Josué 4:5

5 Les dijo: «Vayan a la mitad del Jordán, frente al arca del Señor
su Dios. Cada uno de ustedes debe tomar una piedra y cargarla al hombro; serán doce piedras en total, una por cada tribu de Israel.

Josué 4:5 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 4:5

And Joshua said unto them
The twelve men:

pass ye over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of
Jordan;
that is, they were to go back to Jordan again, which they had passed over, and go into the midst of it, where were the priests bearing the ark; for it is not to be imagined that the ark went along with them, or followed them, they going before it; but they went where that was, just before it, from whence they were to take the stones, as next directed:

and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder;
by which it appears they were large stones they were to take, not what they could carry in their hands, but what they were obliged to take upon their shoulders:

according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel;
who had that day passed over Jordan, of which these stones were to be a memorial.

Josué 4:5 In-Context

3 Diles: “Tomen doce piedras del medio del Jordán, del mismo lugar donde están parados los sacerdotes. Llévenlas al lugar donde van a acampar esta noche y amontónenlas allí”».

4 Entoncés Josué convocó a los doce hombres que había elegido, uno por cada tribu de Israel.

5 Les dijo: «Vayan a la mitad del Jordán, frente al arca del Señor
su Dios. Cada uno de ustedes debe tomar una piedra y cargarla al hombro; serán doce piedras en total, una por cada tribu de Israel.

6 Las usaremos para levantar un monumento conmemorativo. En el futuro, sus hijos les preguntarán: “¿Qué significan estas piedras?”.

7 Y ustedes podrán decirles: “Nos recuerdan que el río Jordán dejó de fluir cuando el arca del pacto del Señor
cruzó por allí”. Esas piedras quedarán como un recordatorio en el pueblo de Israel para siempre».