Joshua 4

King James Version

Full text for Joshua Chapter 4

1¶ And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying,

2Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man,

3And 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.

4Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man:

5And 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:

6That 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?

7Then 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.

8And 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.

9And 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.

10¶ 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.

11And 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.

12And 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:

13About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the LORD unto battle, to the plains of Jericho.

14On 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.

15And the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying,

16Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of Jordan.

17Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come ye up out of Jordan.

18And 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.

19And 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.

20¶ And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.

21And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What [mean] these stones?

22Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.

23For 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:

24That 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.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

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.

Medium Summary

Following the miraculous crossing of the Jordan River, the Lord instructed Joshua to select twelve men, one from each tribe, to retrieve twelve stones from the riverbed where the priests bearing the Ark had stood. These stones were to be carried to their lodging place and set up as a lasting memorial, so that future generations would inquire about their meaning and be taught of God's power in cutting off the Jordan's waters. Joshua also erected another set of twelve stones within the Jordan itself. The priests remained in the riverbed until all the people, including the armed tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half Manasseh, had safely crossed. As the priests finally ascended from the Jordan, the waters immediately returned to their full flow. This event magnified Joshua in the eyes of all Israel, establishing his authority. The stones taken from the Jordan were pitched in Gilgal, serving as a tangible reminder of the Lord's miraculous intervention, akin to the Red Sea crossing, intended to demonstrate His mighty hand to all nations and foster reverence for Him forever.

Long Summary

After all the children of Israel had successfully crossed the Jordan River on dry ground, the Lord commanded Joshua to select twelve men, one from each of the twelve tribes. These men were instructed to take twelve stones from the very spot in the midst of the Jordan where the priests bearing the Ark of the Covenant had stood firm. The purpose of these stones was to serve as a perpetual sign and memorial for future generations, so that when their children inquired about the stones, they would be taught how the waters of the Jordan were supernaturally cut off before the Ark of the Lord. The children of Israel, through their chosen representatives, diligently carried out Joshua's command, taking the stones and placing them at their lodging place. Additionally, Joshua set up another twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan itself, at the precise location where the priests' feet had stood, which remained there as a testament. The priests, bearing the Ark, stood steadfast in the riverbed until every person had completely passed over, demonstrating the Lord's sustained power. The armed tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half Manasseh, numbering about forty thousand, crossed first, fulfilling their pledge to Moses, preparing for battle on the plains of Jericho. On that significant day, the Lord greatly magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel, causing them to fear and respect him just as they had feared Moses throughout his life. Subsequently, the Lord commanded Joshua to instruct the priests to ascend from the Jordan. As the priests bearing the Ark stepped onto the dry land, the waters of the Jordan immediately returned to their natural course, overflowing its banks as before. The people encamped in Gilgal on the tenth day of the first month. Joshua then pitched the twelve stones that had been taken from the Jordan in Gilgal. He reiterated to the Israelites that these stones were to be a constant reminder for their descendants that Israel crossed the Jordan on dry land, because the Lord their God had dried up the waters before them, just as He had done at the Red Sea. This miraculous act was intended to ensure that all the peoples of the earth would recognize the mighty hand of the Lord and that Israel would fear the Lord their God forever.

Core Concepts

  • Memorial StonesTwelve stones were taken from the Jordan riverbed and set up in Gilgal to serve as a lasting physical reminder of God's miraculous intervention in drying up the river for Israel's passage.
  • Divine CommandThe entire process of taking and setting up the stones, as well as the crossing itself, was initiated and directed by specific commands from the Lord to Joshua.
  • Future GenerationsThe primary purpose of the memorial stones was educational, intended to prompt questions from future generations about their meaning, allowing parents to recount God's mighty acts.
  • Magnification of JoshuaThrough this miraculous event and his leadership, the Lord elevated Joshua's standing in the eyes of all Israel, establishing his authority and ensuring the people's reverence for him, similar to Moses.
  • The Ark's SignificanceThe Ark of the Covenant, representing God's presence, was central to the miracle; its presence caused the waters to part and its departure allowed them to return, highlighting its sacred role.
  • God's Mighty HandThe drying of the Jordan, explicitly compared to the Red Sea event, served as a powerful demonstration of the Lord's omnipotence, intended to be known by all nations and to instill fear of God in Israel.
  • Gilgal EncampmentGilgal became the initial encampment site for Israel after crossing the Jordan, serving as the location where the memorial stones were pitched, marking a significant new beginning in the Promised Land.