Joshua 4 21

Joshua 4:21 kjv

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?

Joshua 4:21 nkjv

Then he spoke to the children of Israel, saying: "When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, 'What are these stones?'

Joshua 4:21 niv

He said to the Israelites, "In the future when your descendants ask their parents, 'What do these stones mean?'

Joshua 4:21 esv

And he said to the people of Israel, "When your children ask their fathers in times to come, 'What do these stones mean?'

Joshua 4:21 nlt

Then Joshua said to the Israelites, "In the future your children will ask, 'What do these stones mean?'

Joshua 4 verses

Joshua 4 21 Meaning

Joshua 4:21 conveys the Lord's foresight in commanding a memorial of twelve stones, established at Gilgal, specifically for the instruction of future generations. It anticipates a scenario where the children of Israel will naturally inquire about the meaning of these unusual stones, prompting their fathers to recount God's miraculous intervention in stopping the Jordan River for their passage into the Promised Land. The verse establishes the foundational purpose of the monument: to facilitate the intergenerational transmission of Israel's divine history and the lessons of God's covenant faithfulness and power.

Joshua 4 21 Context

Joshua chapter 4 describes the precise execution of God's command regarding the twelve memorial stones. Immediately after the miraculous crossing of the Jordan River on dry ground (chapter 3), God instructs Joshua to have one man from each tribe take a stone from the riverbed where the priests' feet stood firm. These twelve stones are then to be set up as a permanent memorial at Gilgal, Israel's first encampment in Canaan. Joshua 4:21 acts as the interpretive key to this monument, articulating its divinely intended future purpose. It explains that the stones are not merely decorative but serve as a teaching aid. This verse leads directly into Joshua's comprehensive explanation to the people in verses 22-24, where he elaborates on what the stones signify—the drying up of the Jordan by God's power—and why they signify it: "that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, and that you may fear the Lord your God forever." Historically, this event signifies the Lord's confirmation of Joshua's leadership, validates Israel's possession of the land, and emphasizes the continuity of God's covenant with His people as they begin their conquest.

Joshua 4 21 Word Analysis

• And he said (וַיֹּאמֶר - vayyomer): This is a standard narrative transition, identifying Joshua as the speaker. As God's appointed leader, Joshua's words here carry divine authority, indicating the solemnity and divinely ordained purpose of the instruction.
• to the children of Israel (אֶל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל - el b'nei Yisra'el): The address is to the entire nation, emphasizing the communal responsibility to preserve this historical truth. This instruction transcends individual families; it pertains to the identity of the covenant people.
• When (כִּי - ki): A conditional particle here implying "if" or "when it comes to pass." It indicates a predicted future scenario, showcasing God's foreknowledge and purposeful planning for generations yet unborn.
• your children (בְנֵיכֶם - b'neikhem): Refers to descendants, emphasizing the generational aspect. This is the explicit audience for whom the memorial is primarily established—the ones who will experience and live out the future of Israel.
• shall ask (יִשְׁאָלוּן - yish'alun): This verb signifies to "ask," "inquire," or "question." It anticipates a natural curiosity about an unusual physical object. This question is not seen as an annoyance but as a divine cue, a pre-arranged moment for teaching.
• their fathers (אֶת-אֲבוֹתָם - et 'avotam): Highlights the crucial role of parental responsibility in passing down the faith and historical account. It underscores the home as the primary seminary for spiritual education, making faith a lived legacy, not just a distant event.
• in time to come (מָחָר - machar): Literally "tomorrow," but used idiomatically here to mean "in days to come," "hereafter," or "in the future." It conveys not just the next day but any time in the indeterminate future, pointing to the perpetual and ongoing need for remembrance and teaching.
• saying (לֵאמֹר - lemor): Introduces the direct quotation of the children's question, providing clarity on the nature of the anticipated inquiry.
• What mean (מָה הָאֲבָנִים הָאֵלֶּה לָכֶם - mah ha'avanim ha'elleh lakhem): This phrase means "What are these stones to you?" or "What do these stones mean for you?" The question focuses not just on identification ("What are these?") but on significance and relevance to the present community. It asks about the stones' purpose and meaning from the perspective of the observer, highlighting their role as signs.
• these stones (הָאֲבָנִים הָאֵלֶּה - ha'avanim ha'elleh): Refers directly to the twelve memorial stones. The physicality of the stones serves as a concrete, tangible anchor for the abstract concept of God's miraculous intervention, making an otherwise invisible divine act manifest.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "When your children shall ask their fathers": This establishes a divine design for intergenerational communication of God's deeds. It frames a pedagogical moment that is divinely ordained, making the passing down of faith a mandated practice. It presupposes curiosity on the part of the young and responsiveness on the part of the parents.
• "What mean these stones?": This specific question signifies the power of visible signs to prompt inquiry. It moves beyond mere observation to an active search for meaning, illustrating how physical memorials bridge the past and present by stimulating recollection and instruction. The question ensures the memory remains active and interpreted.

Joshua 4 21 Bonus Section

• The strategic placement of the stones at Gilgal, Israel's first encampment in Canaan, tied this miraculous entry to the starting point of their possession of the Promised Land, marking both a geographical and spiritual milestone.
• This verse and the preceding instructions demonstrate God's pedagogical methods, showing that He understands the need for tangible signs to prompt spiritual memory and instruction among humans, especially for passing on abstract truths about His unseen hand.
• The emphasis on "asking" by the children highlights a fundamental pattern throughout the Pentateuch, particularly in Exodus and Deuteronomy, where the narrative of pivotal events (like Passover) includes the future instruction for explaining these events to inquisitive descendants, cementing oral tradition alongside written law.
• The memorial served not only for Israel's internal memory but also as a testimony "that all the peoples of the earth may know" (Josh 4:24) the mighty hand of the Lord, making Israel's faith visible to surrounding nations and emphasizing God's universal sovereignty.
• The repetition of the command to establish these stones (Josh 4:3-7, 20-22) stresses their extreme importance in God's eyes, not just as a physical memorial, but as a central part of His covenant curriculum for Israel's future.

Joshua 4 21 Commentary

Joshua 4:21 succinctly encapsulates the primary purpose of the Jordan memorial: a God-ordained mechanism for intergenerational faith transmission. The erecting of twelve physical stones was not merely an act of commemoration for the present generation, but a proactive provision for those yet to be born. God, knowing the natural human tendency to forget His mighty acts, designed this monument to serve as an enduring, visible catechism. The "when your children shall ask" presumes a natural, God-given curiosity in the young, which becomes the catalyst for fathers to narrate divine history. This divinely intended dialogue highlights the critical role of parental responsibility in passing on the narrative of God's faithfulness and power. The stones thus become more than inanimate objects; they transform into a powerful, silent sermon, ready to be vocally amplified by each passing generation. This principle underscores that the covenant relationship between God and Israel is not solely between the Lord and an individual, but encompasses an ongoing, communal, and familial heritage that must be deliberately cherished and conveyed.