CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Joshua 4:20 And there at Gilgal Joshua set up the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/joshua/4-20.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/10/06_Jos_04_20.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Joshua 4:20 - The Camp at Gilgal" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="And there at Gilgal Joshua set up the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan." /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script> <script src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/biblehub.js' type='text/javascript'></script></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="/vmenus/joshua/4-20.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmc/joshua/4-20.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="/">Bible</a> > <a href="/joshua/">Joshua</a> > <a href="/joshua/4.htm">Chapter 4</a> > Verse 20</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div><div id="ad1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/ad1.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/joshua/4-19.htm" title="Joshua 4:19">◄</a> Joshua 4:20 <a href="/joshua/4-21.htm" title="Joshua 4:21">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Study Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Crossref </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Hebrew </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/joshua/4.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/joshua/4.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/joshua/4.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />It was there at Gilgal that Joshua piled up the twelve stones taken from the Jordan River.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/joshua/4.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/joshua/4.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />And there at Gilgal Joshua set up the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/joshua/4.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/joshua/4.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/joshua/4.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />As for those twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set <i>them</i> up at Gilgal.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/joshua/4.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />Those twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/joshua/4.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />And those twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/joshua/4.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />And those twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/joshua/4.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />And those twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/joshua/4.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />Then Joshua set up in Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/joshua/4.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />Then Joshua set up in Gilgal the 12 stones they had taken from the Jordan, <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/joshua/4.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, did Joshua set up in Gilgal.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/joshua/4.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />The men who had carried the twelve rocks from the Jordan brought them to Joshua, and they made them into a monument. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/joshua/4.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua set up in Gilgal.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/joshua/4.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />At Gilgal Joshua set up the 12 stones they had taken from the Jordan.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/joshua/4.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />There Joshua set up the twelve stones taken from the Jordan. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/joshua/4.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />Joshua set up the twelve stones that they had removed from the Jordan River at Gilgal. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/joshua/4.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />And there at Gilgal Joshua set up the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/joshua/4.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />Now Joshua set up in Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/joshua/4.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />Joshua set up those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, in Gilgal.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/joshua/4.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />And those twelve stones which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua set up in Gilgal.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/joshua/4.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />Joshua set up those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, in Gilgal. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/joshua/4.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />and these twelve stones, which they have taken out of the Jordan, Joshua has raised up in Gilgal.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/joshua/4.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> and these twelve stones, which they have taken out of the Jordan, hath Joshua raised up in Gilgal.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/joshua/4.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />And these twelve stones which they took out of Jordan, Joshua set in Gilgal.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/joshua/4.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />And the twelve stones which they had taken out of the channel of the Jordan, Josue pitched in Galgal, <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/joshua/4.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />Likewise, the twelve stones that they had taken up from the channel of the Jordan, Joshua stationed at Gilgal.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/joshua/4.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />At Gilgal Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been taken from the Jordan,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/joshua/4.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />Those twelve stones, which they had taken out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal,<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/joshua/4.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan. Joshua set up at Gilgal.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/joshua/4.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />And they took twelve stones from within the Jordan; Yeshua set them in Galgala<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/joshua/4.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, did Joshua set up in Gilgal.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/joshua/4.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />And Joshua set these twelve stones which he took out of Jordan, in Galgala,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/joshua/4-20.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/p91zXIGB0Rk?start=806" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/joshua/4.htm">The Camp at Gilgal</a></span><br><span class="reftext">19</span>On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. <span class="reftext">20</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/853.htm" title="853: wə·’êṯ (Conj-w:: DirObjM) -- Apparent contracted from 'owth in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self.">And</a> <a href="/hebrew/1537.htm" title="1537: bag·gil·gāl (Prep-b, Art:: N-proper-fs) -- Circle (of stones), the name of several places in Pal. The same as gilgal; Gilgal, the name of three places in Palestine.">there at Gilgal</a> <a href="/hebrew/3091.htm" title="3091: yə·hō·wō·šu·a‘ (N-proper-ms) -- Or Yhowshua; from Yhovah and yasha'; Jehovah-saved; Jehoshua, the Jewish leader.">Joshua</a> <a href="/hebrew/6965.htm" title="6965: hê·qîm (V-Hifil-Perf-3ms) -- To arise, stand up, stand. A primitive root; to rise.">set up</a> <a href="/hebrew/428.htm" title="428: hā·’êl·leh (Art:: Pro-cp) -- These. Prolonged from 'el; these or those.">the</a> <a href="/hebrew/834.htm" title="834: ’ă·šer (Pro-r) -- Who, which, that. A primitive relative pronoun; who, which, what, that; also when, where, how, because, in order that, etc."></a> <a href="/hebrew/8147.htm" title="8147: šə·têm (Number-fd) -- Two (a card. number). Dual of sheniy; feminine shttayim; two; also twofold.">twelve</a> <a href="/hebrew/6240.htm" title="6240: ‘eś·rêh (Number-fs) -- Ten. For eser; ten, i.e. -teen; also -teenth."></a> <a href="/hebrew/68.htm" title="68: hā·’ă·ḇā·nîm (Art:: N-fp) -- A stone. From the root of banah through the meaning to build; a stone.">stones</a> <a href="/hebrew/3947.htm" title="3947: lā·qə·ḥū (V-Qal-Perf-3cp) -- To take. A primitive root; to take.">they had taken</a> <a href="/hebrew/4480.htm" title="4480: min- (Prep) -- From. Or minniy; or minney; for men; properly, a part of; hence, from or out of in many senses.">from</a> <a href="/hebrew/3383.htm" title="3383: hay·yar·dên (Art:: N-proper-fs) -- The principal river of Pal. From yarad; a descender; Jarden, the principal river of Palestine.">the Jordan.</a> </span><span class="reftext">21</span>Then Joshua said to the Israelites, “In the future, when your children ask their fathers, ‘What is the meaning of these stones?’…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/joshua/3-12.htm">Joshua 3:12-17</a></span><br />Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. / When the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD—the Lord of all the earth—touch down in the waters of the Jordan, its flowing waters will be cut off and will stand up in a heap.” / So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carried the ark of the covenant ahead of them. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/joshua/5-9.htm">Joshua 5:9</a></span><br />Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So that place has been called Gilgal to this day.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/exodus/12-14.htm">Exodus 12:14</a></span><br />And this day will be a memorial for you, and you are to celebrate it as a feast to the LORD, as a permanent statute for the generations to come.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/deuteronomy/27-2.htm">Deuteronomy 27:2-3</a></span><br />And on the day you cross the Jordan into the land that the LORD your God is giving you, set up large stones and coat them with plaster. / Write on them all the words of this law when you have crossed over to enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_samuel/7-12.htm">1 Samuel 7:12</a></span><br />Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_kings/18-31.htm">1 Kings 18:31-32</a></span><br />And Elijah took twelve stones, one for each tribe of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come and said, “Israel shall be your name.” / And with the stones, Elijah built an altar in the name of the LORD. Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_kings/3-16.htm">2 Kings 3:16-17</a></span><br />and he said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Dig this valley full of ditches.’ / For the LORD says, ‘You will not see wind or rain, but the valley will be filled with water, and you will drink—you and your cattle and your animals.’<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/78-4.htm">Psalm 78:4-7</a></span><br />We will not hide them from their children but will declare to the next generation the praises of the LORD and His might and the wonders He has performed. / For He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers to teach to their children, / that the coming generation would know them—even children yet to be born—to arise and tell their own children ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/105-5.htm">Psalm 105:5</a></span><br />Remember the wonders He has done, His marvels, and the judgments He has pronounced,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/43-16.htm">Isaiah 43:16-17</a></span><br />Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea and a path through the surging waters, / who brings out the chariots and horses, the armies and warriors together, to lie down, never to rise again; to be extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/46-9.htm">Isaiah 46:9</a></span><br />Remember what happened long ago, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/3-9.htm">Matthew 3:9</a></span><br />And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/16-18.htm">Matthew 16:18</a></span><br />And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/3-8.htm">Luke 3:8</a></span><br />Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/john/1-28.htm">John 1:28</a></span><br />All this happened at Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/joshua/4-3.htm">Joshua 4:3,8</a></b></br> 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… </p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/joshua/4-19.htm">Jordan</a> <a href="/joshua/4-17.htm">Joshua</a> <a href="/deuteronomy/1-33.htm">Pitch</a> <a href="/deuteronomy/27-2.htm">Raised</a> <a href="/joshua/4-9.htm">Stones</a> <a href="/joshua/4-9.htm">Twelve</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/joshua/4-22.htm">Jordan</a> <a href="/joshua/5-2.htm">Joshua</a> <a href="/proverbs/20-20.htm">Pitch</a> <a href="/joshua/5-7.htm">Raised</a> <a href="/joshua/4-21.htm">Stones</a> <a href="/joshua/8-25.htm">Twelve</a><div class="vheading2">Joshua 4</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/joshua/4-1.htm">Twelve men are appointed to take twelve memorial stones from Jordan</a></span><br><span class="reftext">9. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/joshua/4-9.htm">Twelve other stones are set up in the midst of Jordan</a></span><br><span class="reftext">10. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/joshua/4-10.htm">The people pass over</a></span><br><span class="reftext">14. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/joshua/4-14.htm">God magnifies Joshua</a></span><br><span class="reftext">15. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/joshua/4-15.htm">The priests commanded to come out of Jordan</a></span><br><span class="reftext">20. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/joshua/4-20.htm">The twelve stones are pitched in Gilgal</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <script type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading"><a href="/study/joshua/4.htm">Berean Study Bible</a></div><b>And there at Gilgal</b><br />The word "Gilgal" is derived from the Hebrew root "galal," meaning "to roll." This location holds significant historical and spiritual importance as it represents the place where the Israelites camped after crossing the Jordan River. Gilgal becomes a symbol of new beginnings and the rolling away of the past, particularly the reproach of Egypt (<a href="/joshua/5-9.htm">Joshua 5:9</a>). It is a place of consecration and renewal, where the Israelites reaffirm their covenant with God. Archaeologically, Gilgal is identified with several sites, but its exact location remains debated. Spiritually, it serves as a reminder of God's faithfulness and the transition from wilderness wandering to the Promised Land.<p><b>Joshua set up</b><br />The act of setting up the stones is deliberate and purposeful. The Hebrew verb "qum" implies establishing or making something stand. Joshua's action is not merely physical but deeply symbolic, serving as a memorial for future generations. It underscores the importance of remembering God's mighty acts and the leadership role Joshua plays in guiding the Israelites. This act of setting up stones is a common biblical motif for creating memorials, seen also in <a href="/genesis/28-18.htm">Genesis 28:18</a> with Jacob's stone at Bethel.<p><b>the twelve stones</b><br />The number twelve is significant throughout Scripture, representing the twelve tribes of Israel. These stones are not just random rocks but are carefully chosen to symbolize the unity and collective identity of the nation. Each stone represents a tribe, emphasizing that all of Israel participated in the crossing and shares in the covenant promises. The stones serve as a tangible reminder of God's provision and the fulfillment of His promises to the patriarchs.<p><b>they had taken from the Jordan</b><br />The Jordan River is a critical geographical and spiritual boundary. The stones taken from its midst signify a miraculous event—the stopping of the river's flow to allow the Israelites to cross on dry ground. This act echoes the parting of the Red Sea and reinforces God's power and presence with His people. The Jordan represents a transition from the old life of slavery and wandering to a new life in the Promised Land. The stones, therefore, are not just historical markers but spiritual testimonies of God's deliverance and faithfulness.<div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/joshua/4.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(20--5:9) It would seem that these verses all belong to one section. The use of the first person in <a href="/joshua/5-1.htm" title="And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel.">Joshua 5:1</a>, "until <span class= "ital">we </span>were passed over," is most naturally explained by taking the verse as part of what the Israelites were to say to their children by the command of Joshua. The difficulty has been met in the Hebrew Bible by a Masoretic reading, in which "they" is substituted for "we." But the more difficult reading is to be preferred. There is nothing else in the section that creates any difficulty. The twenty-third verse authorises a comparison between the passage of Jordan and the passage of the Red Sea. As the one is called a "baptising unto Moses," in the <span class= "ital">New </span>Testament, we may call the other a baptising unto Joshua. (Comp. the "us" in <a href="/joshua/4-23.htm" title="For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until you 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:">Joshua 4:23</a>, with the "we" of <a href="/joshua/5-1.htm" title="And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel.">Joshua 5:1</a>.) The first person also appears in <a href="/joshua/4-6.htm" title="That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean you by these stones?">Joshua 4:6</a>, "that he would give us." It would appear that, besides explaining the erection of the <span class= "ital">stones, </span>the Israelites were also to explain to their children the meaning of Gilgal, the place where the stones were, and this explanation is not completed until the end of <a href="/joshua/4-9.htm" title="And Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bore the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there to this day.">Joshua 4:9</a>.<p><span class= "bld"> . . . <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/joshua/4-20.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">And</span><br /><span class="heb">וְאֵת֩</span> <span class="translit">(wə·’êṯ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_853.htm">Strong's 853: </a> </span><span class="str2">Untranslatable mark of the accusative case</span><br /><br /><span class="word">there at Gilgal</span><br /><span class="heb">בַּגִּלְגָּֽל׃</span> <span class="translit">(bag·gil·gāl)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-b, Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1537.htm">Strong's 1537: </a> </span><span class="str2">Gilgal -- 'circle (of stones)', the name of several places in Palestine</span><br /><br /><span class="word">Joshua</span><br /><span class="heb">יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ</span> <span class="translit">(yə·hō·wō·šu·a‘)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - proper - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3091.htm">Strong's 3091: </a> </span><span class="str2">Joshua -- 'the LORD is salvation', Moses' successor, also the name of a number of Israelites</span><br /><br /><span class="word">set up</span><br /><span class="heb">הֵקִ֥ים</span> <span class="translit">(hê·qîm)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6965.htm">Strong's 6965: </a> </span><span class="str2">To arise, stand up, stand</span><br /><br /><span class="word">the</span><br /><span class="heb">הָאֵ֔לֶּה</span> <span class="translit">(hā·’êl·leh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Article | Pronoun - common plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_428.htm">Strong's 428: </a> </span><span class="str2">These, those</span><br /><br /><span class="word">twelve</span><br /><span class="heb">שְׁתֵּ֨ים</span> <span class="translit">(šə·têm)</span><br /><span class="parse">Number - fd<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_8147.htm">Strong's 8147: </a> </span><span class="str2">Two (a cardinal number)</span><br /><br /><span class="word">stones</span><br /><span class="heb">הָֽאֲבָנִים֙</span> <span class="translit">(hā·’ă·ḇā·nîm)</span><br /><span class="parse">Article | Noun - feminine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_68.htm">Strong's 68: </a> </span><span class="str2">A stone</span><br /><br /><span class="word">they had taken</span><br /><span class="heb">לָקְח֖וּ</span> <span class="translit">(lā·qə·ḥū)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3947.htm">Strong's 3947: </a> </span><span class="str2">To take</span><br /><br /><span class="word">from</span><br /><span class="heb">מִן־</span> <span class="translit">(min-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4480.htm">Strong's 4480: </a> </span><span class="str2">A part of, from, out of</span><br /><br /><span class="word">the Jordan.</span><br /><span class="heb">הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן</span> <span class="translit">(hay·yar·dên)</span><br /><span class="parse">Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3383.htm">Strong's 3383: </a> </span><span class="str2">Jordan -- the principal river of Palestine</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/joshua/4-20.htm">Joshua 4:20 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/joshua/4-20.htm">Joshua 4:20 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/joshua/4-20.htm">Joshua 4:20 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/joshua/4-20.htm">Joshua 4:20 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/joshua/4-20.htm">Joshua 4:20 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/joshua/4-20.htm">Joshua 4:20 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/joshua/4-20.htm">Joshua 4:20 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/joshua/4-20.htm">Joshua 4:20 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/joshua/4-20.htm">Joshua 4:20 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/joshua/4-20.htm">Joshua 4:20 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/joshua/4-20.htm">OT History: Joshua 4:20 Joshua set up those twelve stones which (Josh. Jos)</a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/joshua/4-19.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Joshua 4:19"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Joshua 4:19" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/joshua/4-21.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Joshua 4:21"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Joshua 4:21" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>