Joshua 4 · Verse 20

Joshua 4:20

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

Joshua 4:20 in other translations

BSBAnd there at Gilgal Joshua set up the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan.
WEBJoshua set up those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, in Gilgal.
ASVAnd those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, did Joshua set up in Gilgal.
YLTand these twelve stones, which they have taken out of the Jordan, hath Joshua raised up in Gilgal.
DARBYAnd those twelve stones which they had taken out of the Jordan did Joshua set up in Gilgal.
BBEAnd the twelve stones which they took out of Jordan, Joshua put up in Gilgal.
WebsterAnd those twelve stones which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua set up in Gilgal.

What does Joshua 4:20 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Joshua 4:20-24
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.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 20 Those twelve stones - It is very likely that a base of mason-work was erected of some considerable height, and then the twelve stones placed on the top of it; and that this was the case both in Jordan and in Gilgal: for twelve such stones as a man could carry a considerable way on his shoulder, see Jos 4:5, could scarcely have made any observable altar, or pillar of memorial: but erected on a high base of mason-work they would be very conspicuous, and thus properly answer the end for which God ordered them to be set up.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Joshua 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!

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Joshua 4:20 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְאֵת֩ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
שְׁתֵּ֨יםshe.Teimtwo [plus]H8147
עֶשְׂרֵ֤ה'es.RehtenH6240
הָֽאֲבָנִים֙ha.'a.va.Nimthe stonesH68
הָאֵ֔לֶּהha.'E.leh<the> theseH428
אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherwhichH834
לָקְח֖וּla.ke.Chuthey had takenH3947
מִן\־min-fromH4480
הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ןhai.yar.Denthe JordanH3383
הֵקִ֥יםhe.Kimhe set upH6965
יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַye.ho.Shu.a'JoshuaH3091
בַּגִּלְגָּֽל\׃ba.gil.Galat <the> GilgalH1537

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Joshua 4:20

  • Joshua 4:8

    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.

  • Joshua 4:3

    And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
3,8

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Joshua 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.

  • Joshua 4:20

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

  • Joshua 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?

Read all of Joshua 4

Joshua 4:20 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y Josué erigió en Gilgal las doce piedras que habían traído del Jordán.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et ces douze pierres qu’ils avaient prises du Jourdain, Josué les dressa à Guilgal.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und jene zwölf Steine, die sie aus dem Jordan genommen hatten, richtete Josua zu Gilgal auf.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Duodecim quoque lapides, quos de Jordanis alveo sumpserant, posuit Josue in Galgalis,