Joshua 4:9

Joshua 4:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to this day.

Context of Joshua 4:9

7You should answer, ‘The water of the Jordan River was cut off in front of the ark of the Lord’s promise. When the ark crossed the Jordan, the river stopped flowing. These stones are a permanent reminder for the people of Israel.’ ” 8The people of Israel did as Joshua had ordered. They took 12 stones, one for each of the tribes of Israel. They took them from the middle of the Jordan as the Lord had told Joshua. They carried them to the camp and set them down there. Joshua also set 12 stones in the middle of the Jordan River, where the priests who carried the ark of the promise had stood. The stones are still there today. 10The priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan. They stood there until everything the Lord had ordered Joshua to tell the people had been carried out. This was as Moses had told Joshua. The people hurried to the other side. 11As soon as everyone had crossed, the priests with the Lord’s ark crossed and went ahead of them.

Joshua 4:9 word by word

וּשְׁתֵּ֧ים עֶשְׂרֵ֣ה אֲבָנִ֗ים הֵקִ֣ים יְהוֹשֻׁעַ֮ בְּת֣וֹךְ הַיַּרְדֵּן֒ תַּ֗חַת מַצַּב֙ רַגְלֵ֣י הַכֹּהֲנִ֔ים נֹשְׂאֵ֖י אֲר֣וֹן הַבְּרִ֑ית וַיִּ֣הְיוּ שָׁ֔ם עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Joshuaיְהוֹשׁוּעַyehôshûa‛ yehôshûa‛ · JoshuaH3091
• set upקוּםqûm · to arise: establishH6965
• twelveעָשָׂר‛âώâr · tenH6240
• twelveשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
• stonesאֶ֫בֶן'eben · stoneH68
• in the midstתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
• of Jordanיַרְדֵּןyardên · JordanH3383
• in the place where the feetרֶ֫גֶלregel · footH7272
• of the priestsכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• which bareנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: bearH5375
• the arkאֲרוֹן'ârôn 'ârôn · arkH727
• of the covenantבְּרִיתberîyth · covenantH1285
• stoodמַצָּבmatstsâb · stationH4673
• and they are there unto this dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117

Cross-references for Joshua 4:9

• Exodus 24:12The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain. Stay there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the teachings and the commandments I have written for the people’s instruction.”
• Exodus 28:21The stones correspond to the 12 sons of Israel, by name, each stone engraved (like a signet ring) with the name of one of the 12 tribes.
• 1 Kings 18:31Elijah took 12 stones, one for each of the tribes named after Jacob’s sons. (The Lord had spoken his word to Jacob: “Your name will be Israel.”)
• Psalms 111:2The Lord’s deeds are spectacular. They should be studied by all who enjoy them.
• Joshua 4:20At Gilgal Joshua set up the 12 stones they had taken from the Jordan.
• Genesis 26:33So he named it Shibah [Oath]. That is why the name of the city is still Beersheba today.
• Deuteronomy 34:6He was buried in a valley in Moab, near Beth Peor. Even today no one knows where his grave is.
• Judges 1:26The man went to the land of the Hittites. There he built a city and called it Luz. The city still has that name today.
• 1 Samuel 30:25From that time on he made this a rule and a custom in Israel as it is to this day.
• 2 Samuel 4:3even though the people of Beeroth had fled to Gittaim. They still live there today.
• 2 Chronicles 5:9The poles were so long that their ends could be seen in the holy place by anyone standing in front of the inner room, but they couldn’t be seen outside. (They are still there today.)
• Matthew 27:8That’s why that field has been called the Field of Blood ever since.
• Matthew 28:15The soldiers took the money and did as they were told. Their story has been spread among the Jewish people to this day.

Commentaries on Joshua 4:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan - It seems from this chapter that there were two sets of stones erected as a memorial of this great event; twelve at Gilgal, Joshua 4:20; and twelve in the bed of Jordan, Joshua 4:9. The twelve stones in the bed of Jordan might have been so placed on a base of strong stone-work so high as always to be visible, and serve to mark the very spot where the priests stood with the ark. The twelve stones set…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Another set of stones is intended than that before mentioned. The one set was erected by the command of God at the spot where they passed the night Joshua 4:3; the other by Joshua on the spot where the priests‘ feet rested while they bore up the ark during the passage of the people. This spot was near, or perhaps on, the eastern brink (compare Joshua 3:8). These stones would therefore mark the spot at which the people crossed, as the others marked the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9A second memorial of twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan River became covered with water when the river resumed its flow. The top of the monument would be visible during the dry summer seasons. are there to this day: This shows that the memorials stood for generations, until the final editing of the book (see Joshua Book Introduction, “Author and Date”).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. Joshua set up twelve stones ... in the place where the feet of the priests ... stood--In addition to the memorial just described, there was another memento of the miraculous event, a duplicate of the former, set up in the river itself, on the very spot where the ark had rested. This heap of stones might have been a large and compactly built one and visible in the ordinary state of the river. As nothing is said where these stones were obtained, some…Read the comment

Topics related to Joshua 4:9

• Instruction
• Pillar
• Stones
• Token

In the dictionaries

• Jordan
• Joshua
• Jordan River, Jordan
• Ark of the Covenant
• Shechem
• Joshua (2)
• Joshua, Book of
• Number
• Priests and Levites
• Sign

Commentaries on Joshua 4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings