Joshua 4:8

8 The Israelites did just as Joshua had commanded them. The 12 men took stones from the middle of the Jordan, one for each^[a] of the Israelite tribes, just as the Lord had told Joshua. They carried them to the camp and set them down there.

Joshua 4:8 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 4:8

And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded
That is, the twelve men taken out of the twelve tribes of Israel, and who were the representatives of them in this action;

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;
they took the exact number, and out of the very place Joshua was ordered to direct them to do:

and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged:
which, as Josephus says ^F9, was fifty furlongs from Jordan, which was above six miles; so far they carried these stones on their shoulders:

and laid them down there;
which afterwards were put in proper order by Joshua, or at least by his direction.

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 Antiqu. l. 5. c. 1. sect. 4.

Joshua 4:8 In-Context

6 so that this will be a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean to you?'

7 you should tell them, 'The waters of the Jordan were cut off in front of the ark of the Lord's covenant. When it crossed the Jordan, the Jordan's waters were cut off.' Therefore these stones will always be a memorial for the Israelites."

8 The Israelites did just as Joshua had commanded them. The 12 men took stones from the middle of the Jordan, one for each of the Israelite tribes, just as the Lord had told Joshua. They carried them to the camp and set them down there.

9 Joshua also set up 12 stones in the middle of the Jordan where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant were standing. The stones are there to this day.

10 The priests carrying the ark continued standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything was completed that the Lord had commanded Joshua to tell the people, in keeping with all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people hurried across,

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit Jordan according to the number