4:3
And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of
the place where the priests' feet stood a
firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in
the b lodging place, where ye shall
lodge this night.
(a) As in (Joshua
3:17).
(b) Meaning, the place where they would camp.
4:6 That
this may be a sign among you, [that] when your c
children ask [their fathers] in time to come, saying, What [mean] ye by these
stones?
(c) God commands that not only we ourselves
profit by this wonderful work, but that our posterity may know the cause of
it, and glorify his Name.
4:9 And
Joshua set up d twelve stones in the
midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark
of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day.
(d) Besides the twelve stones that were carried
by the tribes and set up in Gilgal.
4:11 And it came to pass,
when all the people were clean passed over, that the ark of the LORD passed
over, and the priests, e in the presence
of the people.
(e) Meaning, in the presence or sight of the
people.
4:13 About forty thousand
prepared for war passed over before the f
LORD unto battle, to the plains of Jericho.
(f) That is, before the Ark.
4:16
Command the priests that bear the g ark
of the testimony, that they come up out of Jordan.
(g) Because the ark testified God's presence,
and the tables of the Law contained in it signified God's will toward his
people.
4:19
And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth [day] of the h
first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho.
(h) Called Abib or Nisan, containing part of
March and part of April.
4:24
That all the people of the i earth might
know the hand of the LORD, that it [is] mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your
God for ever.
(i) God's benefits serve as a further
condemnation to the wicked, and stir up his own to reverence and obey him.
Joshua 4 Bible Commentary
The Geneva Study Bible
(a) As in (Joshua 3:17).
(b) Meaning, the place where they would camp.
4:6 That this may be a sign among you, [that] when your c children ask [their fathers] in time to come, saying, What [mean] ye by these stones?
(c) God commands that not only we ourselves profit by this wonderful work, but that our posterity may know the cause of it, and glorify his Name.
4:9 And Joshua set up d twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day.
(d) Besides the twelve stones that were carried by the tribes and set up in Gilgal.
4:11 And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over, that the ark of the LORD passed over, and the priests, e in the presence of the people.
(e) Meaning, in the presence or sight of the people.
4:13 About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the f LORD unto battle, to the plains of Jericho.
(f) That is, before the Ark.
4:16 Command the priests that bear the g ark of the testimony, that they come up out of Jordan.
(g) Because the ark testified God's presence, and the tables of the Law contained in it signified God's will toward his people.
4:19 And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth [day] of the h first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho.
(h) Called Abib or Nisan, containing part of March and part of April.
4:24 That all the people of the i earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it [is] mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever.
(i) God's benefits serve as a further condemnation to the wicked, and stir up his own to reverence and obey him.