Bible/Joshua/4

Joshua 4:20

4:19 And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho.
And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.

KJV

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Joshua set up those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, in Gilgal.

And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.

And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.

4:21 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? in time: Heb. to morrow

What does Joshua 4:20 mean?

Joshua 4:20 is a verse in the book of Joshua, in the Old Testament. In the original Hebrew, key words include שְׁנַיִם (shᵉnayim), אֶבֶן (ʼeben), לָקַח (lâqach). It connects to 11 cross-referenced passages elsewhere in Scripture.

Hebrew interlinear

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And
those
twelveשְׁנַיִםshᵉnayim/shen-ah'-yim/H8147two; also (as ordinal) twofold
stones,אֶבֶןʼeben/eh'-ben/H68a stone
which
they
took
outלָקַחlâqach/law-kakh'/H3947to take (in the widest variety of applications)
of
Jordan,יַרְדֵּןYardên/yar-dane'/H3383Jarden, the principal river of Palestine
did
JoshuaיְהוֹשׁוּעַYᵉhôwshûwaʻ/yeh-ho-shoo'-ah/H3091Jehoshua (i.e. Joshua), the Jewish leader
pitchקוּםqûwm/koom/H6965to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative)
in
Gilgal.גִּלְגָּלGilgâl/ghil-gawl'/H1537Gilgal, the name of three places in Palestine

Commentary on Joshua 4:20

HENRY_FULL · Joshua 4:20
ter we have, I. The song which Moses, by the appointment of God, delivered to the children of Israel, for a standing admonition to them, to take heed of forsaking God. This takes up most of the chapter, in which we have, 1. The preface, ver. 1, 2 . 2. A high character of God, and, in opposition to that, a bad character of the people of Israel, ver. 3-6 . 3. A rehearsal of the great things God had done for them, and in opposition to that an account of their ill carriage towards him, ver. 7-18 . 4. A prediction of the wasting destroying judgments which God would bring upon them for their sins, in which God is here justified by the many aggravations of their impieties, ver. 19-33 . 5. A promise of the destruction of their enemies and oppressors at last, and the glorious deliverance of a remnant of Israel, ver. 36-43 . II. The exhortation with which Moses delivered this song to them, ver. 41-47 . III. The orders God gives to Moses to go up to Mount Nebo and die, ver. 48 , &c. The Song of Moses. ( b. c. 1451.)

Cross-references

Related passages from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

2 Samuel 23:4

And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.

Job 29:22

After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them.

Job 29:23

And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.

Isaiah 55:10

For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

Isaiah 55:11

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Hosea 6:4

O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away. goodness: or, mercy, or, kindness

Hosea 14:5

I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. grow: or, blossom cast: Heb. strike

Micah 5:7

And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.

Zechariah 10:1

Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field. bright: or, lightnings

1 Corinthians 3:6

I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

Hebrews 6:7

For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: by: or, for

Topics

Jordan, the RiverPillarsStones

People & places in this verse

People

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Verses like this

Other verses that share key original-language words with Joshua 4:20.

Genesis 19:15

And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. are here: Heb. are found iniquity: or, punishment

Genesis 19:1

And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;

Genesis 19:14

And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.

Genesis 22:3

And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

Genesis 32:10

I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands. I am not: Heb. I am less than all

Genesis 32:22

And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok.

Genesis 4:19

And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.

Genesis 7:2

Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female. by sevens: Heb. seven seven

Frequently asked questions

What does Joshua 4:20 say?

Joshua 4:20 (King James Version) reads: "And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal."

Is Joshua 4:20 in the Old or New Testament?

Joshua 4:20 is in the Old Testament of the Bible, in the book of Joshua.

Reflect

As you read Joshua 4:20, what is one truth here you can carry into today?

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