Joshua 4:23

23 For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you crossed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we crossed over,

Joshua 4:23 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 4:23

For the Lord your God dried up the waters of Jordan from
before you, until ye were passed over
As this is supposed to be said in future time, and to persons who were not upon the spot when this was done, and so entirely ignorant of the affair; it is not to be understood of them personally, but of the same people they were of, the people of Israel in former times, of their ancestors, and of them in them; the benefits of which they enjoyed by possessing the land of Canaan their fathers were at this time introduced into:

as the Lord your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before
us, until we were gone over;
for though the generation of men, for the most part, was dead, that passed through the Red sea; yet as Joshua himself, and Caleb and Eleazar, and it may be some others that were not among the murmurers, were still living, for whom that miracle was wrought, this way of speaking is very properly made use of; and especially when it is observed, that there were many of the present generation then young, which passed over, and even those unborn were in and represented by their ancestors, and who enjoyed the advantages of that wonderful mercy; so these two strange events are joined together, as instances of divine power and goodness, in ( Psalms 114:3 Psalms 114:5 ) .

Joshua 4:23 In-Context

21 saying to the Israelites, "When your children ask their parents in time to come, "What do these stones mean?'
22 then you shall let your children know, "Israel crossed over the Jordan here on dry ground.'
23 For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you crossed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we crossed over,
24 so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, and so that you may fear the Lord your God forever."

Footnotes 1

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.