Joshua 4:21 He said to the Israelites, "In the future when your descendants ask their parents, 'What do these stones mean?'

◄ Joshua 4:21 ►

Parallel Verses

New International Version
He said to the Israelites, "In the future when your descendants ask their parents, 'What do these stones mean?'

English Standard Version
And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’

New American Standard Bible
He said to the sons of Israel, "When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, 'What are these stones?'

King James Bible
And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
and he said to the Israelites, "In the future, when your children ask their fathers, 'What is the meaning of these stones?'

International Standard Version
Then he told the Israelis, "When your descendants ask their parents in years to come, 'What is the meaning of these stones?'

American Standard Version
And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And said to the children of Israel: When your children shall ask their fathers, to morrow, and shall say to them: What mean these stones?

Darby Bible Translation
And he spoke to the children of Israel, saying, When your children hereafter ask their fathers, saying, What mean these stones?

Young's Literal Translation
And he speaketh unto the sons of Israel, saying, 'When your sons ask their fathers hereafter, saying, What are these stones?

Commentaries

Matthew Henry's Commentary

4:20-24 It is the duty of parents to tell their children betimes of the words and works of God, that they may be trained up in the way they should go. In all the instruction parents give their children, they should teach them to fear God. Serious godliness is the best learning. Are we not called, as much as the Israelites, to praise the loving-kindness of our God? Shall we not raise a pillar to our God, who has brought us through dangers and distresses in so wonderful a way? For hitherto the Lord hath helped us, as much as he did his saints of old. How great the stupidity and ingratitude of men, who perceive not His hand, and will not acknowledge his goodness, in their frequent deliverances!

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

20-24. those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal—Probably to render them more conspicuous, they might be raised on a foundation of earth or turf. The pile was designed to serve a double purpose—that of impressing the heathen with a sense of the omnipotence of God, while at the same time it would teach an important lesson in religion to the young and rising Israelites in after ages.