Joshua 4:22

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!

Then ye shall let your children know,.... The meaning of the erection of these stones, acquaint them with the whole history, the meaning of which they are designed to perpetuate: saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land; and if they should ask how that could possibly be done, or if they did not, they were to inform them by what means it was brought about, as follows.

Joshua 4:22 . Ye shall let your children know — We may learn from the injunction given here, and on many other occasions, that it is our indispensable duty to make our children well acquainted with the historical as well as doctrinal truths of religion, from the earliest accounts we have of them in the Holy Scriptures; that by this means a foundation may be laid for their faith, and they may be trained up in the knowledge of God, and of what he has declared to men, and done for them; that from hence they may be led both to love and fear him, and to live to his glory.

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.

Gilgal, mentioned here by anticipation (compare Joshua 5:9 ), the modern Jiljulieh (Conder), was on rising ground (compare Joshua 5:3 ), and, according to Josephus, nearly five miles from the river, and consequently about two from the city itself. The site of the camp was no doubt fortified by Joshua, as it constituted for some time the abiding foothold in Canaan, from where he sallied forth to subdue the country. It was also the place of safety where the ark, and no doubt also the women, children, cattle, and other property of the people were left. Hence, the demolition of Jericho and Ai, strong fortresses in the neighborhood of Gilgal, was no doubt dictated by sound policy as well as by religious obligations.

There Joshua set up the twelve stones, which they had taken over with them out of the Jordan, and explained to the people at the same time the importance of this memorial to their descendants ( Joshua 4:21 , Joshua 4:22 ), and the design of the miracle which had been wrought by God ( Joshua 4:24 ). On Joshua 4:21 , Joshua 4:22 , see Joshua 4:6 , Joshua 4:7 . אשׁר ( Joshua 4:23 ), quod, as (see Deuteronomy 2:22 ). The miracle itself, like the similar one at the Dead Sea, had a double intention, viz., to reveal to the Canaanites the omnipotence of the God of Israel, the strong hand of the Lord (compare Exodus 14:4 , Exodus 14:18 , with Joshua 6:6 ; and for the expression "the hand of the Lord is mighty," see Exodus 3:19 ; Exodus 6:1 , etc.), and to serve as an impulse to the Israelites to fear the Lord their God always (see at Exodus 14:31 ).

14 . in time to come ] Heb. to-morrow : so Genesis 30:33 , Deuteronomy 6:20 , Joshua 4:6 ; Joshua 4:21 ; Joshua 22:24 ; Joshua 22:27-28 †. By strength of hand , &c.] See on v. 3. 14–15 . The children to be instructed (as in v. 8) on the meaning of the observance: it is a memorial of the deliverance from Egypt, and of Jehovah’s slaughter of the firstborn of the Egyptians at the time.

i. e., Blessed be God who shall grant to Gad a spacious territory. Compare the blessing of Shem Genesis 9:26 . With the crown - Rather, yea, the crown. The warlike character of this tribe is shown by their leading the van in the long campaigns of Joshua (compare Joshua 4:12-13; Joshua 22:1-4). Compare also 1 Chronicles 5:18-22; 1 Chronicles 12:8 ff, and the acts of Jehu, the Gadite, in 2 Kings 9; 10.