Joshua 4:12-22

12 And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spoke unto them.

13 About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the LORD unto battle to the plains of Jericho.

14 On that day the LORD magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life.

15 And the LORD spoke unto Joshua, saying,

16 "Command the priests who bear the ark of the Testimony that they come up out of the Jordan."

17 Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, "Come ye up out of the Jordan."

18 And it came to pass, when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD had come up out of the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of the Jordan returned unto their place and flowed over all his banks, as they did before.

19 And the people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month and encamped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho.

20 And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan did Joshua set up in Gilgal.

21 And he spoke unto the children of Israel, saying, "When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, `What mean these stones?'

22 then ye shall let your children know, saying, `Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.'

Joshua 4:12-22 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.