Joshua 4:6 - Forerunner Commentary

Joshua 4:6

4 Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe;

5 and Joshua said to them: “Cross over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel,

6 that this may be ^aa sign among you ^bwhen your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’

7 Then you shall answer them that ^athe waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for ^ba memorial to the children of Israel forever.”

8 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.

9 Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to this day.

Verse Comparison: Joshua 4:6

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American Standard Version
that this may be a sign among you, that, when your children ask in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?

Amplified® Bible
That this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, What do these stones mean to you?

Contemporary English Version
Someday your children will ask, "Why are these rocks here?" Then you can tell them how the water stopped flowing when the chest was being carried across the river. These rocks will always remind our people of what happened here today.

Darby English Version
that this may be a sign in your midst. When your children ask hereafter, saying, What mean ye by these stones?

Good News Bible
These stones will remind the people of what the LORD has done. In the future, when your children ask what these stones mean to you,

King James Version
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?

New American Standard Bible
"Let this be a sign among you, so that when your children ask later, saying, `What do these stones mean to you?'

New International Version
to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?'

New King James Version
that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’

N.A.S.B. in E-Prime
"Let you acknowledge this as a sign among you, so that when your children ask later, saying, 'What do these stones mean to you?'

Revised Standard Version
that this may be a sign among you, when your children ask in time to come, 'What do those stones mean to you?'

Young's Literal Translation
so that this is a sign in your midst, when your children ask hereafter, saying, What `are' these stones to you?

New English Translation
The stones¹ will be a reminder to you.² When your children ask someday, ‘Why are these stones important to you?’

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