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Joshua 4

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The Command to Build a Memorial 1–9

1
And it came to pass, when all the nation were clean passed over the Jordan, that Jehovah spake unto Joshua, saying,
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Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man,
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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. ​
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Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man:
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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;
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that this may be a sign among you, that, when your children ask in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? ​
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then ye shall say unto them, Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah; when it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever. ​
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And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, as Jehovah spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel; and they carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.
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And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests that bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day. ​

Completion of the Crossing 10–14

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For the priests that bare the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan, until everything was finished that Jehovah commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua: and the people hasted and passed over. ​
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And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over, that the ark of Jehovah passed over, and the priests, in the presence of the people.
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And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spake unto them: ​
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about forty thousand ready armed for war passed over before Jehovah unto battle, to the plains of Jericho.
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On that day Jehovah magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life. ​

The Waters Return 15–18

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And Jehovah spake unto Joshua, saying,
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Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of the Jordan.
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Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come ye up out of the Jordan.
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And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of Jehovah were come up out of the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up unto the dry ground, that the waters of the Jordan returned unto their place, and went over all its banks, as aforetime. ​

The Memorial at Gilgal 19–24

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And the people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, on the east border of Jericho. ​
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And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, did Joshua set up in Gilgal.
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And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones?
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then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.
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For Jehovah your God dried up the waters of the Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as Jehovah your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were passed over; ​
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that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of Jehovah, that it is mighty; that ye may fear Jehovah your God for ever. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Joshua 4

Verse 3

twelve stones — They were taken from 'the place where the priests' feet stood firm' (matstsab, a fixed station), carried over and left in 'the lodging place' (malon), which v.19 names as Gilgal. The command recalls Deut 27:2, to set up stones 'on the day when ye shall pass over Jordan'.

Verse 6

a sign among you — Oth, a sign or monument. 'In time to come' is machar, literally 'tomorrow': the children's question is looked for. The pattern is that of Ex 13:14, 'when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this?'; v.21 repeats the charge.

Verse 7

were cut off — Karath, to cut, the verb used of making a covenant, and the ark is 'of the covenant' (berith). The verse says it twice: the waters were cut off before the ark. The stones are a 'memorial' (zikkaron) 'for ever' (olam), a lasting record of that.

Verse 9

twelve stones in the midst of Jordan — A second set of twelve, set 'in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood' (matstsab), distinct from the twelve carried to the lodging place (v.8) and pitched in Gilgal (v.20). 'Unto this day' marks them as still standing when this was written.

Verse 10

hasted — Mahar, to hurry. The priests stood in the Jordan 'until every thing was finished' (tamam, the verb behind 'clean passed over' in vv.1, 11) that the LORD told Joshua to speak. 'According to all that Moses commanded Joshua' recalls the charge Moses laid on him (Num 27:23).

Verse 12

passed over armed — Chamush, equipped for war. Reuben, Gad and half Manasseh keep the pledge, 'We will pass over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan' (Num 32:32), which Joshua had called to mind in Josh 1:14. Their number is given in v.13.

Verse 14

magnified Joshua — Gadal, to make great. It fulfils the LORD's word, 'This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel' (Josh 3:7). The people 'feared' (yare) him as they had feared Moses, honouring the leader the LORD had appointed.

Verse 18

returned unto their place — Shub, to turn back. The waters came back when the priests' soles were 'lifted up unto the dry land' (nathaq, plucked up), and 'flowed over all his banks' as before, the overflow described in Josh 3:15. The river stood as long as the ark stood in it.

Verse 19

the tenth day of the first month — This was the day on which each household was to take a lamb (Ex 12:3); the Passover followed at Gilgal on the fourteenth (Josh 5:10). Gilgal lay 'in the east border of Jericho' (mizrach, the sunrise side), and stones and camp were set there (v.20).

Verse 23

dried up — Yabesh, to dry up, used twice: the Jordan 'from before you' and the Red sea 'from before us'. The sea's Hebrew name is Yam Suph, sea of reeds. The LORD who 'made the sea dry land' (Ex 14:21) did the same here, and the speaker says 'us', joining the generations.

Verse 24

the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty — Yad (hand) and chazaq (strong). The purpose is twofold: 'all the people of the earth' are to know, and Israel is to 'fear' (yare) the LORD, the verb used of the people's fear of Joshua in v.14. Compare 1 Kings 8:43.