelve stones taken from the bed of the Jordan. We leave it to the …
The Medieval Church1 voice
Because the Holy Spirit brought together these articles of faith, contained in the depths of the Scriptures, into one through the twelve Apostles as through the most steadfast witnesses: hence it is that the aforesaid articles were collected into the one Creed of the Apostles. …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And command you them, saying,....
The two tribes, though seated already in their possession, yet, sharing in the mercy, must lend a hand to the memorial of it. The stones that must be set up for this memorial are ordered to be taken out of the midst of the channel (where, probably, there lay abundance of great stones), and as near as might be from the very place where the priests stood with the ark,
2 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
In the institution of signs, God always chose that which was most proper and significant, rather than that which is pompous or curious; for God hath chosen the foolish things of the world.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Where ye shall lodge this night - This was in the place that was afterwards called Gilgal. See Jos 4:19.
The words behind it
25 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְצַוּ֣וּ | vetzavu | and command | H6680 → | 494 times |
| אוֹתָם֮ | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לֵאמֹר֒ | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| שְׂאֽוּ־ | seu- | take up | H5375 → | 656 times |
| לָכֶ֨ם | lakhem | for <the> yourselves | ||
| מִזֶּ֜ה | mizeh | from here | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| מִתּ֣וֹךְ | mitokh | from [the] middle of | H8432 → | 418 times |
| הַיַּרְדֵּ֗ן | haiyarden | the Jordan | H3383 → | 182 times |
| מִמַּצַּב֙ | mimatzav | from [the] standing-place of | H4673 → | |
| רַגְלֵ֣י | raglei | [the] feet of | H7272 → | 247 times |
| הַכֹּהֲנִ֔ים | hakohanim | the priests | H3548 → | 750 times |
| הָכִ֖ין | hakhin | to make firm | H3559 → | 217 times |
| שְׁתֵּים־ | sheteim- | two [plus] | H8147 → | 768 times |
| עֶשְׂרֵ֣ה | ʾesreh | ten | H6240 → | 338 times |
| אֲבָנִ֑ים | ʾavanim | stones | H68 → | 273 times |
| וְהַעֲבַרְתֶּ֤ם | vehaavartem | and you will take over | H5674 → | 556 times |
| אוֹתָם֙ | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עִמָּכֶ֔ם | ʾimakhem | with you | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| וְהִנַּחְתֶּ֣ם | vehinachtem | and you will set down | H5117 → | 142 times |
| אוֹתָ֔ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בַּמָּל֕וֹן | bamalon | at the lodging place | H4411 → | |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| תָּלִ֥ינוּ | talinu | you will stay | H3885 → | 84 times |
| ב֖וֹ | vo | at it | ||
| הַלָּֽיְלָה׃ ס | halayelah | this night | H3915 → | 233 times |
וְצַוּ֣וּand command
vetzavuH6680 →494 times
אוֹתָם֮<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
לֵאמֹר֒<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
שְׂאֽוּ־take up
seu-H5375 →656 times
לָכֶ֨םfor <the> yourselves
lakhem
מִזֶּ֜הfrom here
mizehH2088 →1180 times
מִתּ֣וֹךְfrom [the] middle of
mitokhH8432 →418 times
הַיַּרְדֵּ֗ןthe Jordan
haiyardenH3383 →182 times
מִמַּצַּב֙from [the] standing-place of
mimatzavH4673 →
רַגְלֵ֣י[the] feet of
ragleiH7272 →247 times
הַכֹּהֲנִ֔יםthe priests
hakohanimH3548 →750 times
הָכִ֖יןto make firm
hakhinH3559 →217 times
שְׁתֵּים־two [plus]
sheteim-H8147 →768 times
עֶשְׂרֵ֣הten
ʾesrehH6240 →338 times
אֲבָנִ֑יםstones
ʾavanimH68 →273 times
וְהַעֲבַרְתֶּ֤םand you will take over
vehaavartemH5674 →556 times
אוֹתָם֙<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
עִמָּכֶ֔םwith you
ʾimakhemH5973 →1050 times
וְהִנַּחְתֶּ֣םand you will set down
vehinachtemH5117 →142 times
אוֹתָ֔ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
בַּמָּל֕וֹןat the lodging place
bamalonH4411 →
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
תָּלִ֥ינוּyou will stay
talinuH3885 →84 times
ב֖וֹat it
vo
הַלָּֽיְלָה׃ סthis night
halayelahH3915 →233 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 103:2Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget all His kind deeds—
it leads to
- Isaiah 63:7
I will make known the LORD’s loving devotion and His praiseworthy acts, because of all that the LORD has done for us—the many good things for the house of Israel according to His great…
- Psalms 116:12
How can I repay the LORD for all His goodness to me?
- Psalms 105:5
Remember the wonders He has done, His marvels, and the judgments He has pronounced,
- Luke 17:15–18
When one of them saw that he was healed, he came back, praising God in a loud voice.
- Deuteronomy 6:12
be careful not to forget the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
- Isaiah 63:7
Through
Psalms 11:4The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD is on His heavenly throne. His eyes are watching closely; they examine the sons of men.
it leads to
- Psalms 103:19
The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.
- Psalms 18:6
In my distress I called upon the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for His help reached His ears.
- Psalms 2:4
The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord taunts them.
- Psalms 103:19
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Joshua
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Bonaventure, Breviloquium, Part 5; Gregory of Nyssa, ON THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Peter Chrysologus, SERMON 1.0 and Prudentius, HYMNS FOR EVERY DAY 177.180.