Joshua 4:6
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to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
This chapter gives a further account of the miraculous passage of Israel through Jordan. I. The provision that was made at that time to preserve the memorial of it, by twelve stones set up in Jordan (Jos 4:9) and other twelve stones taken up out of Jordan (Jos 4:1-8). II. The march of the people through Jordan's channel, the two tribes first, then all the people, and the priests that bore the ark last (Jos 4:10-14). III. The closing of the waters again upon their coming up with the ark (Jos 4:15-19). IV. The erecting of the monument in Gilgal, to preserve the remembrance of this work of wonder to posterity (Jos 4:20-24).
Open source ↗4:6 Joshua twice (4:21) told the Israelites to prepare to answer future generations. The stone memorial would serve as a teaching aid.
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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In the future, when your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you are to tell him, ‘With a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
Then Joshua said to the Israelites, “In the future, when your children ask their fathers, ‘What is the meaning of these stones?’
We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us the work You did in their days, in the days of old.
Teach them to your children, speaking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
Rather, let it be a witness between us and you and the generations to come, that we will worship the LORD in His presence with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and peace offerings.’ Then in the future, your descendants cannot say to ours, ‘You have no share in the LORD!’
Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, until I proclaim Your power to the next generation, Your might to all who are to come.
Instead of the thornbush, a cypress will grow, and instead of the brier, a myrtle will spring up; they will make a name for the LORD, an everlasting sign, never to be destroyed.”
The living, only the living, can thank You, as I do today; fathers will tell their children about Your faithfulness.
“Tell the Israelites, ‘Surely you must keep My Sabbaths, for this will be a sign between Me and you for the generations to come, so that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.
As for the censers of those who sinned at the cost of their own lives, hammer them into sheets to overlay the altar, for these were presented before the LORD, and so have become holy. They will serve as a sign to the Israelites.”