Joshua 4

Joshua 4:1 This happened when the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan. Yahveh said to Joshua:

Joshua 4:2 “Bring twelve men from the people, one man for each tribe,

Joshua 4:3 and command them: Take twelve stones from this place in the middle of the Jordan where the priests are standing, carry them with you, and set them down at the place where you spend the night.”

Joshua 4:4 So Joshua summoned the twelve men he had secured from the Israelites, one man for each tribe,

Joshua 4:5 and said to them, “Go across to the ark of Yahveh your God in the middle of the Jordan. Each of you lift a stone onto his shoulder, one for each of the Israelite tribes,

Joshua 4:6 so that this will be a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean to you? ‘

Joshua 4:7 You should tell them, ‘The water of the Jordan was cut off in front of the ark of Yahveh’s covenant. When it crossed the Jordan, the Jordan’s water was cut off.’ Therefore, these stones will be a permanent[1] memorial for the Israelites.

Joshua 4:8 The Israelites did just like Joshua had commanded them. The twelve men took stones from the middle of the Jordan, one for each of the Israelite tribes, just like Yahveh had told Joshua. They carried them to the camp and set them down there.

Joshua 4:9 Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant were standing. The stones are still there today.

Joshua 4:10 The priests carrying the ark continued standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything was finished that Yahveh had commanded Joshua to tell the people, in keeping with all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people rushed across,

Joshua 4:11 and after everyone had finished crossing, the priests with the ark of Yahveh crossed in the sight of the people.

Joshua 4:12 As Moses had instructed them, the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh went in battle formation at the front line of the Israelites.

Joshua 4:13 About forty thousand equipped for war crossed to the plains of Jericho in Yahveh’s presence.

Joshua 4:14 On that day Yahveh exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they revered him throughout his life, like they had revered Moses.

Joshua 4:15 Yahveh told Joshua,

Joshua 4:16 “Command the priests who carry the ark of the testimony to come up from the Jordan.”

Joshua 4:17 So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up from the Jordan.”

Joshua 4:18 When the priests carrying the ark of Yahveh’s covenant came up from the middle of the Jordan, and their feet stepped out on the solid ground, the water of the Jordan resumed its course, flowing over all the banks like before.

Joshua 4:19 The people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho.

Joshua 4:20 Then Joshua set up in Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan,

Joshua 4:21: He said to the Israelites, “In the future, when your children ask their fathers, ‘What is the meaning of these stones?’

Joshua 4:22 You should tell your children, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground’

Joshua 4:23 because Yahveh, your God, dried up the water of the Jordan in front of you until you had crossed over, just like Yahveh, your God, did to the Red Sea, which he dried up in front of us until we had crossed over.

Joshua 4:24 This is so that all the peoples of the land may know that Yahveh’s hand is mighty, and so that you may always fear Yahveh your God.”

[1] עוֹלָם = permanent. Joshua 4:7; 8:28; 14:9; long ago Joshua 24:2.

Joshua 4 quotes:

“The story of chapter 3 picks up again in Joshua 4:14. The first thirteen verses explain why the tribes chose twelve representatives (3:12). These representatives were to pick up rocks that would be fitting memorials to the crossing of the Jordan. The importance of this endeavor is underlined by the repetition of the commands as coming from God and Joshua and the note that the stones are to be a memorial to the people (lit. sons or descendants) of Israel forever (4:7). Children would ask about the stones, and adults could tell them the story of the victorious crossing (4:6).”

Harris J. Gordon et al. Joshua Judges Ruth. Hendrickson Publishers ; Paternoster Press 2000. p. 37.

“God stopped the flow of the Jordan for the practical reason of giving his people access to the Land of Promise. God did it ultimately so that his people would recognize his power and reverence him (4:24). They would be assured that when they faced seemingly insurmountable obstacles, they could trust God to work in their behalf.”

Lyles, Ron, et al. Joshua and Judges. 1st ed, Baptistway Press, 2005. p. 38.

“The memorial stones are designed to keep alive in Israel the memory of the miracle wrought by the Lord: when the Covenant Box crossed the Jordan into Canaan, the Jordan stopped flowing and the people crossed on dry land. They did as their fathers had done when they ey. the Sea of Reeds on dry land as they left Egypt.”

Bratcher Robert G and Barclay Moon Newman. A Handbook on the Book of Joshua. United Bible Societies 1992. p. 46.