Joshua 4:17-24

17 Yehoshua therefore commanded the Kohanim, saying, Come up out of the Yarden.

18 It happened, when the Kohanim who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD were come up out of the midst of the Yarden, and the soles of the Kohanim' feet were lifted up to the dry ground, that the waters of the Yarden returned to their place, and went over all its banks, as before.

19 The people came up out of the Yarden on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, on the east border of Yericho.

20 Those twelve stones, which they took out of the Yarden, did Yehoshua set up in Gilgal.

21 He spoke to the children of Yisra'el, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones?

22 Then you shall let your children know, saying, Yisra'el came over this Yarden on dry land.

23 For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Yarden from before you, until you were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Sea of Suf, which he dried up from before us, until we were passed over;

24 that all the peoples of the eretz may know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty; that you may fear the LORD your God forever.

Joshua 4:17-24 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.