Joshua 4:15-24

15 And the LORD spoke unto Joshua, saying,

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

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

18 And it came to pass, when the priests that bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up out of the midst of the Jordan and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of the Jordan returned unto their place, flowing as before over all its banks.

19 And the people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month and camped in Gilgal, on the east side of Jericho.

20 And Joshua raised up in Gilgal the twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan.

21 And he spoke unto the sons of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What do these stones mean unto you?

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

23 For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan from before you until ye had passed, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us until we had passed,

24 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 all the days.

Joshua 4:15-24 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 4

This chapter relates an order, that is men, should take twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, and carry them to the first place they lodged at as a memorial of their passage over it, Jos 4:1-8; and how Joshua set up twelve other stones in the river itself, Jos 4:9; and how many of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, went before the Israelites when they passed over, Jos 4:10-14; which being done, the priests were ordered to come out of Jordan, when the waters returned to their place, Jos 4:15-18; The time when this miracle was wrought is observed, Jos 4:19; and an account is given of Joshua's pitching the twelve stones taken out of Jordan in Gilgal, and the use they were to be of in future time, Jos 4:20-24.