Joshua 4:7

7 Tell them that the LORD cut off the flow of water in the Jordan River. Tell them its water stopped flowing when the ark of the covenant of the LORD went across. The stones will always remind the Israelites of what happened there."

Joshua 4:7 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 4:7

Then ye shall answer them
By informing them of the design and use of them:

that the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant
of the Lord when it passed over Jordan;
the waters below from those that were, above, which stood up on an heap; so that they were divided and separated from each other, and made dry land for a passage of the children of Israel; and this was done before, and in the presence of the ark of the covenant, to show that is was owing to the power of God, of whose presence the ark was a symbol:

the waters of Jordan were cut off;
which is repeated for the confirmation of it, and that it might be taken notice of as a very marvellous event, and to be ascribed to the divine omnipotence and goodness:

and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel
for ever;
which, whenever seen and observed by them, would put them in mind of this wonderful appearance of God for them; and Jerom ^F8 speaks of them as if seen by Paula in his time, whose life and travels in those parts are written by him.

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FOOTNOTES:

F8 Epitaph. Paulae in tom. 1. Oper. fol. 59. K.

Joshua 4:7 In-Context

5 He said to them, "Go back to the middle of the Jordan River. Go to where the ark of the LORD your God is. Each one of you must pick up a stone. You must carry it on your shoulder. There will be as many stones as there are tribes in Israel.

6 "The stones will serve as a reminder to you. In days to come, your children will ask you, 'What do these stones mean?'

7 Tell them that the LORD cut off the flow of water in the Jordan River. Tell them its water stopped flowing when the ark of the covenant of the LORD went across. The stones will always remind the Israelites of what happened there."

8 So the people of Israel did as Joshua commanded them. They took 12 stones from the middle of the Jordan River. There was one stone for each of the tribes of Israel. It was just as the LORD had told Joshua. The people carried the stones with them to their camp. There they put them down.

9 Joshua piled up the 12 stones that had been in the middle of the river. They had been right where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are still there to this very day.