Joshua 4:5

5 And Joshua said unto them, "Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel,

Joshua 4:5 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 4:5

And Joshua said unto them
The twelve men:

pass ye over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of
Jordan;
that is, they were to go back to Jordan again, which they had passed over, and go into the midst of it, where were the priests bearing the ark; for it is not to be imagined that the ark went along with them, or followed them, they going before it; but they went where that was, just before it, from whence they were to take the stones, as next directed:

and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder;
by which it appears they were large stones they were to take, not what they could carry in their hands, but what they were obliged to take upon their shoulders:

according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel;
who had that day passed over Jordan, of which these stones were to be a memorial.

Joshua 4:5 In-Context

3 and command ye them, saying, `Take you hence out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones; and ye shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where ye shall lodge this night.'"

4 Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man.

5 And Joshua said unto them, "Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel,

6 that this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, `What mean ye by these stones?'

7 then ye shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD: when it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever."