AND it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying,
2 Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man,
3 And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night.
4 Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man:
5 And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:
6 That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?
7 Then ye shall answer 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 of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.
8 And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the Lord spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.
9 And Joshua set up 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.
10 For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until every thing was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua: and the people hasted and passed over.
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, in the presence of the people.
12 And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spake unto them:
13 About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the Lord unto battle, to the plains of Jericho.
14 On that day the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life.
15 And the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying,
16 Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of Jordan.
17 Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come ye up out of Jordan.
18 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, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as they did before.
19 And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho.
20 And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.
21 And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones?
22 Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.
23 For the Lord your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over:
24 That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the Lord your God for ever.

1 And it came to passe when all the people were cleane passed ouer Iordan, that the Lord spake vnto Ioshua, saying,

2 Take you twelue men out of the people, out of euery tribe a man,

3 And command you them, saying, Take you hence out of the mids of Iordan, out of the place where the Priests feet stood firme, twelue stones, and yee shal cary them ouer with you, and leaue them in the lodging place where you shall lodge this night.

4 Then Ioshua called the twelue men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of euery tribe a man:

5 And Ioshua said vnto them, Passe ouer before the Arke of the Lord your God into the mids of Iordan, and take ye vp euery man of you a stone vpon his shoulder, according vnto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:

6 That this may be a signe among you, that when your children aske their fathers in time to come, saying, What meane you by these stones?

7 Then yee shall answere them, That the waters of Iordan were cut off before the Arke of the Couenant of the Lord, when it passed ouer Iordan, the waters of Iordan were cut off: and these stones shall bee for a memoriall vnto the children of Israel for euer.

8 And the children of Israel did so as Ioshua commanded, and tooke vp twelue stones out of the midst of Iordan, as the Lord spake vnto Ioshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and caried them ouer with them, vnto the place where they lodged, and laid them downe there.

9 And Ioshua set vp twelue stones in the midst of Iordan, in the place where the feet of the Priests which bare the Arke of the Couenant, stood: and they are there vnto this day.

10 For the Priests which bare the Arke, stood in the midst of Iordan, vntill euery thing was finished that the Lord commanded Ioshua to speake vnto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Ioshua: and the people hasted and passed ouer.

11 And it came to passe when all the people were cleane passed ouer, that the Arke of the Lord passed ouer, and the Priests in the presence of the people.

12 And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and halfe the tribe of Manasseh, passed ouer armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spake vnto them:

13 About fourty thousand prepared for war, passed ouer before the Lord vnto battell, to the plaines of Iericho.

14 On that day the Lord magnified Ioshua in the sight of all Israel, and they feared him, as they feared Moses all the dayes of his life.

15 And the Lord spake vnto Ioshua, saying,

16 Command the Priests that beare the Arke of the Testimony, that they come vp out of Iordan.

17 Ioshua therefore commaunded the Priests, saying, Come yee vp out of Iordan.

18 And it came to passe when the Priests that bare the Arke of the Couenant of the Lord, were come vp out of the mids of Iordan, and the soles of the Priests feete were lift vp vnto the dry land, that the waters of Iordan returned vnto their place, and flowed ouer all his banks, as they did before.

19 ¶ And the people came vp out of Iordan on the tenth day of the first moneth, and encamped in Gilgal, in the East border of Iericho.

20 And those twelue stones which they tooke out of Iordan, did Ioshua pitch in Gilgal.

21 And he spake vnto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shal aske their fathers in time to come, saying, What meane these stones?

22 Then yee shall let your children know, saying, Israel came ouer this Iordan on dry land.

23 For the Lord your God dried vp the waters of Iordan from before you, vntill yee were passed ouer, as the Lord your God did to the Red sea, which hee dried vp from before vs, vntill we were gone ouer:

24 That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that ye might feare the Lord your God for euer.

I == Deut 27:2 ; Josh 3:17

II == Josh 3:12

 

III == Josh 3:13 ; 4:19-20

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VI == Ex 12:26 ; 13:14 ; Deut 6:20 ; Josh 4:21 ; Ps 44:1 ; 78:3-6

VII == Ex 12:14 ; Num 16:40 ; Josh 3:13 , 16

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XII == Num 32:20 , 27-28

 

 

 

XIV == Josh 3:7

 

 

 

XVI == Ex 25:16 , 22

 

 

 

 

XVIII == Josh 3:15

 

 

 

XIX == Josh 5:9

 

 

 

XX == Josh 4:3

 

XXI == Josh 4:6

 

 

XXII == Josh 3:17

 

XXIII == Ex 14:21

 

 

XXIV == Ex 14:31 ; 15:16 ; Deut 6:2 ; 1st Kings 8:42-43 ; 2nd KIngs 19:19 ; 1st Chr 29:12 ; Ps 89:7 , 13 ; 106:8 ; Jer 10:7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 After the entire nation had crossed the Jordan,

2 the LORD said to Joshua, "Choose twelve men from the people, one from each tribe,

3 and instruct them to take up twelve stones from this spot in the bed of the Jordan where the priests have been standing motionless. Carry them over with you, and place them where you are to stay tonight."

4 Summoning the twelve men whom he had selected from among the Israelites, one from each tribe,

5 Joshua said to them: "Go to the bed of the Jordan in front of the ark of the LORD, your God; lift to your shoulders one stone apiece, so that they will equal in number the tribes of the Israelites.

6 In the future, these are to be a sign among you. When your children ask you what these stones mean to you,

7 you shall answer them, 'The waters of the Jordan ceased to flow before the ark of the covenant of the LORD when it crossed the Jordan.' Thus these stones are to serve as a perpetual memorial to the Israelites."

8 The twelve Israelites did as Joshua had commanded: they took up as many stones from the bed of the Jordan as there were tribes of the Israelites, and carried them along to the camp site, where they placed them, according to the LORD'S direction.

9 Joshua also had twelve stones set up in the bed of the Jordan on the spot where the priests stood who were carrying the ark of the covenant. They are there to this day.

10 The priests carrying the ark remained in the bed of the Jordan until everything had been done that the LORD had commanded Joshua to tell the people. The people crossed over quickly,

11 and when all had reached the other side, the ark of the LORD, borne by the priests, also crossed to its place in front of them.

12 The Reubenites, Gadites, and half-tribe of Manasseh, armed, marched in the vanguard of the Israelites, as Moses had ordered.

13 About forty thousand troops equipped for battle passed over before the LORD to the plains of Jericho.

14 That day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and thenceforth during his whole life they respected him as they had respected Moses.

15 Then the LORD said to Joshua,

16 "Command the priests carrying the ark of the commandments to come up from the Jordan."

17 Joshua did so,

18 and when the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD had come up from the bed of the Jordan, as the soles of their feet regained the dry ground, the waters of the Jordan resumed their course and as before overflowed all its banks.

19 The people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and camped in Gilgal on the eastern limits of Jericho.

20 At Gilgal Joshua set up the twelve stones which had been taken from the Jordan,

21 saying to the Israelites, "In the future, when the children among you ask their fathers what these stones mean,

22 you shall inform them, 'Israel crossed the Jordan here on dry ground.'

23 For the LORD, your God, dried up the waters of the Jordan in front of you until you crossed over, just as the LORD, your God, had done at the Red Sea, which he dried up in front of us until we crossed over;

24 in order that all the peoples of the earth may learn that the hand of the LORD is mighty, and that you may fear the LORD, your God, forever."

v 1-4. Joshua had already prepared in anticipation, or probably private word from the Lord,12 men from each tribe by having them set aside in 3:12. Now the Lord explains that they are to each gather a stone from the area where the priests feet stood and carry it across to the place where they will lodge that night.

 

 

 

v 5-8. These twelve stones were to be from the river bed before the ark, not in the shallow place they stood. They were of a size that needed to be carried on shoulders, and were to be laid down at the campsite in what became known as Gilgal, v 20.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 9-18. The people crossed in haste and Joshua went back and set up 12 stones in the river bed at the point beyond where the priests were standing with the ark. All the people except the tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh passed over, but they sent over 40,000 of their best soldiers. Comparing the census of Num. 1, their total number of soldiers was probably over 100,000, so Joshua permitted them to leave about 60,000 of their less valiant soldiers to defend their homeland. Because of this miracle crossing, the people stood in awe of Joshua as they had of Moses from then on. At the Lord’s command through Joshua, the priests with the ark came up out of the Jordan and it overflowed as it had before.

 

 

v 19-24. The encampment was made at Gilgal on the 10th day of the first month, or Nisan, forty years to the day after the Passover lamb was separated from the flock to be ready for the Passover meal, Ex. 12:1-3. Joshua set up the twelve stones as a memorial to their descendants that the Lord had dried up the Jordan as He had the Red Sea. The object was that all people of the earth would know the power of the Lord and fear Him forever.