Joshua 4:8-18

8 fecerunt ergo filii Israhel sicut eis praecepit Iosue portantes de medio Iordanis alveo duodecim lapides ut ei Dominus imperarat iuxta numerum filiorum Israhel usque ad locum in quo castrametati sunt ibique posuerunt eos

9 alios quoque duodecim lapides posuit Iosue in medio Iordanis alveo ubi steterunt sacerdotes qui portabant arcam foederis et sunt ibi usque in praesentem diem

10 sacerdotes autem qui portabant arcam stabant in Iordanis medio donec omnia conplerentur quae Iosue ut loqueretur ad populum praeceperat Dominus et dixerat ei Moses festinavitque populus et transiit

11 cumque transissent omnes transivit et arca Domini sacerdotesque pergebant ante populum

12 filii quoque Ruben et Gad et dimidiae tribus Manasse armati praecedebant filios Israhel sicut eis praeceperat Moses

13 et quadraginta pugnatorum milia per turmas et cuneos incedebant per plana atque campestria urbis Hiericho

14 in illo die magnificavit Dominus Iosue coram omni Israhel ut timerent eum sicut timuerant Mosen dum adviveret

15 dixitque ad eum

16 praecipe sacerdotibus qui portant arcam foederis ut ascendant de Iordane

17 qui praecepit eis dicens ascendite de Iordane

18 cumque ascendissent portantes arcam foederis Domini et siccam humum calcare coepissent reversae sunt aquae in alveum suum et fluebant sicut ante consueverant

Joshua 4:8-18 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.