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, Josh. 4:1–8; and how Joshua set up twelve other stones in the river itself, Josh.

And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan As related, ; that the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying: as follows.

Take you twelve men out of the people Joshua had before this ordered twelve men to be taken from among them, which seems to have been done of himself; and now he has a direction from God for it, and what to employ them in: out of every tribe a man; so that what they did was in the name of the…

And command you them, saying As follows: take you hence out of the midst of Jordan; so that they were obliged to go back into the midst of Jordan, having already passed over it, as appears from ; out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm; where being stones, they chose to stand upon them,…

Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had prepared of the children of Israel It may be for some other purpose, ; but this was the destination of them eventually, and as by divine direction: out of every tribe a man: as he had before ordered, and was now directed to.

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…

That this may be a sign among you A commemorative one: that when your children ask their fathers in time to come; or “tomorrow” [[6]] and so in all time, or any time hereafter: saying, what mean you by these stones? what is the reason of setting them up, and in this place, and being just of such a…

Then ye shall answer them By informing them of the design and use of them: that the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord when it passed over Jordan; the waters below from those that were, above, which stood up on an heap; so that they were divided and separated…

And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded That is, the twelve men taken out of the twelve tribes of Israel, and who were the representatives of them in this action; and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the Lord spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes…

And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan Twelve other stones, as the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions, and so Jarchi; which he set one upon another, so that they might be seen above the water; or however the water of Jordan being clear, they might easily be discerned by those who…

For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan Though on dry ground, the waters being divided: until everything was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua; that is, until all the people had passed over Jordan,…

And it came to pass, when the people were clean passed over, &c.] Every one of them, as in ; that the ark of the Lord passed over, and the priests, in the presence of the people; that is, the priests bearing the ark came out of the midst of Jordan in the sight of all the people, who were on the…

And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh Who were settled on the other side Jordan, in the countries taken from Sihon and Og: passed over armed before the children of Israel; the rest of the tribes: as Moses spake unto them; or ordered them, and as they…

About forty thousand prepared for war Accoutred with proper armour to defend themselves, and their brethren, and annoy their enemies: this is to be understood of such a number of the above mentioned tribes; otherwise the number of all Israel that went over Jordan, even armed or fighting men,…

On that day the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of Israel, &c.] Made him great and honourable in their esteem, by doing what he foretold would be done, dividing the waters of Jordan, drying up the river to make a passage for them through it, as on dry land: and they feared him, as they feared…

And the Lord spake unto Joshua When all the people had passed over jordan: saying; as follows.

Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony In all places before, in this history, the ark is called the ark of the covenant, here the ark of the testimony, which signifies the same thing, the law; which was both the covenant between God and the people, and a testimony of his will unto…

Joshua therefore commanded the priests In obedience to the Lord, and sent them an order: saying; as follows: come ye up out of Jordan; from the midst of the river to the bank of it, which was properly an ascent.

And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord were come up out of the midst of Jordan According to the command of Joshua in the name of the Lord: and the soles of the priests’ feet were lift up upon the dry land; and set upon it, on the bank of Jordan, and…

And the people came up out of Jordan The channel of it, to the shore: on the tenth day of the first month; the month Nisan or Abib, which from the time of Israel’s coming out of Egypt was appointed the first month of the year, ; on the fifteenth of which month they came out of Egypt, having kept…

And those twelve stones which they took out of Jordan The twelve men who were sent there for that purpose, and took them from thence, and brought them hither, (Josh. 4:3, Josh. 4:5, Josh.

And he spoke unto the children of Israel, saying At the same time he set up the stones: when you children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones? (See Gill on Josh. 4:6).

Then ye shall let your children know The meaning of the erection of these stones, acquaint them with the whole history, the meaning of which they are designed to perpetuate: saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land; and if they should ask how that could possibly be done, or if they did not,…

For the Lord your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over As this is supposed to be said in future time, and to persons who were not upon the spot when this was done, and so entirely ignorant of the affair; it is not to be understood of them personally, but of…

That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty Even almighty, and can do that which is marvellous and surprising, and above the power of nature to effect; things unsearchable and past finding out, which cannot be expressed, or conceived how and by what means…