Joshua 4:11

11 When the crossing of all the people was complete, they watched as the Chest of the Covenant and the priests crossed over.

Joshua 4:11 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 4:11

And it came to pass, when the people were clean passed over,
&c.] Every one of them, as in ( Joshua 3:17 ) ( 4:1 ) ;

that the ark of the Lord passed over, and the priests, in the presence
of the people;
that is, the priests bearing the ark came out of the midst of Jordan in the sight of all the people, who were on the banks of it, on the other side, where they had been stationed during the passage of the people; though this motion of them was not until they received an order for it, of which there is an after mention. The Septuagint version reads, "and the stones before them"; see ( Joshua 4:8 ) .

Joshua 4:11 In-Context

9 Joshua set up the twelve stones taken from the middle of the Jordan that had marked the place where the priests who carried the Chest of the Covenant had stood. They are still there today.

10 The priests carrying the Chest continued standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything God had instructed Joshua to tell the people to do was done (confirming what Moses had instructed Joshua). The people crossed; no one dawdled.

11 When the crossing of all the people was complete, they watched as the Chest of the Covenant and the priests crossed over.

12 The Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had crossed over in battle formation in front of the People of Israel, obedient to Moses' instructions.

13 All told, about 40,000 armed soldiers crossed over before God to the plains of Jericho, ready for battle.