Joshua 4:5
in Joshua 4and 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,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of Jehovah your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel;
KJV
And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:
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This verse in Joshua 4
Commentary
7 notes on this verseImages are of two kinds: either they are words written in a book … or else they are material images such as the twelve stones which he commanded to be taken from the Jordan for a second memorial (such a mystery, truly the greatest ever to befall the faithful people!) of the carrying of the ark and the parting of the waters. Therefore we now set up images in remembrance of valiant men, that we may zealously desire to follow their example.
This site's exposition
So Joshua summoned the twelve men
on Joshua 4:4-7
The reason for the pile is given before it exists, since a child will ask what the stones mean. The same shape stands at Exodus 12:26 and Deuteronomy 6:20, where the question comes from the child and the answer is a piece of history.
This site's exposition
take a stone upon his shoulder
A shoulder load is a modest stone. Clarke doubts that twelve such stones could make a pile anyone would notice, and supposes they were set on a raised base of masonry. Henry reads the plain material as God's habit of choosing the fitting sign over the showy one.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
God ordered twelve stones to be taken from the Jordan, and specified why, for he says, "When your children ask their fathers in time to come, what do these stones mean? Then you shall let your children know, Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground, for the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over," and thus the ark was saved and all the people. Shall we not then record with images the saving passion and miracles of Christ our God, so that when my son asks me, "What is this?" I may say that God the Word became man, and that through him not only Israel passed through the Jordan, but the whole human race regained its original happiness? Through him, human nature rose from the lowest depths to the most exalted heights, and in him sat on the Father's throne.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
), that is, into the presence of the ark, which now stands in the midst of Jordan, and thence fetch these stones." 4. The use of these stones is here appointed for a sign (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+odd-straight-quotes
And Joshua said unto them,....
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 words behind it
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לָהֶם֙ | lahem | to <the> them | ||
| יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַ | yehoshua' | Joshua | H3091 → | 218 times |
| עִ֠בְרוּ | ʾivru | pass over | H5674 → | 556 times |
| לִפְנֵ֨י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| אֲר֧וֹן | ʾaron | [the] ark of | H727 → | 202 times |
| יְהוָ֛ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֖ם | ʾeloheikhem | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | into | H413 → | 5510 times |
| תּ֣וֹךְ | tokh | [the] middle of | H8432 → | 418 times |
| הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן | haiyarden | the Jordan | H3383 → | 182 times |
| וְהָרִ֨ימוּ | veharimu | and take up | H7311 → | |
| לָכֶ֜ם | lakhem | for <the> yourselves | ||
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | each | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֶ֤בֶן | ʾeven | a stone | H68 → | 273 times |
| אַחַת֙ | ʾachat | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| שִׁכְמ֔וֹ | shikhmo | shoulder his | H7926 → | |
| לְמִסְפַּ֖ר | lemispar | to [the] number of | H4557 → | |
| שִׁבְטֵ֥י | shivtei | [the] tribes of | H7626 → | 190 times |
| בְנֵי־ | venei- | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
לָהֶם֙to <the> them
lahem
יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַJoshua
yehoshua'H3091 →218 times
עִ֠בְרוּpass over
ʾivruH5674 →556 times
לִפְנֵ֨י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
אֲר֧וֹן[the] ark of
ʾaronH727 →202 times
יְהוָ֛הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֖םGod your
ʾeloheikhemH430 →2601 times
אֶל־into
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
תּ֣וֹךְ[the] middle of
tokhH8432 →418 times
הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ןthe Jordan
haiyardenH3383 →182 times
וְהָרִ֨ימוּand take up
veharimuH7311 →
לָכֶ֜םfor <the> yourselves
lakhem
אִ֣ישׁeach
ʾishH376 →1663 times
אֶ֤בֶןa stone
ʾevenH68 →273 times
אַחַת֙one
ʾachatH259 →971 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
שִׁכְמ֔וֹshoulder his
shikhmoH7926 →
לְמִסְפַּ֖רto [the] number of
lemisparH4557 →
שִׁבְטֵ֥י[the] tribes of
shivteiH7626 →190 times
בְנֵי־[the] people of
venei-H1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Joshua
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Damascene, ON DIVINE IMAGES 3.23; John Damascene, ON DIVINE IMAGES 1.18; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.