Joshua 4: Twelve stones from the Jordan
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What happens?
When the whole nation has crossed, Yahweh tells Joshua to have twelve men, one from each tribe, take twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, where the priests stood, and carry them to the camp. Verse 9 says Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, where the priests had stood, and that they are there to this day. When the priests come up out of the river, the water returns and floods its banks as before. Israel camps at Gilgal on the tenth day of the first month, and Joshua sets up the stones there, so that children who ask about them will be told how Yahweh dried up the Jordan.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. God's own words are in 3 of the 24 verses: his words to Joshua in verses 2 and 3, and in verse 16. Joshua speaks to the twelve men in verses 5 to 7, to the priests in verse 17, and to the Israelites in verses 21 to 24. In verses 6 and 21 Joshua gives the question the children will ask. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1When all the nation had completely crossed over the Jordan, Yahweh spoke to Joshua, saying,
In plain English: When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, Yahweh said to Joshua,
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2“Take twelve men out of the people, a man out of every tribe,God speaks
In plain English: "Take twelve men from the people, one man from each tribe,
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3and command them, saying, ‘Take from out of the middle of the Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, carry them over with you, and lay them down in the place where you’ll camp tonight.’”God speaks
In plain English: and command them: 'Take twelve stones from here, out of the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests' feet stood firm (or: from where the priests' feet stood, twelve stones made ready). Carry them over with you and put them down in the place where you will camp tonight.'"
The Hebrew word: "Stood firm" is kun, which the dictionary gives as "properly, to be erect" and "to set up" ("establish, fix, prepare"). Here it comes between "the priests' feet" and "twelve stones".
What changes: Read with the feet, the stones come from the very spot where the priests' feet stood firm, as says. Read with the stones, the men are to take twelve stones that are made ready. Either way, the stones come from where the priests stood.
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4Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, a man out of every tribe.
In plain English: So Joshua called the twelve men he had appointed (this Bible: prepared) from the Israelites, one man from each tribe.
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5Joshua said to them, “Cross before the ark of Yahweh your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you pick up a stone and put it on your shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel;
In plain English: Joshua said to them, "Cross ahead of the ark of Yahweh your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you lift a stone onto his shoulder, one for each of the tribes of the Israelites,
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6that this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask in the future, saying, ‘What do you mean by these stones?’
In plain English: so that this will be a sign among you. In time to come (literally: tomorrow), when your children ask, 'What do these stones mean to you?'
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7then you shall tell them, ‘Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of Yahweh’s covenant. When it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.’”
In plain English: you will tell them, 'The waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of Yahweh's covenant. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a reminder (this Bible: memorial) for the Israelites forever.'"
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8The children of Israel did as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the middle of the Jordan, as Yahweh spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel. They carried them over with them to the place where they camped, and laid them down there.
In plain English: The Israelites did as Joshua commanded. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, as Yahweh had told Joshua, one for each of the tribes of the Israelites. They carried them over to the place where they camped and put them down there.
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9Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to this day.
In plain English: Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests carrying the ark of the covenant had stood. They are there to this day.
The Hebrew words: The verse says "twelve stones Joshua set up in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests stood". It does not say "other" stones, and it does not say "from" the middle of the Jordan.
What changes: Read one way, Joshua set up a second set of twelve stones in the river itself, where the priests stood, besides the twelve carried to the camp and set up at Gilgal (verses 3, 8 and 20). Read the other way, it is the same twelve stones, the ones taken from the middle of the Jordan where the priests stood. The text does not settle it, and readers take it both ways.
Good to know: The old Greek translation of Joshua, in Brenton's English, reads "Joshua set also other twelve stones in Jordan itself", the first reading.
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10For the priests who bore the ark stood in the middle of the Jordan until everything was finished that Yahweh commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua; and the people hurried and passed over.
In plain English: The priests carrying the ark stood in the middle of the Jordan until everything was done that Yahweh had commanded Joshua to tell the people, just as Moses had commanded Joshua. The people hurried across.
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11When all the people had completely crossed over, Yahweh’s ark crossed over with the priests in the presence of the people.
In plain English: When all the people had finished crossing, the ark of Yahweh and the priests crossed over, before the people (or: ahead of the people).
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12The children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spoke to them.
In plain English: The men of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed ahead of the Israelites, as Moses had told them.
Good to know: This is the promise these tribes made to Moses and to Joshua in to .
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13About forty thousand men, ready and armed for war, passed over before Yahweh to battle, to the plains of Jericho.
In plain English: About forty thousand men, armed and ready for war, crossed over before Yahweh to the battle, to the plains of Jericho.
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14On that day, Yahweh magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life.
In plain English: That day Yahweh made Joshua great in the eyes of all Israel. They feared (or: held in awe) him all the days of his life, as they had feared Moses.
Good to know: This is what Yahweh said he would begin to do in .
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15Yahweh spoke to Joshua, saying,
In plain English: Yahweh said to Joshua,
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16“Command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, that they come up out of the Jordan.”God speaks
In plain English: "Command the priests who carry the ark of the testimony (this Bible: the covenant) to come up out of the Jordan."
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17Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, “Come up out of the Jordan!”
In plain English: So Joshua commanded the priests, "Come up out of the Jordan!"
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18When the priests who bore the ark of Yahweh’s covenant had come up out of the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet had been lifted up to the dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place, and went over all its banks, as before.
In plain English: When the priests carrying the ark of Yahweh's covenant came up out of the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of their feet stepped out onto dry ground, the waters of the Jordan came back to their place and flowed over all its banks as before.
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19The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, on the east border of Jericho.
In plain English: The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and camped at Gilgal, on the east edge of Jericho.
Good to know: The tenth day of the first month is the day each household was to take its Passover lamb in . The Passover is kept four days later, in . The text explains the name Gilgal in .
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20Joshua set up those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, in Gilgal.
In plain English: Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan.
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21He spoke to the children of Israel, saying, “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean?’
In plain English: He said to the Israelites, "In time to come, when your children ask their fathers, 'What do these stones mean?'
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22Then you shall let your children know, saying, ‘Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.
In plain English: then tell your children, 'Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.
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23For Yahweh your God dried up the waters of the Jordan from before you until you had crossed over, as Yahweh your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up from before us, until we had crossed over,
In plain English: For Yahweh your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as Yahweh your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up before us until we had crossed,
Good to know: Joshua puts the two crossings side by side: the Jordan here, and the Red Sea in and , where Israel "went into the middle of the sea on the dry ground".
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24that all the peoples of the earth may know that Yahweh’s hand is mighty, and that you may fear Yahweh your God forever.’”
In plain English: so that all the peoples of the earth may know that Yahweh's hand is strong, and so that you may fear Yahweh your God forever (literally: all the days).'"
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