1Twelve men are appointed to take twelve stones for a memorial out of Jordan. 9Twelve other stones are set up in the midst of Jordan. 10The people pass over. 14God magnifieth Joshua. 15The priests are commanded to bring the ark up out of Jordan, which floweth again as before. 19The date of the passage. 20The twelve stones are pitched in Gilgal.
1AND it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD 1spakea unto Joshua, saying,
1 Further declaring the charge which He had given him, Joshua 3:12.
a Joshua 3:12.
2Take you twelve men out of the people, 2out of every tribe a man,
2 Hebr. one man, one man out of the tribe, as verse 4.
3And 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 3in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night.
3 Namely, at Gilgal, as appears verses 19, 20.
4Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man:
5And 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:
6That this may be a 4sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers 5in time to come, saying, 6What mean ye by these stones?
4 That is, a memorial. In verse 7 it is called a memorial.
5 See Gen. 30:33; Exod. 13:14; Deut. 6:20.
6 That is, to what purpose serve these stones? Or, what do they signify? Likewise verse 21. See Exod. 12:26.
7Then ye shall answer them, Thatb the waters of Jordan were 7cut 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 8for ever.
b Joshua 3:13.
7 That is, divided. See Joshua 3:16.
8 See Gen. 13 on verse 15.
8And 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 9the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.
9 See verse 3.
9And 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, 10according to all that Moses commanded Joshua: and the people hasted and passed over.
10 See Num. 27:21.
11And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over, that the ark of the LORD passed over, and the priests, 11in the presence of the people.
11 That is, in the view of all the people.
12Andc the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed 12before the children of Israel, as Moses spake unto them:
c Num. 32:20, 29.
12 Namely, before the other tribes of the children of Israel. See Joshua 1:14.
13About forty thousand prepared for war passed over 13before the LORD unto battle, to the plains of Jericho.
13 Or, before the face of the LORD, Who did manifest Himself upon the ark of the covenant. See Num. 32:21.
14¶Ond 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.
d Joshua 3:7.
15And the LORD 14spake unto Joshua, saying,
14 That is, had said, and so also verse 17.
16Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of Jordan.
17Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come ye up out of Jordan.
18And 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 15his banks, as they did before.
15 Namely, of Jordan.
19¶And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in 16Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho.
16 Namely, in the place which Joshua afterward called Gilgal, Joshua 5:9.
20And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.
21And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones?
22Then ye shall let your children know, saying, 17Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.
17 That is, the posterity of Israel or Jacob.
23For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, ase the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until 18we were gone over:
e Exod. 14:21.
18 Namely, I, Caleb, and your fathers.
24That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, 19that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God 20for ever.
19 Other, for it is strong.
20 Hebr. all the days.