Joshua 4 8

Joshua 4:8 kjv

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.

Joshua 4:8 nkjv

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.

Joshua 4:8 niv

So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the LORD had told Joshua; and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down.

Joshua 4:8 esv

And the people of Israel did just as Joshua commanded and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, just as the LORD told Joshua. And they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged and laid them down there.

Joshua 4:8 nlt

So the men did as Joshua had commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan River, one for each tribe, just as the LORD had told Joshua. They carried them to the place where they camped for the night and constructed the memorial there.

Joshua 4 verses

Joshua 4 8 Meaning

Joshua 4:8 describes the immediate and faithful execution of God's command by the Israelites, mediated through Joshua. It details the physical act of taking twelve specific stones from the miraculous dry bed of the Jordan River, carrying them to their first camp at Gilgal, and establishing them there as a enduring memorial. This act ensured a tangible remembrance of God's powerful intervention that enabled their entry into the Promised Land.

Joshua 4 8 Context

Joshua 4:8 follows the Lord's detailed command, relayed by Joshua to the representatives of each tribe, concerning the erection of a memorial after the miraculous Jordan River crossing. The preceding chapter (Joshua 3) described the crossing itself, where the waters of the Jordan were supernaturally cut off for the Ark of the Covenant, allowing the nation to cross on dry ground. Joshua 4 then focuses entirely on establishing permanent markers of this event. Verse 8 specifies the actual carrying out of the instruction given in 4:1-7, where chosen men took one stone for each of the twelve tribes from the very place the priests' feet had stood in the riverbed. This particular set of stones was destined for Gilgal, their initial camp in the Promised Land. This historical context signifies the culmination of their wilderness wandering, the confirmation of God's covenant faithfulness, and the legitimization of Joshua's leadership as Israel stepped fully into the land of promise.

Joshua 4 8 Word analysis

• So the children of Israel did so (וַיַּעֲשׂוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, vayya‘asu bəney Yisrael): This phrase highlights the immediate, unified, and obedient response of the entire Israelite community. It affirms their corporate commitment to God's instruction, signifying an act of collective faith and allegiance to the divine will communicated through their leader.
• as Joshua commanded (כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, ka’asher tzivah Yehoshua): This confirms Joshua’s divine appointment and authority. It shows the people’s recognition and acceptance of his leadership as God’s chosen instrument, reinforcing that obedience to Joshua was, in effect, obedience to God.
• and took up twelve stones (וַיִּשְׂאוּ שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה אֲבָנִים, vayyisu shteim 'esreh avanim): "Took up" (נָשָׂא nasa‘) indicates a deliberate and perhaps arduous physical act, emphasizing the tangible nature of the memorial. The number "twelve" is highly symbolic, representing the completeness and unity of the twelve tribes of Israel, demonstrating that the miraculous passage and memorial were for the benefit and representation of the entire nation. "Stones" (אֲבָנִים avanim) signifies raw, enduring materials suitable for a lasting testimony.
• out of the midst of Jordan (מִתּוֹךְ הַיַּרְדֵּן, mittokh hayYarden): This specific origin emphasizes the miraculous nature of the event. "Midst" (תָּוֶךְ tavek) implies the deepest part or center, specifically where the priests bearing the Ark had stood on dry ground. These stones were undeniable proofs, physically tied to the location of God's extraordinary intervention.
• as the Lord spake unto Joshua (כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהוָה אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, ka’asher dibber Yahweh el-Yehoshua): This phrase firmly roots the command in divine authority, reaffirming that the instruction originated directly from God, strengthening its sacred importance and ensuring no one could dispute its legitimacy.
• according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel (לְמִסְפַּר שִׁבְטֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, ləmispar shivṭei bəney Yisrael): This reiterates the symbolic connection of the twelve stones to the national unity of the tribes, highlighting the corporate aspect of the divine covenant and shared experience.
• and carried them over with them (וַיַּעֲבִרוּם אִתָּם, vayya‘avirum ittam): "Carried them over" (עָבַר 'avar) signifies transportation, illustrating the purposeful movement of the stones from the place of miracle to the designated place of memorial, making them a personal act for the chosen men.
• unto the place where they lodged (אֶל־הַמָּלוֹן אֲשֶׁר לָנוּ שָׁם, el-hammaalon asher lanu sham): Refers to Gilgal (Joshua 4:19), their initial encampment in the Promised Land. This was not just any place, but the divinely designated first stopping point, which would become a significant religious and strategic center for Israel.
• and laid them down there (וַיַּנִּחוּם שָׁם, vayyanniḥum sham): "Laid them down" (נָחַח nuach, Hiphil) means to settle, to cause to rest, or to establish. This signifies the permanence and completion of the task, ensuring the memorial's stability and visibility for enduring witness.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "So the children of Israel did so, as Joshua commanded, as the Lord spake unto Joshua": This sequence reveals a crucial theological chain of command and highlights profound obedience. Israel’s prompt execution ("did so") reflects their trust in Joshua, whose authority, in turn, is directly established by God’s explicit directive. It is an affirmation of Israel's renewed commitment to divine leadership.
• "took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel": This phrase details the symbolic action and its corporate representation. The selection of exactly "twelve stones" from the precise "midst of Jordan" where the miracle unfolded intrinsically links the supernatural event to the entirety of the unified nation of Israel, providing a concrete and lasting testimony for each tribe.
• "and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there": This outlines the journey and establishment of the memorial. The purposeful act of "carrying them over" to their first significant "lodging place" at Gilgal, and then deliberately "laying them down there," signifies the permanent establishment of this tangible witness. It ensured the monument would serve its purpose of remembrance and instruction in the land.

Joshua 4 8 Bonus section

The site of Gilgal, where these stones were laid, rapidly grew in significance beyond being merely a "lodging place." It became Israel's initial base of operations for the conquest (Joshua 9:6), and later the location for critical covenant renewals. It was here that the generation born in the wilderness was circumcised (Joshua 5:2-9), a re-establishment of the Abrahamic covenant that marked their full belonging to God's people in the land. Immediately following this, they celebrated their first Passover in Canaan (Joshua 5:10-12), completing the transition from the old ways of wandering to life in the Promised Land under the direct provision of God. Thus, the memorial stones at Gilgal not only recalled the extraordinary entrance into the land but also served as the tangible backdrop for renewed covenant commitment and the initial spiritual establishment of the nation in their inheritance. The act of gathering and setting up stones was a deeply rooted ancient practice for marking significant divine encounters and covenant affirmations (Gen 31:45-48), placing this new miracle in the long continuity of God's relationship with His people.

Joshua 4 8 Commentary

Joshua 4:8 is a profound testament to Israel's corporate obedience and God's faithfulness in fulfilling His promises. The prompt and unified response, "the children of Israel did so," signifies their trust in Joshua and, by extension, in the God who spoke through him. The deliberate retrieval of twelve stones from the precise center of the miraculously dried Jordan riverbed emphasizes the tangible proof of God's powerful intervention. These stones were not arbitrarily chosen; their number explicitly linked them to the twelve tribes, ensuring that the entire nation shared in this miracle and remembrance. The journey of carrying these stones to Gilgal, their first campsite in Canaan, underscored the transition from wilderness wandering to dwelling in the Promised Land. Laid down there permanently, the stones served as a perpetual object lesson. Their primary purpose, as articulated in Joshua 4:6-7, was pedagogical: they would prompt future generations to ask about their meaning, allowing their parents to recount God's mighty work, thereby preserving the national memory of God's covenant faithfulness and inspiring ongoing trust and obedience. This act of remembering the past works of God was foundational for their identity and their relationship with Him in the future.