Joshua 4:10

10 The priests who were carrying the Ark stood in the middle of the river until all of the LORD ’s commands that Moses had given to Joshua were carried out. Meanwhile, the people hurried across the riverbed.

Joshua 4:10 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 4:10

For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of
Jordan
Though on dry ground, the waters being divided:

until everything was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to speak
unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua;
that is, until all the people had passed over Jordan, as the Lord had ordered Joshua, to encourage them unto, and go over with them, ( Joshua 1:2 ) ; and which Moses, by divine direction, had given Joshua in charge to do, ( Deuteronomy 31:7 ) ; Kimchi interprets this of the setting up of the stones in Jordan, and the removal of the other to Gilgal, of which Moses said nothing to Joshua; and though it may be true of the former, that the priests stood in Jordan till that was done, which is not certain, yet not of the latter; for it is plain, and it is most reasonable to conclude, that the priests were come up from the midst of Jordan before Israel marched to Gilgal, or even began their march, see ( Joshua 4:18 Joshua 4:20 ) ; and much less is this to be understood of the stones at Ebal, as others, and so referred to ( Deuteronomy 27:2 ) ; which was not done until after Ai was taken, ( Joshua 8:24 ) . And it is not reasonable to imagine that the priests should continue in Jordan to that time; Abarbinel thinks it refers to the words in ( Joshua 1:3 ) ; which had been spoken by the Lord to Joshua, and had been expressed by Moses, ( Deuteronomy 11:24 Deuteronomy 11:25 ) ; and which he supposes were now repeated by Joshua, and the priests continued in their station until he had made an end of rehearsing them; the last clause relating to Moses is left out in the Septuagint version:

and the people hasted and passed over;
not stood in fear of the waters of the river returning upon them; rather through an eager desire of setting their feet on the land of Canaan, and it may be to relieve the priests from their station as soon as might be.

Joshua 4:10 In-Context

8 So the men did as Joshua had commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan River, one for each tribe, just as the LORD had told Joshua. They carried them to the place where they camped for the night and constructed the memorial there.

9 Joshua also set up another pile of twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, at the place where the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant were standing. And they are there to this day.

10 The priests who were carrying the Ark stood in the middle of the river until all of the LORD ’s commands that Moses had given to Joshua were carried out. Meanwhile, the people hurried across the riverbed.

11 And when everyone was safely on the other side, the priests crossed over with the Ark of the LORD as the people watched.

12 The armed warriors from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh led the Israelites across the Jordan, just as Moses had directed.