4 2 God commandeth Joshua to set up twelve stones in Jordan. 18 The waters return to their old course. 20 Other twelve stones are set upon Gilgal. 21 This miracle must be declared to posterity.
1 And when all the people were wholly gone (A)over Jordan (after the Lord had spoken unto Joshua, saying,
2 Take you twelve men out of the people out of every tribe a man,
3 And command you them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the Priests stood in a [a]readiness, twelve stones, which ye shall take away with you, and leave them in the [b]lodging, where you shall lodge this night)
4 Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man,
5 And Joshua said unto them, Go over before the Ark of the Lord your God, even through the midst of Jordan, and take up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel,
6 That this may be a sign among you, that when your [c]children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What meant you by these stones?
7 Then ye may answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord: for when it passed through Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: therefore these stones are a memorial unto the children of Israel forever.
8 Then the children of Israel did even so as Joshua had commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan as the Lord had said unto Joshua, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them away with them unto the lodging, and laid them down there.
9 And Joshua set up [d]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 there have they continued unto this day.
10 ¶ So the Priests, which bare the Ark, stood in the midst of Jordan, until everything was finished that the Lord had commanded Joshua to say unto the people, according to all that Moses charged Joshua: then the people hasted and went over.
11 When all the people were clean passed over, the Ark of the Lord went over also, and the Priests [e]before the people.
12 (B)And the sons of Reuben, and the sons of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh went over before the children of Israel armed, as Moses had charged them.
13 Even forty thousand prepared for war, went before the [f]Lord unto battle, into the plain of Jericho.
14 That day the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they [g]feared him, as they feared Moses all the days of his life.
15 And the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying,
16 Command the Priests that bear the [h]Ark of the testimony, to come up out of Jordan.
17 Joshua therefore commanded the Priests, saying, Come ye up out of Jordan.
18 And when the Priests that bare the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, were come up out of the midst of Jordan, and as soon as the soles of the Priests’ feet were set on the dry land, the waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all the banks thereof, as they did before.
19 ¶ So the people came up out of Jordan the tenth day of the [i]first month, and pitched in Gilgal, in the East side of Jericho.
20 Also the twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.
21 And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, and say, What mean these stones?
22 Then ye shall show your children, and say, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land:
23 For the Lord your God dried up the waters of Jordan before you, until ye were gone over as the Lord your God did the red Sea, (C)which he dried up before us, till we were gone over,
24 That all the people of the [j]world may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that ye might fear the Lord your God continually.
Footnotes
- Joshua 4:3 As Josh. 3:17.
- Joshua 4:3 Meaning, the place where they should camp.
- Joshua 4:6 God commandeth that not only we ourselves profit by this wonderful work, but that our posterity may know the cause thereof and glorify his Name.
- Joshua 4:9 Besides the twelve stones which were carried by the tribes and set up in Gilgal.
- Joshua 4:11 Meaning, in the presence or sight of the people.
- Joshua 4:13 That is, before the Ark.
- Joshua 4:14 Or, reverenced him.
- Joshua 4:16 Because the Ark testified God’s presence, and the Tables of the Law contained therein, signified God’s will toward his people.
- Joshua 4:19 Called Abib or Nisan, containing part of March and part of April.
- Joshua 4:24 God’s benefits serve for a further condemnation to the wicked, and stir up his to reverence him, and obey him.