Joshua 4:8 Thus the Israelites did as Joshua had commanded them. They took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, one for each tribe of Israel, just as the LORD had told Joshua; and they carried them to the camp, where they set them down.

◄ Joshua 4:8 ►

New International Version
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.

New Living Translation
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.

English Standard Version
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.

Berean Standard Bible
Thus the Israelites did as Joshua had commanded them. They took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, one for each tribe of Israel, just as the LORD had told Joshua; and they carried them to the camp, where they set them down.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
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.

New American Standard Bible
So the sons of Israel did exactly as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, just as the LORD spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel; and they carried them over with them to the encampment and put them down there.

NASB 1995
Thus the sons of Israel did as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, just as the LORD spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel; and they carried them over with them to the lodging place and put them down there.

NASB 1977
And thus the sons of Israel did, as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, just as the LORD spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel; and they carried them over with them to the lodging place, and put them down there.

Legacy Standard Bible
Thus the sons of Israel did as Joshua commanded and carried twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, just as Yahweh spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel; and they carried them over with them to the lodging place and laid them down there.

Amplified Bible
So the [twelve men chosen from the] sons of Israel did as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel, just as the LORD had spoken to Joshua; and they carried them over with them to the place where they were spending the night and put them down there.

Christian Standard Bible
The Israelites did just as Joshua had commanded them. The twelve men took stones from the middle of the Jordan, one for each of the Israelite tribes, just as the LORD had told Joshua. They carried them to the camp and set them down there.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Israelites did just as Joshua had commanded them. The 12 men took stones from the middle of the Jordan, one for each of the Israelite tribes, just as the LORD had told Joshua. They carried them to the camp and set them down there.

American Standard Version
And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, as Jehovah spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel; and they carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.

Contemporary English Version
The men followed the instructions that the LORD had given Joshua. They picked up twelve rocks, one for each tribe, and carried them to the camp, where they put them down.

English Revised Version
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 they carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The 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.

Good News Translation
The men followed Joshua's orders. As the LORD had commanded Joshua, they took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, one for each of the tribes of Israel, carried them to the camping place, and put them down there.

International Standard Version
The Israelis did just as Joshua commanded. They took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan River—just as the LORD had spoken to Joshua—according to the number of the tribes of the Israelis, and they carried them over to where they would be pitching camp, and they put them down there.

Majority Standard Bible
Thus the Israelites did as Joshua had commanded them. They took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, one for each tribe of Israel, just as the LORD had told Joshua; and they carried them to the camp, where they set them down.

NET Bible
The Israelites did just as Joshua commanded. They picked up twelve stones, according to the number of the Israelite tribes, from the middle of the Jordan as the LORD had instructed Joshua. They carried them over with them to the camp and put them there.

New Heart English Bible
The children of Israel did as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the middle of the Jordan, as the LORD spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel; and they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the midst of Jordan, as the the LORD commanded 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.

World English Bible
The children of Israel did as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the middle of the Jordan, as Yahweh spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel. They carried them over with them to the place where they camped, and laid them down there.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And the sons of Israel do so as Joshua commanded, and take up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, as YHWH has spoken to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel, and remove them over with them to the lodging-place, and place them there,

Young's Literal Translation
And the sons of Israel do so as Joshua commanded, and take up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, as Jehovah hath spoken unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel, and remove them over with them unto the lodging-place, and place them there,

Smith's Literal Translation
And the sons of Israel will do so as Joshua commanded, and they will lift up the twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as Jehovah spake to Joshua according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel, and they will pass them over with them to the lodging place, and they will deposit them there.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
The children of Israel therefore did as Josue commanded them, carrying out of the channel of the Jordan twelve stones, as the Lord had commanded him, according to the number of the children of Israel, unto the place wherein they camped, and there they set them.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Therefore, the sons of Israel did as Joshua instructed them, carrying twelve stones from the midst of the channel of the Jordan, just as the Lord had ordered him, according to the number of the sons of Israel, as far as the place where they made camp, and there they stationed them.

New American Bible
The twelve Israelites did as Joshua had commanded: they took up twelve stones from the Jordan riverbed as the LORD had said to Joshua, one for each of the tribes of the Israelites. They carried them along to the camp site, and there they placed them.

New Revised Standard Version
The Israelites did as Joshua commanded. They took up twelve stones out of the middle of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the LORD told Joshua, carried them over with them to the place where they camped, and laid them down there.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And the children of Israel did as Joshua commanded them, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, as the LORD had said 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.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And so the children of Israel did as Yeshua commanded them, and they picked up twelve stones from within the Jordan, according to what LORD JEHOVAH said to Yeshua, by the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and they brought them with them to the house of lodging and they left them there

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, as the LORD spoke unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel; and they carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the children of Israel did so, as the Lord commanded Joshua; and they took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, (as the Lord commanded Joshua, when the children of Israel had completely passed over,) and carried these stones with them into the camp, and laid them down there.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Twelve Stones from the Jordan
…7you are to tell them, ‘The waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters were cut off.’ Therefore these stones will be a memorial to the Israelites forever.” 8Thus the Israelites did as Joshua had commanded them. They took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, one for each tribe of Israel, just as the LORD had told Joshua; and they carried them to the camp, where they set them down. 9Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant stood. And the stones are there to this day.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Exodus 12:14
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.

Deuteronomy 27:2-3
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.

1 Kings 18:31-32
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.

2 Kings 3:16-17
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.’

2 Kings 20:9
And Isaiah had replied, “This will be a sign to you from the LORD that He will do what He has promised: Would you like the shadow to go forward ten steps, or back ten steps?”

Psalm 78:4-7
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 ...

Psalm 105:5
Remember the wonders He has done, His marvels, and the judgments He has pronounced,

Isaiah 43:16-17
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:

Isaiah 46:9
Remember what happened long ago, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me.

Jeremiah 31:21
“Set up the road markers, put up the signposts. Keep the highway in mind, the road you have traveled. Return, O Virgin Israel, return to these cities of yours.

Matthew 3:9
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.

Matthew 16:9-10
Do you still not understand? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? / Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?

Mark 8:19-20
When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of broken pieces did you collect?” “Twelve,” they answered. / “And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of broken pieces did you collect?” “Seven,” they said.

Luke 3:8
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.

John 1:28
All this happened at Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Treasury of Scripture

And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the middle of Jordan, as the LORD spoke 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.

did so as Joshua

Joshua 4:2-5
Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man, …

Joshua 1:16-18
And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go…

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Joshua 4

1. Twelve men are appointed to take twelve memorial stones from Jordan
9. Twelve other stones are set up in the midst of Jordan
10. The people pass over
14. God magnifies Joshua
15. The priests commanded to come out of Jordan
20. The twelve stones are pitched in Gilgal

Berean Study Bible

Thus the Israelites did as Joshua had commanded
This phrase underscores the obedience of the Israelites to Joshua's leadership. The Hebrew root for "commanded" is צָוָה (tsavah), which implies a directive given with authority. This reflects the hierarchical structure established by God, where Joshua, as the appointed leader, acts as a mediator of God's will. Historically, this obedience is crucial as it demonstrates the unity and faith of the Israelites in following God's appointed leader, which is essential for their success in the Promised Land.

They took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan
The "twelve stones" symbolize the twelve tribes of Israel, representing the unity and collective identity of the nation. The act of taking these stones from the "middle of the Jordan" is significant because it marks a miraculous event where the waters were held back, allowing the Israelites to cross on dry ground. This serves as a tangible reminder of God's power and faithfulness. Archaeologically, such stone memorials were common in ancient cultures as markers of significant events.

according to the number of the tribes of Israel
This phrase reiterates the importance of each tribe's representation in the memorial. The number twelve is significant throughout Scripture, often symbolizing completeness and divine order. By ensuring each tribe is represented, the memorial serves as a testament to the collective journey and covenant relationship between God and all of Israel.

just as the LORD had told Joshua
This highlights the divine origin of the command. The phrase "just as the LORD had told" emphasizes the importance of divine instruction and the faithfulness of Joshua in executing God's commands. It reflects the biblical principle that true leadership is rooted in obedience to God. The Hebrew word for "told" is דָּבַר (dabar), which can also mean "to speak" or "to declare," indicating the authoritative nature of God's communication.

And they carried them to the camp where they set them down
The act of carrying the stones to the camp and setting them down signifies the completion of a task ordained by God. The camp represents the community of Israel, and placing the stones there serves as a perpetual reminder of God's deliverance and the people's covenantal relationship with Him. This action is not just a physical task but a spiritual act of remembrance and worship, ensuring that future generations would know of God's mighty works.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(8-9) According to the number of the tribes. . . .--Every tribe was represented by a stone on either side Jordan. The two cairns represent a complete Israel in the wilderness, and a complete Israel in the promised land. "Thou shalt remember all the way that the Lord thy God led thee." "By the grace of God I am what I am."

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

Thus the Israelites
בְּנֵי־ (bə·nê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

did
וַיַּעֲשׂוּ־ (way·ya·‘ă·śū-)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 6213: To do, make

as
כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר (ka·’ă·šer)
Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

Joshua
יְהוֹשֻׁעַ֒ (yə·hō·wō·šu·a‘)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3091: Joshua -- 'the LORD is salvation', Moses' successor, also the name of a number of Israelites

had commanded them.
צִוָּ֣ה (ṣiw·wāh)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6680: To lay charge (upon), give charge (to), command, order

They took up
וַיִּשְׂא֡וּ (way·yiś·’ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take

twelve
שְׁתֵּֽי־ (šə·tê-)
Number - fdc
Strong's 8147: Two (a cardinal number)

stones
אֲבָנִ֜ים (’ă·ḇā·nîm)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 68: A stone

from the middle
מִתּ֣וֹךְ (mit·tō·wḵ)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8432: A bisection, the centre

of the Jordan,
הַיַּרְדֵּ֗ן (hay·yar·dên)
Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3383: Jordan -- the principal river of Palestine

one for each
לְמִסְפַּ֖ר (lə·mis·par)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4557: A number, definite, indefinite, narration

tribe
שִׁבְטֵ֣י (šiḇ·ṭê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 7626: Rod, staff, club, scepter, tribe

of Israel,
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

just as
כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר (ka·’ă·šer)
Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

the LORD
יְהוָה֙ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

had told
דִּבֶּ֤ר (dib·ber)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

Joshua;
יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַ (yə·hō·wō·šu·a‘)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3091: Joshua -- 'the LORD is salvation', Moses' successor, also the name of a number of Israelites

and they carried
וַיַּעֲבִר֤וּם (way·ya·‘ă·ḇi·rūm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5674: To pass over, through, or by, pass on

them
עִמָּם֙ (‘im·mām)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the camp,
הַמָּל֔וֹן (ham·mā·lō·wn)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4411: A lodgment, caravanserai, encampment

where they set them down.
וַיַּנִּח֖וּם (way·yan·ni·ḥūm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine plural
Strong's 3240: Bestow, cast down, lay down, up, leave off, let alone remain, pacify, place,

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OT History: Joshua 4:8 The children of Israel did as Joshua (Josh. Jos)