Joshua 4:12-22

12 filii quoque Ruben et Gad et dimidiae tribus Manasse armati praecedebant filios Israhel sicut eis praeceperat Moses

13 et quadraginta pugnatorum milia per turmas et cuneos incedebant per plana atque campestria urbis Hiericho

14 in illo die magnificavit Dominus Iosue coram omni Israhel ut timerent eum sicut timuerant Mosen dum adviveret

15 dixitque ad eum

16 praecipe sacerdotibus qui portant arcam foederis ut ascendant de Iordane

17 qui praecepit eis dicens ascendite de Iordane

18 cumque ascendissent portantes arcam foederis Domini et siccam humum calcare coepissent reversae sunt aquae in alveum suum et fluebant sicut ante consueverant

19 populus autem ascendit de Iordane decimo mensis primi die et castrametati sunt in Galgalis contra orientalem plagam urbis Hiericho

20 duodecim quoque lapides quos de Iordanis alveo sumpserant posuit Iosue in Galgalis

21 et dixit ad filios Israhel quando interrogaverint filii vestri cras patres suos et dixerint eis quid sibi volunt isti lapides

22 docebitis eos atque dicetis per arentem alveum transivit Israhel Iordanem istum

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.