Twelve Stones from the River
Study note
God commanded Joshua to choose twelve men, one from each tribe, to carry twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan River where the priests were standing. These stones were to be set up at their campsite as a lasting memorial. The purpose was clear: when future children asked about the stones, their parents could tell them the story of how God stopped the Jordan River. Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle of the riverbed where the priests had stood. These memorial stones were an important way ancient people preserved the memory of great events.
1 After the whole nation finished crossing the Jordan River, the Lord told Joshua, And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying,
2 "Pick twelve men from the people, one from each tribe." Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man,
3 "Tell them to go to the exact spot where the priests are standing in the middle of the Jordan and pick up twelve stones. Carry those stones with you and stack them at the place where you set up camp tonight." 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 So Joshua called the twelve men he had already picked from the Israelite tribes, one from each tribe. Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man:
5 Joshua told them, "Walk out to the middle of the Jordan River, before the Ark of the Lord your God. Each of you hoist a stone onto your shoulder -- one stone representing each tribe of Israel." 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 "These stones will serve as a marker. When your children someday ask, 'What are these stones for?'" 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 "you will explain, 'The Jordan River's water was blocked when the Ark of the Lord's Covenant crossed through. When the Ark entered the Jordan, the water stopped flowing.' These stones will always remind the Israelites of what happened here." 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 The Israelites followed Joshua's instructions. They collected twelve stones from the center of the Jordan, one for each tribe, exactly as the Lord had told Joshua. They hauled the stones to their campsite and stacked them up. 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 Joshua also piled up twelve separate stones right in the middle of the Jordan, on the exact spot where the Ark-carrying priests had stood. Those stones are still there today. 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.
The People Complete the Crossing
Study note
The priests stood in the middle of the Jordan holding the Ark while all the people hurried across. About forty thousand armed men from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh crossed over as well, keeping their promise to help in the conquest. On that day, God honored Joshua in the eyes of all Israel, just as he had promised. When the priests finally came up out of the river, the water immediately began flowing again and flooded its banks as before. The miracle was over, but its impact would last forever.
10 The priests holding the Ark stood in the middle of the Jordan. They stayed there until Joshua had done everything the Lord told him to do, following what Moses had ordered. The people hurried across. 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 Once every person had crossed safely to the other side, the Ark of the Lord and the priests crossed over too. The people watched it all. 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 The fighting men from Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh crossed over in battle lines. They went ahead of the other Israelites. Moses had told them to do this. 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 armed soldiers crossed over to the Jericho plains, ready to fight for the Lord. About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the LORD unto battle, to the plains of Jericho.
14 That day, the Lord made Joshua a great and respected leader in the eyes of all Israel. From that point on, they honored Joshua the same way they had honored Moses throughout his life. 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 Then the Lord told Joshua, And the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying,
16 "Order the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant to come up out of the Jordan River." Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of Jordan.
17 So Joshua gave the command: "Come up out of the Jordan." Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come ye up out of Jordan.
18 The instant the priests carrying the Ark of the Lord's Covenant stepped out of the riverbed and their feet hit dry land, the Jordan's water came rushing back. It flooded over its banks just like before. 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.
The Memorial at Gilgal
Study note
The people crossed the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, which was just four days before Passover. They camped at Gilgal, east of Jericho, and Joshua set up the twelve stones there. He told the people that these stones would be a reminder for their children and grandchildren of how God dried up the Jordan, just as he had dried up the Red Sea for their ancestors. The purpose was so that all the peoples of the earth would know how powerful the Lord is.
19 The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month. They set up camp at Gilgal, on the eastern outskirts of Jericho. 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 At Gilgal, Joshua set up the twelve stones they had carried from the Jordan. And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.
21 He told the Israelites, "Someday your children will ask their parents, 'What do these stones mean?'" 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 "Tell your children, 'Israel walked across the Jordan River on completely dry ground.'" Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.
23 "The Lord your God held back the Jordan's water until everyone crossed over. He did the same thing when he held back the Red Sea until we all got through." 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 "He did this so every nation on earth would see how powerful the Lord is. He also did it so you would honor the Lord your God forever." 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.