Study notes

Joshua 4

Introducing JoshuaWho wrote it, when, why, and what to look for as you read

3:1–5:12 Section

When God saved the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, he did a miracle with water.

God divided the water of the Red Sea and the Israelites walked through on dry ground. God did another miracle with water to bring his people into Canaan. He stopped the flow of the River Jordan. Once again the Israelites walked through on dry ground.

The ark of the covenant was a sign that God was with them as they crossed the river. The Canaanite rulers were terrified when they learnt what had happened.

In Gilgal, the Israelites set up 12 stones collected from the riverbed. The stones would remind them to teach their children what God had done for them.

Also in Gilgal, the Israelites obeyed God’s instructions about circumcising men. This was a sign that they were committed to the Mount Sinai covenant.

When the Israelites celebrated the Passover Feast, they no longer ate manna. They ate food grown in Canaan. This showed that God was keeping one of his promises to Abraham. It was the promise to give that land to Abraham’s family line.

4:2

Choose twelve men: These men represented Jacob’s 12 sons. The tribe of Levi was not counted because the Levites settled in designated cities among the other tribes (Genesis 49:5–7; Numbers 1:49–52; 18:20). However, the number of tribes remained at 12 because Joseph’s two sons (Ephraim and Manasseh) were accounted as separate tribes (Genesis 48:5).

4:5

to take a stone upon his shoulder: This implies that each man chose stones weighing about 100 pounds.

4:6

Joshua told the Israelites two times to get ready to explain to future generations. The stone memorial would help teach them (4:21).

4:9

  • A 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”).

4:14

After God brought the Israelites safely across the Jordan River, the people recognized that God was with Joshua as their leader. They honored Joshua just as they had honored Moses. This trust in Joshua would be important in the years ahead.

4:18

After Israel crossed the river, the Jordan overflowed its banks as before. These events could not occur without God’s intervention.

4:19–20

  • The tenth day of the first month: This happened a few days before the Passover feast.

  • Gilgal became an important worship center for early Israel. Although its exact location is uncertain, it was somewhere just east or northeast of Jericho. Its name means “wheel of a cart” (compare Isaiah 28:28). This suggests that Joshua set up the 12 stones in a circle (see study note on Joshua 5:9).

4:24

In addition to future generations of Israelites, all the nations of the earth were to understand God’s power. At least some individuals in every group respond to the God who cares for them (Revelation 7:9–10).

Verse notes: Adapted by Mission Mutual (Aquifer Open Study Notes) from Tyndale Open Study Notes © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. CC BY-SA 4.0. Section notes: Biblica Study Notes © 2023 Biblica, Inc. CC BY-SA 4.0, via BibleAquifer. About the sources