Joshua 4:11-21

11 After they finished crossing the river, the priests carried the Ark of the Lord to the other side as the people watched.

12 The men from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh obeyed what Moses had told them. They were dressed for war, and they crossed the river ahead of the other people.

13 About forty thousand soldiers prepared for war passed before the Lord as they marched across the river, going toward the plains of Jericho.

14 That day the Lord made Joshua great in the opinion of all the Israelites. They respected Joshua all his life, just as they had respected Moses.

15 Then the Lord said to Joshua,

16 "Command the priests to bring the Ark of the Agreement out of the river."

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

18 Then the priests carried the Ark of the Agreement with the Lord out of the river. As soon as their feet touched dry land, the water began flowing again. The river again overflowed its banks, just as it had before they crossed.

19 The people crossed the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month and camped at Gilgal, east of Jericho.

20 They carried with them the twelve rocks taken from the Jordan, and Joshua set them up at Gilgal.

21 Then he spoke to the Israelites: "In the future your children will ask you, 'What do these rocks mean?'

Joshua 4:11-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 4

This chapter relates an order, that is men, should take twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, and carry them to the first place they lodged at as a memorial of their passage over it, Jos 4:1-8; and how Joshua set up twelve other stones in the river itself, Jos 4:9; and how many of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, went before the Israelites when they passed over, Jos 4:10-14; which being done, the priests were ordered to come out of Jordan, when the waters returned to their place, Jos 4:15-18; The time when this miracle was wrought is observed, Jos 4:19; and an account is given of Joshua's pitching the twelve stones taken out of Jordan in Gilgal, and the use they were to be of in future time, Jos 4:20-24.