King James Version
Joshua 4
24 verses with commentary
Memorial Stones Set Up
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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The phrase "out of every tribe a man" (ish echad ish echad leshevet, אִישׁ אֶחָד אִישׁ אֶחָד לַשָּׁבֶט) uses repetition to stress individual tribal selection—not merely twelve random men but specific representatives of each tribe. This pattern of twelve representatives appears throughout Israel's history (Numbers 1:4, 13:2, Revelation 21:12), symbolizing the unity and completeness of God's covenant people.
This memorial action served multiple purposes: (1) it testified to God's miraculous intervention, (2) it created a teaching opportunity for future generations (Joshua 4:6-7), and (3) it unified the tribes in acknowledging their shared salvation history. The number twelve also anticipates Christ's selection of twelve apostles, who would become foundations of the new covenant people of God (Matthew 10:1-4, Ephesians 2:20). Both old and new covenant memorials emphasize representative leadership and collective identity in God's redemptive purposes.
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? in time: Heb. to morrow
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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.
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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.
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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. prepared: or, ready armed
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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.
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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. lifted: Heb. plucked up flowed: Heb. went
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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? in time: Heb. to morrow
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This verse establishes the pedagogical purpose of the twelve memorial stones taken from the Jordan. The phrase lema'an (לְמַעַן, "in order that") indicates divine intentionality—the stones serve as a teaching tool for future generations. The Hebrew machar (מָחָר, "in time to come") literally means "tomorrow" but idiomatically refers to the indefinite future, emphasizing that this memorial transcends the present generation.
The anticipated question "What mean these stones?" (mah ha'avanim ha'eleh, מָה הָאֲבָנִים הָאֵלֶּה) creates a deliberate teaching opportunity. God ordains visible signs to prompt inquiry from children, who will then receive instruction in His mighty works. This reflects the biblical pattern that faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17) and that covenant parents bear responsibility for transmitting redemptive history to children (Deuteronomy 6:7, 20-25; Psalm 78:1-8).
Theologically, this establishes the principle of catechesis—using physical objects, ceremonies, and occasions to teach spiritual truth. The stones function sacramentally, not as sources of power but as visible words proclaiming God's faithfulness. This anticipates the New Testament sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper, which similarly serve as visible proclamations of gospel truth demanding explanation and instruction.
Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.
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This verse contains the prescribed response to children's questions about the memorial stones. The Hebrew verb yada (יָדַע, "let...know") means more than cognitive awareness—it implies experiential understanding and personal appropriation of truth. Parents must actively transmit covenant history, not merely answer questions passively. The phrase "Israel came over this Jordan on dry land" (beyabashah avar Yisrael, בְּיַבָּשָׁה עָבַר יִשְׂרָאֵל) summarizes the miraculous crossing concisely.
The emphasis on "dry land" (yabashah, יַבָּשָׁה) recalls the Red Sea crossing (Exodus 14:21-22), creating deliberate typological connection between the two events. Both demonstrate Yahweh's absolute sovereignty over nature and His faithfulness to covenant promises. The use of "Israel" rather than "we" or "our ancestors" maintains corporate covenant identity—later generations participate in the same covenant community that experienced these redemptive acts.
Theologically, this establishes that covenant knowledge transfers through testimony, not mere genetic descent. Each generation must hear, believe, and appropriate the gospel. Parents serve as primary catechists, responsible for ensuring children understand redemptive history and their place within God's covenant people. This anticipates the New Testament pattern where households receive baptism and instruction together (Acts 16:14-15, 31-34; 1 Corinthians 7:14), with parents charged to raise children "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4).
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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This verse explicitly connects the Jordan crossing to the Red Sea deliverance, using the verb yabesh (יָבֵשׁ, "dried up") for both events. The phrase "until ye were passed over" (ad ovrekhem, עַד עָבְרְכֶם) emphasizes divine timing—God maintained the miracle exactly as long as necessary for Israel's complete passage. This demonstrates God's precision in providential care, neither premature nor delayed.
The typological connection between the two crossings is theologically rich. The Red Sea marked deliverance from bondage; the Jordan marked entry into inheritance. Together they bracket Israel's journey from slavery to freedom, from wandering to rest, from promise to possession. The shift from first person ("before us") to second person ("before you") in some Hebrew manuscripts creates continuity between generations—the same God who delivered fathers now delivers children.
This two-fold water crossing typologically prefigures Christian salvation. Baptism symbolizes both our Red Sea (deliverance from sin's bondage through Christ's death and resurrection) and our Jordan (entrance into new life and spiritual inheritance). The Apostle Paul explicitly connects the Red Sea crossing to baptism (1 Corinthians 10:1-2), establishing that these Old Testament events foreshadow New Testament realities. Just as Israel passed through water to freedom and inheritance, believers pass through baptismal waters symbolizing union with Christ in death and resurrection.
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. for ever: Heb. all days