Joshua 4:7

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.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
answer	וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֣ם va.'a.mar.Tem	H559	to say (used with great latitude) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential perfect, 2nd person masculine plural
waters	מֵימֵ֤י mei.Mei	H4325	water · noun, common masculine plural construct
Jordan	הַיַּרְדֵּן֙ hai.yar.Den	H3383	Jarden · definite article + proper noun, a place name
off	נִכְרְת֜וּ nikh.re.Tu	H3772	to cut (off · verb, niphal perfect, 3rd person common plural
before	מִפְּנֵי֙ mi.pe.Nei	H6440	the face (as the part that turns) · preposition + noun, common masculine plural construct
ark	אֲר֣וֹן 'a.Ron	H727	a box · noun, common masculine singular construct
covenant	בְּרִית be.rit-	H1285	a compact (because made by passing between pieces of fl… · noun, common feminine singular construct
LORD	יְהוָ֔ה Yah.weh	H3068	Jehovah · proper noun, a title
over	בְּעָבְרוֹ֙ be.'a.ve.Ro	H5674	to cross over · preposition + verb, qal infinitive construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
Jordan	בַּיַּרְדֵּ֔ן bai.yar.Den	H3383	Jarden · preposition with the article + proper noun, a place name
waters	מֵ֣י mei	H4325	water · noun, common masculine plural construct
Jordan	הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן hai.yar.Den	H3383	Jarden · definite article + proper noun, a place name
off	נִכְרְת֖וּ nikh.re.Tu	H3772	to cut (off · verb, niphal perfect, 3rd person common plural
stones	הָאֲבָנִ֨ים ha.'a.va.Nim	H68	a stone · definite article + noun, common feminine plural absolute
memorial	לְזִכָּר֛וֹן le.zi.ka.Ron	H2146	a memento (or memorable thing · preposition + noun, common masculine singular absolute
children	לִבְנֵ֥י liv.Nei	H1121	a son (as a builder of the family name) · preposition + noun, common masculine plural construct
Israel	יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל Yis.ra.'El	H3478	Jisrael · proper noun, a place name
for	עַד 'ad-	H5704	as far (or long · preposition
ever	עוֹלָֽם o.Lam	H5769	properly · noun, common masculine singular absolute

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Exodus 12:14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feas…
Exodus 28:12 And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear t…
Numbers 16:40 To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the LOR…
Psalms 111:4 He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion.
Joshua 3:13-16 And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall r…
Joshua 4:6 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?
Isaiah 66:3 He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if…
1 Corinthians 11:24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Joshua 4:1-9

We may well imagine how busy Joshua and all the men of war were while they were passing over Jordan, when besides their own marching into an enemy's country, and in the face of the enemy, which could not but occasion them many thoughts of hear, they had their wives, and children, and families, their cattle, and tents, and all their effects, bag and baggage, to convey by this strange and untrodden path, which we must suppose either very muddy or very stony, troublesome to the weak and frightful to the timorous, the descent to the bottom of the river and the ascent out of it steep, so that every man must needs have his head full of care and his hands full of business, and Joshua more than any…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Joshua 4:6

That this may be a sign among you--The erection of cairns, or huge piles of stones, as monuments of remarkable incidents has been common among all people, especially in the early and rude periods of their history. They are the established means of perpetuating the memory of important transactions, especially among the nomadic people of the East. Although there be no inscription engraved on them, the history and object of such simple monuments are traditionally preserved from age to age. Similar was the purpose contemplated by the conveyance of the twelve stones to Gilgal: it was that they might be a standing record to posterity of the miraculous passage of the Jordan.

Adam Clarke on Joshua 4:6

This may be a sign - Stand as a continual memorial of this miraculous passage, and consequently a proof of their lasting obligation to God.

John Gill on Joshua 4:7

Then ye shall answer them,.... By informing them of the design and use of 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 below from those that were, above, which stood up on an heap; so that they were divided and separated from each other, and made dry land for a passage of the children of Israel; and this was done before, and in the presence of the ark of the covenant, to show that is was owing to the power of God, of whose presence the ark was a symbol: the waters of Jordan were cut off; which is repeated for the confirmation of it, and that it might be taken notice of as a very marvellous event, and to be as…

Dictionary and topics

Ark · OF THE COVENANT — OF THE COVENANT
Ark Of The Covenant · Miracles connected with: Jordan divided — Miracles connected with: Jordan divided
Jordan, The River · Passage of Israel over: Commemorated by a pillar of stones in Gilgal — Passage of Israel over: Commemorated by a pillar of stones in Gilgal
Pillar · By Joshua, the crossing of the Jordan River — By Joshua, the crossing of the Jordan River
Stones · Memorial pillars of — Memorial pillars of
Token · Memorial stones — Memorial stones

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Joshua 4:7

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Joshua 4:1-9

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Joshua 4:6

Adam Clarke on Joshua 4:6

John Gill on Joshua 4:7

Dictionary and topics

Joshua 4:7

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Joshua 4:1-9

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Joshua 4:6

Adam Clarke on Joshua 4:6

John Gill on Joshua 4:7

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Joshua 4:1-9

Keil & Delitzsch on Joshua 4:1-14

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Joshua 4:6

Rashi on Joshua 4:7