Joshua 4
4
Israel Commemorates the Crossing
1 When the entire nation was on the other side,#tn Heb “And when all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan.” the Lord told Joshua, 2 “Select for yourselves twelve men from the people, one per tribe. 3 Instruct them, ‘Pick up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests#tn Heb “the feet of the priests.” stand firmly, and carry them over with you and put them in the place where you camp tonight.’”
4 Joshua summoned the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one per tribe. 5 Joshua told them, “Go in front of the ark of the Lord your God to the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to put a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the Israelite tribes. 6 The stones#tn Heb “that this may be”; the referent of “this” (the twelve stones) has been specified in the translation for clarity. will be a reminder to you.#tn Heb “in order that this might be a sign among you.” When your children ask someday, ‘Why are these stones important to you?’ 7 tell them how the water of the Jordan stopped flowing#tn Heb “were cut off from before.” before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the water of the Jordan stopped flowing.#tn Heb “how the waters descending from above stood still.” These stones will be a lasting memorial for the Israelites.”
8 The Israelites did just as Joshua commanded. They picked up twelve stones, according to the number of the Israelite tribes, from the middle of the Jordan as the Lord had instructed Joshua. They carried them over with them to the camp and put them there. 9 Joshua also set up twelve stones#tn Here “also” has been supplied in the translation to make it clear (as indicated by v. 20) that these are not the same stones the men took from the river bed.in the middle of the Jordan in the very place where the priests carrying the ark of the covenant stood. They remain there to this very day.
10 Now the priests carrying the ark of the covenant were standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything the Lord had commanded Joshua to tell the people was accomplished, in accordance with all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people went across quickly, 11 and when all the people had finished crossing, the ark of the Lord and the priests crossed as the people looked on.#tn Heb “in the presence of the people.” 12 The Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed for battle ahead of the Israelites, just as Moses had instructed them. 13 About forty thousand battle-ready troops#tn Heb “men equipped for battle.” marched past the Lord to fight#tn Heb “for war.” on the plains of Jericho.#map For location see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1. 14 That day the Lord brought honor to Joshua before all Israel. They respected#tn Heb “feared.” him all his life,#tn Heb “all the days of his life.” just as they had respected#tn Heb “had feared.” Moses.
15 The Lord told Joshua, 16 “Instruct the priests carrying the ark of the covenantal laws#tn Traditionally, “the ark of the testimony,” another name for the ark of the covenant. The Hebrew term עֵדוּת (’edut, “testimony” or “witness”) here refers to the Mosaic covenant and the body of stipulations contained within it (see HALOT 2:791). to come up from the Jordan.” 17 So Joshua instructed the priests, “Come up from the Jordan!” 18 The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord came up from the middle of the Jordan, and as soon as they set foot on dry land,#tn Heb “and the soles of the feet of the priests were brought up to the dry land.” the water of the Jordan flowed again and returned to flood stage.#tn Heb “and the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and went as formerly over their banks.”sn Verses 15-18 give a more detailed account of the priests’ crossing that had been briefly described in v. 11.
19 The people went up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month#sn The first month was the month Abib (= late March-early April in the modern calendar). The Passover in Egypt also occurred on the tenth day of the first month (Exod 12:2; 13:4). and camped in Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho.#map For location see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1. 20 Now Joshua set up in Gilgal the#tn Heb “these,” referring specifically to the twelve stones mentioned in vv. 3-7. twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan. 21 He told the Israelites, “When your children someday ask their fathers, ‘What do these stones represent?’#tn Heb “What are these stones?” 22 explain#tn Heb “make known.” to your children, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan River#tn Heb “crossed this Jordan”; the word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied to clarify the meaning. on dry ground.’ 23 For the Lord your God dried up the water of the Jordan before you while you crossed over. It was just like when the Lord your God dried up the Red Sea before us while we crossed it.#tn Heb “just as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea when he dried [it] up before us while we crossed over.” 24 He has done this so#tn Heb “in order that.” all the nations#tn Or “peoples.” of the earth might recognize the Lord’s power#tn Heb “know the hand of the Lord that it is strong.” and so you might always obey#tn Heb “fear.” the Lord your God.”
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Joshua 4
4
1And it came to pass when the whole nation had completely gone over the Jordan, that Jehovah spoke to Joshua, saying, 2Take you twelve men out of the people, one man out of every tribe, 3and command them, saying, Take up hence out of the midst of the Jordan, from 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. 4And Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had appointed of the children of Israel, a man out of every tribe; 5and Joshua said to them, Pass before the ark of Jehovah your God#GodHebrew: Elohim into the midst of the Jordan, and lift up each of you a stone and put it upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, 6that this may be a sign in your midst. When your children ask hereafter, saying, What mean ye by these stones? 7then ye shall say to them, That the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah; when it went through 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. 8And the children of Israel did so, as Joshua had commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, as Jehovah had spoken to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel; and they carried them over with them to the lodging-place, and laid them down there. 9And twelve stones did Joshua set up in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant had stood firm; and they are there to this day.
10And the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan, until everything was finished that Jehovah had commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. And the people hasted and passed over. 11And it came to pass, when all the people had completely gone over, that the ark of Jehovah went over, and the priests, in the presence of the people. 12And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, went over in array before the children of Israel, as Moses had spoken to them. 13About forty thousand armed for military service passed over before Jehovah to the war, unto the plains of Jericho. 14On that day Jehovah magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they had feared Moses, all the days of his life. 15And Jehovah spoke to Joshua, saying, 16Command the priests who bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of the Jordan. 17And Joshua commanded the priests, saying, Come up out of the Jordan. 18And it came to pass when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of Jehovah had come up out of the midst of the Jordan, when the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up on to the dry land, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place, and they flowed as previously, over all its banks. 19And the people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, on the eastern extremity of Jericho.
20And those twelve stones which they had taken out of the Jordan did Joshua set up in Gilgal. 21And he spoke to the children of Israel, saying, When your children hereafter ask their fathers, saying, What mean these stones? 22then ye shall let your children know, saying, On dry land did Israel come over this Jordan; 23because Jehovah your God#GodHebrew: Elohim dried up the waters of the Jordan from before you, until ye had passed over, as Jehovah your God#GodHebrew: Elohim did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we had passed over; 24that all peoples of the earth might know the hand of Jehovah, that it is mighty; that ye might fear Jehovah your God#GodHebrew: Elohim continually.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.