Joshua4
English Standard Version
Tap any underlined word for the original Hebrew or Greek.
1 the had the , the Lord to ,
2 from the , from a ,
3 and them, , from out of the of the , from the very where the ’ , and with you and them in the where you .
4 Then the from the of , he had , a from .
5 And to them, Pass the of the Lord your into the of the , and of a upon his , according to the of the of the of ,
6 that may be a you. When your in , do those mean to you?
7 then you shall them that the of the were the of the of the Lord. When it the , the of the were . So shall be to the of a .
8 And the of just as and took out of the of the , according to the of the of the of , just as the Lord . And they with them to the place where they and .
9 And in the of the , in the place where the of the the of the had ; and they are to .
10 For the the in the of the until was that the Lord to the , according to all that had . The in .
11 And the had , the of the Lord and the the .
12 The of and the of and the of the of , as had them.
13 About for the Lord for , to the of .
14 On that the Lord in the of , and they of him just as they had of , the of his .
15 And the Lord to ,
16 the the of the to out of the .
17 So the , Come out of the .
18 And when the the of the of the Lord from the of the , and the of the ’ were on , the of the to their and its , .
19 The out of the on the day of the , and they at on the of .
20 And those , they of the , at .
21 And he to the of , your their in times to , do mean?
22 then you shall let your , this on .
23 For the Lord your the of the you until you , as the Lord your to the , which he us until we ,
24 so that the of the may that the of the Lord is , that you may the Lord your .
People in this chapter — 6
All people →Study
Joshua 4Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Joshua 4. The full AI study guide (summary, themes, context) has its own page.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Stones taken out of Jordan. (1–9). The people pass through Jordan. (10–19). The twelve stones placed in Gilgal. (20–24).
vv1-9
The works of the Lord are so worthy of rememberance, and the heart of man is so prone to forget them, that various methods are needful to refresh our memories, for the glory of God, our advantage, and that of our children. God gave orders for preparing this memorial.
vv10-19
The priests with the ark did not stir till ordered to move. Let none be weary of waiting, while they have the tokens of God's presence with them, even the ark of the covenant, though it be in the depths of adversity. Notice is taken of the honour put upon Joshua. Those are feared in the best manner, and to the best purpose, who make it appear that God is with them, and that they set him before them.
vv20-24
It is the duty of parents to tell their children betimes of the words and works of God, that they may be trained up in the way they should go. In all the instruction parents give their children, they should teach them to fear God. Serious godliness is the best learning. Are we not called, as much as the Israelites, to praise the loving-kindness of our God? Shall we not raise a pillar to our God, who has brought us through dangers and distresses in so wonderful a way? For hitherto the Lord hath helped us, as much as he did his saints of old. How great the stupidity and ingratitude of men, who perceive not His hand, and will not acknowledge his goodness, in their frequent deliverances!
Key Words
כָּאָה: to despond; causatively, to deject
חָנָן: Chanan, the name of seven Israelites
גּוֹי: a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts
תָּמַם: to complete, in a good or a bad sense, literal, or figurative, transitive or intransitive
עָבַר: to cross over; used very widely of any transition (literal or figurative; transitive, intransitive, intensive, causative); specifically, to cover (in copulation)
יַרְדֵּן: Jarden, the principal river of Palestine
יְהוֹשׁוּעַ: Jehoshua (i.e. Joshua), the Jewish leader
לָקַח: to take (in the widest variety of applications)
אֱנוֹשׁ: a man in general (singly or collectively)
עַם: a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock
Cross References
Joshua 4Fulfillment of Reuben, Gad, and half-Manasseh's pledge to cross over armed before Israel.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Fulfillment of God's promise to magnify Joshua in the sight of all Israel.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Direct historical parallel drawn by the text between drying up Jordan and the Red Sea.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Refers back to the initial selection of the twelve representatives from the tribes.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Parallels the Passover instruction for parents to explain historical redemptive signs to children.
Supported by Matthew Henry, John Calvin, JFB
Contrasts the returning floodwaters with the overflowing banks described during the crossing.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Elijah builds an altar with twelve stones representing the twelve tribes of Israel.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Supports Joshua's execution of instructions as Moses' divinely ordained successor.
Supported by JFB
Parallels the sudden return of the waters upon the completion of the crossing.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Echoes the duty of instructing children when they ask about the meaning of testimonies.
Supported by John Calvin
Just as Israel feared Moses after the Red Sea, they feared Joshua after Jordan.
Identifies the significance of Gilgal, where the memorial stones were pitched.
Parallels the setting up of a stone monument (Ebenezer) to remember God's help.
Moses' command to set up great stones on the day they pass over Jordan.