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

Commentary

Gill's Exposition

And those twelve stones which they took out of Jordan,.... The twelve men who were sent there for that purpose, and took them from thence, and brought them hither, Jos 4:3 , did Joshua pitch in Gilgal; set them in rows, or one upon another, and made a pillar of them commemorative of their passage over Jordan into the land of Canaan: according to Josephus (n), he made an altar of these stones; and Ben Gersom is of opinion, that they were placed in the sanctuary

by the ark, though not in it; which yet was the sentiment of Tertullian (o), but very improbable; since that ark was not capable of such a number of large stones; and it must be a very large ark or chest, if one could be supposed to be made on purpose for them; but it is most likely they were erected in form of a pillar or statue, in memory of this wonderful event, the passage of Israel over Jordan, see Jos 4:7 ; they may be considered as emblems of the twelve apostles of Christ, and their ministrations and writings; their number agrees, and so does the time of their appointment to go into all the world, and preach the Gospel, which was after the resurrection of Christ, typified by the passage of Joshua over Jordan, and out of it; the name of one of them, and he a principal one, was Peter or Cephas, which signifies a stone; and all of them in a spiritual sense were lively stones, chosen and selected from others, and called by grace, and were very probably most, if not all of them, baptized in this very place, Bethabara, from whence these stones were taken; and were like them unpolished, as to external qualifications, not having an education, and being illiterate, but wonderfully fitted by Christ for his service; and were not only pillars, as James, Cephas, and John, but in some sense foundation stones; as they were the instruments of laying Christ ministerially, as the foundation of salvation, and of preaching the fundamental truths of the Gospel, in which they were constant and immovable; and their ministry and writings, their Gospels and epistles, are so many memorials of what Christ, our antitypical Joshua, has done for us in passing over Jordan's river, or through death; finishing thereby transgression and sin, obtaining peace, pardon, righteousness, and salvation, opening the way to the heavenly Canaan, abolishing death, and bringing life and immortality to light. (n) Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 1. sect. 4.) (o) Contr. Marcion. l. 4. c. 13.

Source: Gill's Exposition (Public Domain)

Hebrew Word Studies (12 words)

H0853 אֵת
Definition:

33,אֹתָ֑ךְ,אֹתָ֑כָהExodus 29:35, feminineאֹתָךְ;אֹתוֺetc.; 2 pluralאֶתְכֶם, once˜אוֺתְכֶםJoshua 23:15; 3masculine plural regularlyאֹתָם, rarelyאֶתְהֶםGenesis 32:1;Exodus 18:20;Numbers 21:3;Ezekiel 34: 33,אֹתָ֑ךְ,אֹתָ֑כָהExodus 29:35, feminineאֹתָךְ;אֹתוֺetc.; 2 pluralאֶתְכֶם, once˜אוֺתְכֶםJoshua 23:15; 3masculine plural regularlyאֹתָם, rarelyאֶתְהֶםGenesis 32:1;Exodus 18:20;Numbers 21:3;Ezekiel 34:

Possible Meanings:
  • sign (semantic_range)
H8147 שְׁנַיִם
Definition:

768noun masculine and feminine dualtwo(Late Hebrewid.; Phoenicianאשנם(and׳שנsecond), PunicשנםLzb380; Arabic; SabeanתֿניHomChr 47, Aramaicתְּרֵין,(תִּנְיָנָא,second); Nabataeanתרין, Palmyrene feminineת 768noun masculine and feminine dualtwo(Late Hebrewid.; Phoenicianאשנם(and׳שנsecond), PunicשנםLzb380; Arabic; SabeanתֿניHomChr 47, Aramaicתְּרֵין,(תִּנְיָנָא,second); Nabataeanתרין, Palmyrene feminineת

H6240 עָשָׂר
Definition:

1eleven:a.אַחַד עָשָׂר(with masculine noun)Genesis 32:232t.b.אַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה(with feminine noun)2 Kings 23:367t.; also =eleventh1 Kings 6:38;2 Kings 9:29.c.עַשְׁתֵּי עָשָׂר(with masculine noun)Numbers 1eleven:a.אַחַד עָשָׂר(with masculine noun)Genesis 32:232t.b.אַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה(with feminine noun)2 Kings 23:367t.; also =eleventh1 Kings 6:38;2 Kings 9:29.c.עַשְׁתֵּי עָשָׂר(with masculine noun)Numbers

Possible Meanings:
  • a ten (semantic_range)
H0068 אֶבֶן
Definition:

2(masculine1Samuel 17:40?) stone (Assyrianabnu, = the sharp, projecting ? see DlW, Pr 107; Phoenicianאבן; Aramaicאֶבֶן,; EthiopicSabean [ם]אבנDHMZMG 1883, 341) —׳אabsoluteGenesis 28:22+;אָ֑בֶןGenesis 2(masculine1Samuel 17:40?) stone (Assyrianabnu, = the sharp, projecting ? see DlW, Pr 107; Phoenicianאבן; Aramaicאֶבֶן,; EthiopicSabean [ם]אבנDHMZMG 1883, 341) —׳אabsoluteGenesis 28:22+;אָ֑בֶןGenesis

Possible Meanings:
  • wheel (semantic_range)
  • disc (semantic_range)
  • wheel (semantic_range)
  • bearing-stool (semantic_range)
  • midwife’s stool (semantic_range)
H0428 אֵלֶּה
Definition:

4& often: in apposition to a substantive with a pronominal suffix (alwayswithoutthe article)Exodus 9:14(read with Hi.אֵלֶּה בְּךָforאֶללִֿבְּךָ)Exodus 10:1אֹתֹתַי אֵלֶּהthesemy signs,Exodus 11:8;Deute 4& often: in apposition to a substantive with a pronominal suffix (alwayswithoutthe article)Exodus 9:14(read with Hi.אֵלֶּה בְּךָforאֶללִֿבְּךָ)Exodus 10:1אֹתֹתַי אֵלֶּהthesemy signs,Exodus 11:8;Deute

H0834 אֲשֶׁר
Definition:

1according to TsepreghiDiss. Lugd. p. 171MühlauBö. Lb. ii. 79 n.StaMorg. Forsch. 1875, 188; Lb. § 167HomZMG 1878, 708 ff.Müll§ 153SayceHebraica. ii. 51LagM. i. 255 &especially KraeHebraica. vi. 298 ff 1according to TsepreghiDiss. Lugd. p. 171MühlauBö. Lb. ii. 79 n.StaMorg. Forsch. 1875, 188; Lb. § 167HomZMG 1878, 708 ff.Müll§ 153SayceHebraica. ii. 51LagM. i. 255 &especially KraeHebraica. vi. 298 ff

Possible Meanings:
  • Asher (semantic_range)
  • happy one (semantic_range)
  • Felix (semantic_range)
  • the tribe (semantic_range)
H3947 לָקַח
Definition:

22+,לָקָח֑Genesis 27:36+ (קָחEzekiel 17:5is textual error; omitted byᵐ5ᵑ6Co, compare Ges§ 19, 3. a); suffixלְקָחַנִיGenesis 24:7,לְקָחָםJeremiah 27:20(forקָחָםHosea 11:3read probablyאֶקָּחֵםᵐ5ᵑ7Ew St 22+,לָקָח֑Genesis 27:36+ (קָחEzekiel 17:5is textual error; omitted byᵐ5ᵑ6Co, compare Ges§ 19, 3. a); suffixלְקָחַנִיGenesis 24:7,לְקָחָםJeremiah 27:20(forקָחָםHosea 11:3read probablyאֶקָּחֵםᵐ5ᵑ7Ew St

Possible Meanings:
  • learning (semantic_range)
  • teaching (semantic_range)
  • what is received (semantic_range)
  • instruction (semantic_range)
  • teaching (semantic_range)
H4480 מִן
Definition:

2; 2Chronicles 20:11) contracted toמִי(asמִידֵיfromמִיְּדֵי), before guttural andר, mostlyמֵ, occasionallyמִ(Ges§ 102, l R.; more fully Köii. 291ff),מִןbefore article in all books much commoner than - 2; 2Chronicles 20:11) contracted toמִי(asמִידֵיfromמִיְּדֵי), before guttural andר, mostlyמֵ, occasionallyמִ(Ges§ 102, l R.; more fully Köii. 291ff),מִןbefore article in all books much commoner than -

Possible Meanings:
  • out of (semantic_range)
  • by (semantic_range)
  • by reason of (semantic_range)
  • at (semantic_range)
H3383 יַרְדֵּן
Definition:

10162t.; withהlocativeהַיַּרְדֵּ֫נָהJudges 8:43t.;יַרְדֵּןonlyPsalm 42:7;Job 40:23; constructיַרְדֵּןNumbers 26:311t. Numbers Josh +1 Chronicles 6:63; — the river of Palestine: in all periods, chiefly 10162t.; withהlocativeהַיַּרְדֵּ֫נָהJudges 8:43t.;יַרְדֵּןonlyPsalm 42:7;Job 40:23; constructיַרְדֵּןNumbers 26:311t. Numbers Josh +1 Chronicles 6:63; — the river of Palestine: in all periods, chiefly

Possible Meanings:
  • Jordan (semantic_range)
H6965 קוּם
Definition:

1.קוּם628verbarise, stand up, stand; — (Late Hebrew in derived species and derivatives; Phoenician Hiph`il Participle andמקםplace; Arabicstand, rise, Ethiopicstand, stop; Sabeanמקם,place, HomChrest. 1 1.קוּם628verbarise, stand up, stand; — (Late Hebrew in derived species and derivatives; Phoenician Hiph`il Participle andמקםplace; Arabicstand, rise, Ethiopicstand, stop; Sabeanמקם,place, HomChrest. 1

H3091 יְהוֹשׁוּעַ
Definition:

21; onיֵשׁוּעַsee especially FräVOJ iv. 1890, 332 f.MüllSK 1892, 177 f.who cite analogue for change ofוֹto laterֵ֯, & Nesl.c.) —1Moses' successor, son of Nun, (ᵐ5Ἰησοῦς)יְהוֺשׁוּעַDeuteronomy 3:21;Jud 21; onיֵשׁוּעַsee especially FräVOJ iv. 1890, 332 f.MüllSK 1892, 177 f.who cite analogue for change ofוֹto laterֵ֯, & Nesl.c.) —1Moses' successor, son of Nun, (ᵐ5Ἰησοῦς)יְהוֺשׁוּעַDeuteronomy 3:21;Jud

Possible Meanings:
  • is salvation (semantic_range)
  • is opulence (semantic_range)
H1537 גִּלְגָּל
Definition:

9, where word-play onroll away, off)— with article exceptJoshua 5:9;Joshua 12:23; —1place east of Jericho, where Israel lay encampedJoshua 4:19,20;Joshua 5:9,10;Joshua 9:6;Joshua 10:7,9;Joshua 14:6com 9, where word-play onroll away, off)— with article exceptJoshua 5:9;Joshua 12:23; —1place east of Jericho, where Israel lay encampedJoshua 4:19,20;Joshua 5:9,10;Joshua 9:6;Joshua 10:7,9;Joshua 14:6com

Possible Meanings:
  • circle (semantic_range)

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