Joshua 4:17-24

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?'

22 Tell them, 'Israel crossed the Jordan River on dry land.

23 The Lord your God caused the water to stop flowing until you finished crossing it, just as the Lord did to the Red Sea. He stopped the water until we crossed it.

24 The Lord did this so all people would know he has great power and so you would always respect the Lord your God.'"

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.