3 And command H6680 ye them, saying, H559 Take H5375 you hence out of the midst H8432 of Jordan, H3383 out of the place where the priests' H3548 feet H7272 stood H4673 firm, H3559 twelve H8147 H6240 stones, H68 and ye shall carry them over H5674 with you, and leave H3240 them in the lodging place, H4411 where ye shall lodge H3885 this night. H3915
And the people H5971 came up H5927 out of Jordan H3383 on the tenth H6218 day of the first H7223 month, H2320 and encamped H2583 in Gilgal, H1537 in the east H4217 border H7097 of Jericho. H3405 And those twelve H8147 H6240 stones, H68 which they took out H3947 of Jordan, H3383 did Joshua H3091 pitch H6965 in Gilgal. H1537
And Moses H4872 with the elders H2205 of Israel H3478 commanded H6680 the people, H5971 saying, H559 Keep H8104 all the commandments H4687 which I command H6680 you this day. H3117 And it shall be on the day H3117 when ye shall pass over H5674 Jordan H3383 unto the land H776 which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 giveth H5414 thee, that thou shalt set thee up H6965 great H1419 stones, H68 and plaister H7874 them with plaister: H7875 And thou shalt write H3789 upon them all the words H1697 of this law, H8451 when thou art passed over, H5674 that thou mayest go in H935 unto the land H776 which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 giveth H5414 thee, a land H776 that floweth H2100 with milk H2461 and honey; H1706 as the LORD H3068 God H430 of thy fathers H1 hath promised H1696 thee. Therefore it shall be when ye be gone over H5674 Jordan, H3383 that ye shall set up H6965 these stones, H68 which I command H6680 you this day, H3117 in mount H2022 Ebal, H5858 and thou shalt plaister H7875 them with plaister. H7874 And there shalt thou build H1129 an altar H4196 unto the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 an altar H4196 of stones: H68 thou shalt not lift up H5130 any iron H1270 tool upon them. Thou shalt build H1129 the altar H4196 of the LORD H3068 thy God H430 of whole H8003 stones: H68 and thou shalt offer H5927 burnt offerings H5930 thereon unto the LORD H3068 thy God: H430 And thou shalt offer H2076 peace offerings, H8002 and shalt eat H398 there, and rejoice H8055 before H6440 the LORD H3068 thy God. H430 And thou shalt write H3789 upon the stones H68 all the words H1697 of this law H8451 very H3190 plainly. H874 And Moses H4872 and the priests H3548 the Levites H3881 spake H1696 unto all Israel, H3478 saying, H559 Take heed, H5535 and hearken, H8085 O Israel; H3478 this day H3117 thou art become H1961 the people H5971 of the LORD H3068 thy God. H430 Thou shalt therefore obey H8085 the voice H6963 of the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 and do H6213 his commandments H4687 and his statutes, H2706 which I command H6680 thee this day. H3117 And Moses H4872 charged H6680 the people H5971 the same day, H3117 saying, H559 These shall stand H5975 upon mount H2022 Gerizim H1630 to bless H1288 the people, H5971 when ye are come over H5674 Jordan; H3383 Simeon, H8095 and Levi, H3878 and Judah, H3063 and Issachar, H3485 and Joseph, H3130 and Benjamin: H1144 And these shall stand H5975 upon mount H2022 Ebal H5858 to curse; H7045 Reuben, H7205 Gad, H1410 and Asher, H836 and Zebulun, H2074 Dan, H1835 and Naphtali. H5321 And the Levites H3881 shall speak, H6030 and say H559 unto all the men H376 of Israel H3478 with a loud H7311 voice, H6963 Cursed H779 be the man H376 that maketh H6213 any graven H6459 or molten image, H4541 an abomination H8441 unto the LORD, H3068 the work H4639 of the hands H3027 of the craftsman, H2796 and putteth H7760 it in a secret H5643 place. And all the people H5971 shall answer H6030 and say, H559 Amen. H543 Cursed H779 be he that setteth light H7034 by his father H1 or his mother. H517 And all the people H5971 shall say, H559 Amen. H543 Cursed H779 be he that removeth H5253 his neighbour's H7453 landmark. H1366 And all the people H5971 shall say, H559 Amen. H543 Cursed H779 be he that maketh the blind H5787 to wander H7686 out of the way. H1870 And all the people H5971 shall say, H559 Amen. H543 Cursed H779 be he that perverteth H5186 the judgment H4941 of the stranger, H1616 fatherless, H3490 and widow. H490 And all the people H5971 shall say, H559 Amen. H543 Cursed H779 be he that lieth H7901 with his father's H1 wife; H802 because he uncovereth H1540 his father's H1 skirt. H3671 And all the people H5971 shall say, H559 Amen. H543 Cursed H779 be he that lieth H7901 with any manner of beast. H929 And all the people H5971 shall say, H559 Amen. H543 Cursed H779 be he that lieth H7901 with his sister, H269 the daughter H1323 of his father, H1 or the daughter H1323 of his mother. H517 And all the people H5971 shall say, H559 Amen. H543 Cursed H779 be he that lieth H7901 with his mother in law. H2859 And all the people H5971 shall say, H559 Amen. H543 Cursed H779 be he that smiteth H5221 his neighbour H7453 secretly. H5643 And all the people H5971 shall say, H559 Amen. H543 Cursed H779 be he that taketh H3947 reward H7810 to slay H5221 an innocent H5355 person. H5315 H1818 And all the people H5971 shall say, H559 Amen. H543 Cursed H779 be he that confirmeth H6965 not all the words H1697 of this law H8451 to do H6213 them. And all the people H5971 shall say, H559 Amen. H543
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Joshua 4
Commentary on Joshua 4 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 4
Jos 4:1-8. Twelve Stones Taken for a Memorial Out of Jordan.
1-3. the Lord spake unto Joshua, Take you twelve men—each representing a tribe. They had been previously chosen for this service (Jos 3:12), and the repetition of the command is made here solely to introduce the account of its execution. Though Joshua had been divinely instructed to erect a commemorative pile, the representatives were not apprised of the work they were to do till the time of the passage.
4, 5. Joshua called the twelve men—They had probably, from a feeling of reverence, kept back, and were standing on the eastern bank. They were now ordered to advance. Picking up each a stone, probably as large as he could carry, from around the spot "where the priests stood," they pass over before the ark and deposit the stones in the place of next encampment (Jos 4:19, 20), namely, Gilgal.
6, 7. That this may be a sign among you—The erection of cairns, or huge piles of stones, as monuments of remarkable incidents has been common among all people, especially in the early and rude periods of their history. They are the established means of perpetuating the memory of important transactions, especially among the nomadic people of the East. Although there be no inscription engraved on them, the history and object of such simple monuments are traditionally preserved from age to age. Similar was the purpose contemplated by the conveyance of the twelve stones to Gilgal: it was that they might be a standing record to posterity of the miraculous passage of the Jordan.
8. the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded—that is, it was done by their twelve representatives.
Jos 4:9. Twelve Stones Set Up in the Midst of Jordan.
9. Joshua set up twelve stones … in the place where the feet of the priests … stood—In addition to the memorial just described, there was another memento of the miraculous event, a duplicate of the former, set up in the river itself, on the very spot where the ark had rested. This heap of stones might have been a large and compactly built one and visible in the ordinary state of the river. As nothing is said where these stones were obtained, some have imagined that they might have been gathered in the adjoining fields and deposited by the people as they passed the appointed spot.
they are there unto this day—at least twenty years after the event, if we reckon by the date of this history (Jos 24:26), and much later, if the words in the latter clause were inserted by Samuel or Ezra.
Jos 4:10-13. The People Pass Over.
10. the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan—This position was well calculated to animate the people, who probably crossed below the ark, as well as to facilitate Joshua's execution of the minutest instructions respecting the passage (Nu 27:21-23). The unfaltering confidence of the priests contrasts strikingly with the conduct of the people, who "hasted and passed over." Their faith, like that of many of God's people, was, through the weakness of nature, blended with fears. But perhaps their "haste" may be viewed in a more favorable light, as indicating the alacrity of their obedience, or it might have been enjoined in order that the the whole multitude might pass in one day.
11. the ark of the Lord passed over, and the priests, in the presence of the people—The ark is mentioned as the efficient cause; it had been the first to move—it was the last to leave—and its movements arrested the deep attention of the people, who probably stood on the opposite bank, wrapt in admiration and awe of this closing scene. It was a great miracle, greater even than the passage of the Red Sea in this respect: that, admitting the fact, there is no possibility of rationalistic insinuations as to the influence of natural causes in producing it, as have been made in the former case.
12, 13. the children of Reuben … passed over armed before the children of Israel—There is no precedency to the other tribes indicated here; for there is no reason to suppose that the usual order of march was departed from; but these are honorably mentioned to show that, in pursuance of their promise (Jos 1:16-18), they had sent a complement of fighting men to accompany their brethren in the war of invasion.
13. to the plains of Jericho—That part of the Arabah or Ghor, on the west, is about seven miles broad from the Jordan to the mountain entrance at Wady-Kelt. Though now desert, this valley was in ancient times richly covered with wood. An immense palm forest, seven miles long, surrounded Jericho.
Jos 4:14-24. God Magnifies Joshua.
14-17. On that day the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel—It appeared clear from the chief part he acted, that he was the divinely appointed leader; for even the priests did not enter the river or quit their position, except at his command; and thenceforward his authority was as firmly established as that of his predecessor.
18. it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark … were come out of the midst of Jordan … that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place—Their crossing, which was the final act, completed the evidence of the miracle; for then, and not till then, the suspended laws of nature were restored, the waters returned to their place, and the river flowed with as full a current as before.
19. the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month—that is, the month Nisan, four days before the passover, and the very day when the paschal lamb required to be set apart, the providence of God having arranged that the entrance into the promised land should be at the feast.
and encamped in Gilgal—The name is here given by anticipation (see on Jos 5:9). It was a tract of land, according to Josephus, fifty stadia (six and one-half miles) from Jordan, and ten stadia (one and one-fourth miles) from Jericho, at the eastern outskirts of the palm forest, now supposed to be the spot occupied by the village Riha.
20-24. those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal—Probably to render them more conspicuous, they might be raised on a foundation of earth or turf. The pile was designed to serve a double purpose—that of impressing the heathen with a sense of the omnipotence of God, while at the same time it would teach an important lesson in religion to the young and rising Israelites in after ages.