Joshua 4:16

16 "Order the priests who carry the ark of the testimony to come out of the Jordan River."

Joshua 4:16 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 4:16

Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony
In all places before, in this history, the ark is called the ark of the covenant, here the ark of the testimony, which signifies the same thing, the law; which was both the covenant between God and the people, and a testimony of his will unto them; the Septuagint version has both words:

that they come up out of Jordan;
where they stayed until all the people passed over, for the encouragement of them, and until they received this order.

Joshua 4:16 In-Context

14 On that day the LORD honored Joshua in the presence of all the Israelites. As long as Joshua lived, the Israelites respected him in the same way they had respected Moses.

15 The LORD said to Joshua,

16 "Order the priests who carry the ark of the testimony to come out of the Jordan River."

17 So Joshua ordered the priests, "Come out of the Jordan."

18 The priests who carried the ark of the LORD's promise came out of the middle of the Jordan. When their feet stepped onto dry land, the water of the Jordan returned to its seasonal flood level.