Twelve Memorial Stones from the Jordan

Joshua 4

1 And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed a over the Jordan, that the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying: 2 b "Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe, 3 "and command them, saying, 'Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where c the priests' feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in d the lodging place where you lodge tonight.' " 4 Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe; 5 and Joshua said to them: "Cross over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, 6 "that this may be e a sign among you f when your children ask in time to come, saying, 'What do these stones mean to you?' 7 "Then you shall answer them that g the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for h a memorial to the children of Israel forever."

8 And the children of Israel did so, just as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the midst of the Jordan, as the LORD had spoken to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. 9 Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to this day.

10 So the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the LORD had commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua; and the people hurried and crossed over. 11 Then it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over, that the i ark of the LORD and the priests crossed over in the presence of the people. 12 And j the men of Reuben, the men of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses had spoken to them. 13 About forty thousand 1 prepared for war crossed over before the LORD for battle, to the plains of Jericho. 14 On that day the LORD k exalted 2 Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they had feared Moses, all the days of his life.

15 Then the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying, 16 "Command the priests who bear l the ark of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan." 17 Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, "Come up from the Jordan." 18 And it came to pass, when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD had come from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet touched the dry land, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place m and overflowed all its banks as before.

19 Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they camped n in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. 20 And o those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal. 21 Then he spoke to the children of Israel, saying: p "When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, 'What are these stones?' 22 "then you shall let your children know, saying, q 'Israel crossed over this Jordan on r dry land'; 23 "for the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, s which He dried up before us until we had crossed over, 24 t "that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the LORD, that it is u mighty, that you may v fear the LORD your God 3 forever."

  1. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 27:2
    And it shall be, on the day when you cross over the Jordan to the land which the LORD your God is giving you, that you shall set up for yourselves large stones, and whitewash them with lime.
    Joshua 3:17
    Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.
  2. Cross References
    Joshua 3:12
    Now therefore, take for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from every tribe.
  3. Cross References
    Joshua 3:13
    "And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they shall stand as a heap."
  4. Cross References
    Joshua 4:19
    Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they camped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho.
    Joshua 4:20
    And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal.
  5. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 27:2
    And it shall be, on the day when you cross over the Jordan to the land which the LORD your God is giving you, that you shall set up for yourselves large stones, and whitewash them with lime.
    Psalms 103:2
    Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:
  6. Cross References
    Exodus 12:26
    "And it shall be, when your children say to you, 'What do you mean by this service?'
    Exodus 13:14
    So it shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, 'What is this?' that you shall say to him, 'By strength of hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
    Deuteronomy 6:20
    "When your son asks you in time to come, saying, 'What is the meaning of the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments which the LORD our God has commanded you?'
  7. Cross References
    Joshua 3:13
    "And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they shall stand as a heap."
    Joshua 3:16
    That the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho.
  8. Cross References
    Exodus 12:14
    So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance.
    Numbers 16:40
    To be a memorial to the children of Israel that no outsider, who is not a descendant of Aaron, should come near to offer incense before the LORD, that he might not become like Korah and his companions, just as the LORD had said to him through Moses.
  9. Cross References
    Joshua 3:11
    Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over before you into the Jordan.
    Joshua 6:11
    So he had the ark of the LORD circle the city, going around it once. Then they came into the camp and lodged in the camp.
  10. Cross References
    Numbers 32:17
    But we ourselves will be armed, ready to go before the children of Israel until we have brought them to their place; and our little ones will dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land.
    Numbers 32:20
    Then Moses said to them: "If you do this thing, if you arm yourselves before the LORD for the war.
    Numbers 32:27
    "but your servants will cross over, every man armed for war, before the LORD to battle, just as my lord says."
    Numbers 32:28
    So Moses gave command concerning them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel.
    Joshua 1:14
    Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But you shall pass before your brethren armed, all your mighty men of valor, and help them.
  11. Cross References
    Joshua 3:7
    And the LORD said to Joshua, "This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.
    1 Chronicles 29:25
    So the LORD exalted Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed on him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.
  12. Cross References
    Exodus 25:16
    And you shall put into the ark the Testimony which I will give you.
    Exodus 25:22
    And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.
  13. Cross References
    Joshua 3:15
    And as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest).
    1 Chronicles 12:15
    These are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it had overflowed all its banks; and they put to flight all those in the valleys, to the east and to the west.
  14. Cross References
    Joshua 5:9
    Then the LORD said to Joshua, "This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." Therefore the name of the place is called Gilgal to this day.
  15. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 11:30
    Are they not on the other side of the Jordan, toward the setting sun, in the land of the Canaanites who dwell in the plain opposite Gilgal, beside the terebinth trees of Moreh?
    Joshua 4:3
    "and command them, saying, 'Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests' feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.'"
    Joshua 5:9
    Then the LORD said to Joshua, "This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." Therefore the name of the place is called Gilgal to this day.
    Joshua 5:10
    Now the children of Israel camped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight on the plains of Jericho.
  16. Cross References
    Joshua 4:6
    "that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, 'What do these stones mean to you?'
  17. Cross References
    Exodus 12:26
    "And it shall be, when your children say to you, 'What do you mean by this service?'
    Exodus 12:27
    That you shall say, 'It is the Passover sacrifice of the LORD, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.' " So the people bowed their heads and worshiped.
    Exodus 13:8 - 14
    "And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, ' This is done because of what the LORD did for me when I came up from Egypt.'
    Deuteronomy 26:5 - 9
    And you shall answer and say before the LORD your God: 'My father was a Syrian, about to perish, and he went down to Egypt and dwelt there, few in number; and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous.
  18. Cross References
    Joshua 3:17
    Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.
  19. Cross References
    Exodus 14:21
    Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided.
  20. Cross References
    1 Kings 8:42
    (for they will hear of Your great name and Your strong hand and Your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this temple.
    2 Kings 19:19
    "Now therefore, O LORD our God, I pray, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the LORD God, You alone."
    Psalms 106:8
    Nevertheless He saved them for His name's sake, That He might make His mighty power known.
  21. Cross References
    Exodus 15:16
    Fear and dread will fall on them; By the greatness of Your arm They will be as still as a stone, Till Your people pass over, O LORD, Till the people pass over Whom You have purchased.
    1 Chronicles 29:12
    Both riches and honor come from You, And You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; In Your hand it is to make great And to give strength to all.
    Psalms 89:13
    You have a mighty arm; Strong is Your hand, and high is Your right hand.
  22. Cross References
    Exodus 14:31
    Thus Israel saw the great work which the LORD had done in Egypt; so the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD and His servant Moses.
    Deuteronomy 6:2
    That you may fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged.
    Psalms 76:7
    You, Yourself, are to be feared; And who may stand in Your presence When once You are angry?
    Jeremiah 10:7
    Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? For this is Your rightful due. For among all the wise men of the nations, And in all their kingdoms, There is none like You.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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