Joshua 04
Israel Commemorates the Crossing
4:1 When the entire nation was on the other side, the Lord told Joshua,
Two million Israelites crossed over the flooded Jordan.
4:2 “Select for yourselves twelve men from the people, one per tribe.
Twelve men were selected, one from each of the twelve tribes of Israel.
4:3 Instruct them, ‘Pick up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests stand firmly, and carry them over with you and put them in the place where you camp tonight.’”
The twelve men gathered twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan River.
4:4 Joshua summoned the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one per tribe.
Joshua summoned the twelve men.
4:5 Joshua told them, “Go in front of the ark of the Lord your God to the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to put a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the Israelite tribes.
The twelve men were to pick up a stone from the middle of the Jordan.
4:6 The stones will be a reminder to you. When your children ask someday, ‘Why are these stones important to you?’
These stones would be established as a memorial for instruction of their children.
4:7 tell them how the water of the Jordan stopped flowing before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the water of the Jordan stopped flowing. These stones will be a lasting memorial for the Israelites.”
The fathers were to instruct their children about the miracle at the Jordan River.
4:8 The Israelites did just as Joshua commanded. They picked up twelve stones, according to the number of the Israelite tribes, from the middle of the Jordan as the Lord had instructed Joshua. They carried them over with them to the camp and put them there.
The twelve men did as Joshua commanded.
4:9 Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan in the very place where the priests carrying the ark of the covenant stood. They remain there to this very day.
Joshua himself stacked up twelve stones at the exact place where the priests were standing.
4:10 Now the priests carrying the ark of the covenant were standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything the Lord had commanded Joshua to tell the people was accomplished, in accordance with all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people went across quickly,
As the priests stood in the middle of the Jordan, two million Israelites crossed the Jordan.
4:11 and when all the people had finished crossing, the ark of the Lord and the priests crossed as the people looked on.
The priests were the first to enter the Jordan and the last to leave,
4:12 The Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed for battle ahead of the Israelites, just as Moses had instructed them.
Only the armies of the two-and-one-half tribes crossed the Jordan. Their wives and children stayed behind.
4:13 About forty thousand battle-ready troops marched past the Lord to fight on the plains of Jericho.
The 40,000 soldiers were about one third of the entire Israelite army.
4:14 That day the Lord brought honor to Joshua before all Israel. They respected him all his life, just as they had respected Moses.
The people knew that God was with Joshua.
4:15 The Lord told Joshua, 4:16 “Instruct the priests carrying the ark of the covenantal laws to come up from the Jordan.” 4:17 So Joshua instructed the priests, “Come up from the Jordan!” 4:18 The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord came up from the middle of the Jordan, and as soon as they set foot on dry land, the water of the Jordan flowed again and returned to flood stage.
As soon as the priests cleared the Jordan, the river fell back into place. There was no turning back.
4:19 The people went up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month and camped in Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho.
Gilgal was about two miles from Jericho.
4:20 Now Joshua set up in Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan.
In Hebrew, Gilgal means “circle." The Israelites may have set up the memorial of stones in a circle.
4:21 He told the Israelites, “When your children someday ask their fathers, ‘What do these stones represent?’
The purpose of this memorial was for instruction. The fathers were to instruct their own children.
4:22 explain to your children, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan River on dry ground.’
The children were to be reminded of this miracle.
4:23 For the Lord your God dried up the water of the Jordan before you while you crossed over. It was just like when the Lord your God dried up the Red Sea before us while we crossed it.
The dividing of the Jordan River miracle was similar to the dividing of the Red Sea miracle.
4:24 He has done this so all the nations of the earth might recognize the Lord’s power and so you might always obey the Lord your God.”
Another purpose of this memorial was to teach other nations about the power of the one true God.