JosuéChapitre 4

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When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua:

"Choose twelve men from among the people, one man from each tribe,

and command them: 'Lift up twelve stones from here, from the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests' feet stood, and carry them over with you and set them down at the camp where you stay tonight.'"

So Joshua called the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe,

and he said to them, "Go over ahead of the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder, one for each of the tribes of Israel,

so that this may be a sign among you. In days to come, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean to you?'

tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial for the Israelites forever."

The Israelites did just as Joshua commanded. They took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, as the LORD had told Joshua, one for each of the tribes of Israel, and carried them over with them to the camp, where they set them down.

Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, at the place where the feet of the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day.

The priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything was done that the LORD had commanded Joshua to tell the people, just as Moses had commanded Joshua. And the people hurried across.

When all the people had finished crossing, the ark of the LORD and the priests crossed over in the sight of the people.

The Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed for battle ahead of the Israelites, as Moses had told them.

About forty thousand men armed for battle crossed over before the LORD to the plains of Jericho, ready for war.

That day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they revered him all his life, as they had revered Moses.

Then the LORD said to Joshua:

"Command the priests who carry the ark of the testimony to come up out of the Jordan."

So Joshua commanded the priests, "Come up out of the Jordan."

And when the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up out of the middle of the Jordan, no sooner had their feet touched dry ground than the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and ran over all its banks as before.

The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month and camped at Gilgal, on the eastern border of Jericho.

And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan.

He said to the Israelites, "In days to come, when your children ask their fathers, 'What do these stones mean?'

tell your children, 'Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.'

For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, just as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea,* which he dried up before us until we had crossed over, *Hebrew: Sea of Reeds

so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, and so that you might always fear the LORD your God."

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Résumé2

Chapitre 4

Main Theme: Twelve memorial stones are set up after Israel’s miraculous crossing of the Jordan.

Content: After all the people have crossed the Jordan, God commands Joshua to have twelve men—one from each tribe—take twelve stones from the riverbed where the priests stood with the ark of the covenant. The stones are erected at Gilgal as an everlasting memorial, and Joshua also sets up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan. When the priests come out of the river, the water returns to its place. Joshua explains that these stones will remind future generations how God dried up the Jordan, just as He did with the Red Sea—so that all the peoples of the earth may know the Lord’s mighty hand.

Key Words/Images:

Twelve Stones: A memorial taken from the riverbed, one for each tribe, serving as a witness to future generations.
Ark of the Covenant: Carried by the priests who stood in the middle of the Jordan while the people crossed, symbolizing God’s presence.
Gilgal: The place where Israel first camped and the stones were set up, on the tenth day of the first month.
Red Sea Parallel: Joshua connects the drying up of the Jordan to the deliverance from Egypt, demonstrating God’s enduring power.

Contexte historique

Historical and Cultural Context for Joshua 4

Places

Gilgal (גִּלְגָּל) is mentioned here for the first time as Israel’s camp on the west side of the Jordan. The name likely means "stone circle" or "rolling," and according to the text, the place was located "at the eastern border of Jericho" (v. 19). Archaeologically, it has been difficult to identify the exact location, but several candidates exist in the area between the Jordan River and Jericho.

The plains of Jericho (עַרְבוֹת יְרִיחוֹ) were the fertile valley west of the Jordan, a natural gateway to the highlands of Canaan. This low-lying area (about 250 meters below sea level) was strategically important and provided access to the main roads leading into the land.

Events and Customs

Memorial stones were a widespread custom in the ancient Near East for marking significant events or places. Twelve stones—one for each tribe—emphasize the unity of the community. The practice of raising stones as memorials is also found in the patriarchal narratives (Gen 28:18; 31:45-52). That the stones were to be taken from the riverbed itself where the priests stood gave them special symbolic power as witnesses to God’s action.

The catechetical formula in verses 6–7 and 21–22 ("when your children ask…") follows the same pattern as the Passover story (Exod 12:26-27). This shows how Israelite religion emphasized oral transmission from generation to generation. Parents were given responsibility for explaining the meaning of the memorial stones, so that God’s saving acts would not be forgotten.

Key Terms

"The ark of the testimony" (אֲרוֹן הָעֵדוּת) in verse 16 is an alternative designation for the ark of the covenant, highlighting the tablets of the law (the testimony) that were kept inside it. This underscores the connection between God’s miraculous action and His covenant relationship with the people.

"The tenth day of the first month" (v. 19) places the crossing exactly four days before Passover was to be celebrated. This timing is theologically significant: it is the same day the Israelites were to select the Passover lamb (Exod 12:3). Thus, the entry into the land is directly linked to the deliverance from Egypt.

Archaeological Context

Stone circles and upright stones from the Bronze Age have been found in several places in the Jordan Valley and the central highlands. Although none of these can be directly connected to Joshua’s memorial stones, they show that the custom of raising stone monuments was common in the region. The name Gilgal is preserved in several place names in the area, supporting the geographical credibility of the text.

Personnages6

Reuben (Leah's son)1 Joshua6 Jacob2 Gad (son of Zilpah)1 Moses2 Manasse (Joseph's son)1

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Mots-clés10

Joshua — The main character in the book of Joshua and leader of the people of Israel after Moses' death.
The Ark of the Lord — A holy chest containing the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments, symbolizing God's presence among the people of Israel.
Jordan — A river in the Middle East that Joshua and the people of Israel cross on their way to the promised land of Canaan.
Canaan — The promised land that God gives to the people of Israel, described as a land flowing with milk and honey.
Twelve Tribes — The twelve groups of the people of Israel, each tribe being descendants of one of Jacob's sons.
Stones — Twelve stones taken from the Jordan River as a memorial to the miracle when God stopped the water so that the people could cross the river.
Gilgal — The place where the Israelites camped after crossing the Jordan River and where they set up a monument with the twelve stones.
Circumcision — A religious ritual in which the foreskin of the penis is removed as a sign of the covenant between God and the people of Israel.
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