Joshua4

After all Israel had crossed the Jordan River on dry ground, the LORD commanded Joshua to select twelve men, one from each tribe, to take twelve stones from the riverbed where the priests stood. These stones were to serve as a perpetual memorial in Gilgal, reminding future generations of God's power in drying up the Jordan. As the priests bearing the Ark ascended from the river, the waters returned to their normal flow, magnifying Joshua in the sight of all Israel.
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The Command to Build a Memorial

1
And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD 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 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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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 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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That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? ​
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Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of 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 Jordan, as the LORD spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.
9
And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day. ​

Completion of the Crossing

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For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until every thing was finished that the LORD 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 the LORD 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 half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spake unto them: ​
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About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the LORD unto battle, to the plains of Jericho.
14
On that day the LORD 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

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And the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying,
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Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of Jordan.
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Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come ye up out of Jordan.
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And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD were come up out of the midst of Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as they did before. ​

The Memorial at Gilgal

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And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho. ​
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And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch 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 the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over: ​
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That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever. ​

Study Notes for Joshua 4

Verse 3

These twelve stones, taken from the precise spot where the priests bearing the Ark stood, were meant to transform a natural object into a permanent, physical reminder of God's miraculous intervention.

Verse 6

This question-and-answer structure highlights the pedagogical purpose of the stones: the memorial was designed specifically to facilitate the transmission of covenant history to future generations.

Verse 7

The cutting off of the waters confirms the Ark's function as the physical manifestation of God's presence and covenant power. The memorial ensures this event is remembered 'for ever.'

Verse 9

This verse describes a second set of twelve stones, placed permanently in the riverbed. This may serve as a silent witness to the miracle, or perhaps reflects a conflation of two traditions regarding the memorial.

Verse 10

The priests remained in the river until the entire command was fulfilled, emphasizing the necessity of complete obedience to divine instruction before the manifestation of God's power could cease.

Verse 12

The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half-Manasseh fulfilled their promise made to Moses (Numbers 32) to lead the military vanguard into Canaan before settling their own territory east of the Jordan.

Verse 14

This event serves to publicly validate Joshua’s leadership. Just as God had used the Red Sea miracle to confirm Moses, the Jordan miracle confirms Joshua as the divinely appointed successor.

Verse 18

As soon as the priests—the bearers of God's presence—stepped onto dry land, the natural order immediately returned, demonstrating that the river's halt was entirely dependent on divine agency.

Verse 19

The tenth day of the first month (Nisan/Abib) is highly symbolic, marking exactly forty years since the first Passover. Gilgal became their base camp and initial center for worship.

Verse 23

This explicit comparison between the Jordan and the Red Sea (Ex. 14) links the conquest generation directly to the foundational covenant experience, confirming that the same mighty God is acting on their behalf.

Verse 24

The ultimate goal of God's mighty acts is twofold: to reveal His power to the surrounding nations and to inspire lasting reverence and obedience ('fear') among His own people.

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