Yosua 3:14--4:24

3:14 So when the people left their tents to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ¹  ahead of them. 3:15 When the ones carrying the ark reached the Jordan and the feet of the priests carrying the ark touched the surface ²  of the water – (the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest time) ³  – 3:16 the water coming downstream toward them stopped flowing. ⁴  It piled up far upstream ⁵  at Adam (the city near Zarethan); there was no water at all flowing to the sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea). ⁶  The people crossed the river opposite Jericho. ⁷  3:17 The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan. All Israel crossed over on dry ground until the entire nation was on the other side. ⁸ 

Israel Commemorates the Crossing

4:1 When the entire nation was on the other side, ⁹  the Lord told Joshua, 4:2 “Select for yourselves twelve men from the people, one per tribe. 4:3 Instruct them, ‘Pick up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests ¹⁰  stand firmly, and carry them over with you and put them in the place where you camp tonight.’”

4:4 Joshua summoned the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one per tribe. 4:5 Joshua told them, “Go in front of the ark of the Lord your God to the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to put a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the Israelite tribes. 4:6 The stones ¹¹  will be a reminder to you. ¹²  When your children ask someday, ‘Why are these stones important to you?’ 4:7 tell them how the water of the Jordan stopped flowing ¹³  before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the water of the Jordan stopped flowing. ¹⁴  These stones will be a lasting memorial for the Israelites.”

4:8 The Israelites did just as Joshua commanded. They picked up twelve stones, according to the number of the Israelite tribes, from the middle of the Jordan as the Lord had instructed Joshua. They carried them over with them to the camp and put them there. 4:9 Joshua also set up twelve stones ¹⁵  in the middle of the Jordan in the very place where the priests carrying the ark of the covenant stood. They remain there to this very day.

4:10 Now the priests carrying the ark of the covenant were standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything the Lord had commanded Joshua to tell the people was accomplished, in accordance with all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people went across quickly, 4:11 and when all the people had finished crossing, the ark of the Lord and the priests crossed as the people looked on. ¹⁶  4:12 The Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed for battle ahead of the Israelites, just as Moses had instructed them. 4:13 About forty thousand battle-ready troops ¹⁷  marched past the Lord to fight ¹⁸  on the plains of Jericho. ¹⁹  4:14 That day the Lord brought honor to Joshua before all Israel. They respected ²⁰  him all his life, ²¹  just as they had respected ²²  Moses.

4:15 The Lord told Joshua, 4:16 “Instruct the priests carrying the ark of the covenantal laws ²³  to come up from the Jordan.” 4:17 So Joshua instructed the priests, “Come up from the Jordan!” 4:18 The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord came up from the middle of the Jordan, and as soon as they set foot on dry land, ²⁴  the water of the Jordan flowed again and returned to flood stage. ²⁵ 

4:19 The people went up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month ²⁶  and camped in Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. ²⁷  4:20 Now Joshua set up in Gilgal the ²⁸  twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan. 4:21 He told the Israelites, “When your children someday ask their fathers, ‘What do these stones represent?’ ²⁹  4:22 explain ³⁰  to your children, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan River ³¹  on dry ground.’ 4:23 For the Lord your God dried up the water of the Jordan before you while you crossed over. It was just like when the Lord your God dried up the Red Sea before us while we crossed it. ³²  4:24 He has done this so ³³  all the nations ³⁴  of the earth might recognize the Lord’s power ³⁵  and so you might always obey ³⁶  the Lord your God.”

[3:14]  ¹ tn The verb, though not in the Hebrew, is added for clarification.

[3:15]  ² tn Heb “dipped into the edge.”

[3:15]  ³ tn Heb “and the Jordan overflows all its banks all the days of harvest.”

[3:15]  sn The lengthy description of the priests’ arrival at the Jordan and the parenthetical reminder that the Jordan was at flood stage delay the climax of the story and add to its dramatic buildup.

[3:16]  ⁴ tn Heb “the waters descending from above stood still.”

[3:16]  ⁵ tn Heb “they stood in one pile very far away.”

[3:16]  ⁶ tn Heb “the [waters] descending toward the sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) were completely cut off.”

[3:16]  sn The Salt Sea is an ancient name for the Dead Sea.

[3:16]  ⁷ map For the location of Jericho see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.

[3:17]  ⁸ tn Heb “and all Israel was crossing over on dry ground until all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan.”

[4:1]  ⁹ tn Heb “And when all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan.”

[4:3]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “the feet of the priests.”

[4:6]  ¹¹ tn Heb “that this may be”; the referent of “this” (the twelve stones) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:6]  ¹² tn Heb “in order that this might be a sign among you.”

[4:7]  ¹³ tn Heb “were cut off from before.”

[4:7]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “how the waters descending from above stood still.”

[4:9]  ¹⁵ tn Here “also” has been supplied in the translation to make it clear (as indicated by v. 20) that these are not the same stones the men took from the river bed.

[4:11]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “in the presence of the people.”

[4:13]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “men equipped for battle.”

[4:13]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “for war.”

[4:13]  ¹⁹ map For location see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.

[4:14]  ²⁰ tn Heb “feared.”

[4:14]  ²¹ tn Heb “all the days of his life.”

[4:14]  ²² tn Heb “had feared.”

[4:16]  ²³ tn Traditionally, “the ark of the testimony,” another name for the ark of the covenant. The Hebrew term עֵדוּת (’edut, “testimony” or “witness”) here refers to the Mosaic covenant and the body of stipulations contained within it (see HALOT 2:791).

[4:18]  ²⁴ tn Heb “and the soles of the feet of the priests were brought up to the dry land.”

[4:18]  ²⁵ tn Heb “and the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and went as formerly over their banks.”

[4:18]  sn Verses 15-18 give a more detailed account of the priests’ crossing that had been briefly described in v. 11.

[4:19]  ²⁶ sn The first month was the month Abib (= late March-early April in the modern calendar). The Passover in Egypt also occurred on the tenth day of the first month (Exod 12:2; 13:4).

[4:19]  ²⁷ map For location see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.

[4:20]  ²⁸ tn Heb “these,” referring specifically to the twelve stones mentioned in vv. 3-7.

[4:21]  ²⁹ tn Heb “What are these stones?”

[4:22]  ³⁰ tn Heb “make known.”

[4:22]  ³¹ tn Heb “crossed this Jordan”; the word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied to clarify the meaning.

[4:23]  ³² tn Heb “just as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea when he dried [it] up before us while we crossed over.”

[4:24]  ³³ tn Heb “in order that.”

[4:24]  ³⁴ tn Or “peoples.”

[4:24]  ³⁵ tn Heb “know the hand of the Lord that it is strong.”

[4:24]  ³⁶ tn Heb “fear.”