The Meaning of Joshua 4:18 Explained

Joshua 4:18

KJV: And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD were come up out of the midst of Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as they did before.

YLT: And it cometh to pass, in the coming up of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of Jehovah out of the midst of the Jordan -- the soles of the feet of the priests have been drawn up into the dry ground -- and the waters of the Jordan turn back to their place, and go as heretofore over all its banks.

Darby: And it came to pass when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of Jehovah had come up out of the midst of the Jordan, when the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up on to the dry land, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place, and they flowed as previously, over all its banks.

ASV: And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of Jehovah were come up out of the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests feet were lifted up unto the dry ground, that the waters of the Jordan returned unto their place, and went over all its banks, as aforetime.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And it came to pass, when the priests  that bare  the ark  of the covenant  of the LORD  were come up  out of the midst  of Jordan,  [and] the soles  of the priests'  feet  were lifted up  unto the dry land,  that the waters  of Jordan  returned  unto their place,  and flowed  over all his banks,  as  [they did] before. 

What does Joshua 4:18 Mean?

Context Summary

Joshua 4:1-24 - The Memorial Stones
Twelve stones were brought up from the Jordan and erected in Gilgal. They gave fathers the opportunity of telling their children of the miraculous passage of the river. We, too, through our Lord, have passed through the waters of death on to resurrection-ground. Let the great deliverances of God wrought for our fatherland, as well as those wrought for us personally in Christ, be more frequent subjects of family-talk.
Twelve other stones were placed in the river-bed and would be visible when the waters were low. There was an ocular demonstration, therefore, that Israel was really once in these depths. We must not forget the Rock out of which we were hewn, Isaiah 51:1; 1 Corinthians 6:11. Let us never cease to magnify God's grace, Psalms 40:2.
The presence of the Ark alone restrained the piled-up waters. Thus Jesus stands between us and whatever would overwhelm us, especially sin and death, Hebrews 2:14. Do not, in rejecting Him, reject your only screen. [source]

Chapter Summary: Joshua 4

1  Twelve men are appointed to take twelve memorial stones from Jordan
9  Twelve other stones are set up in the midst of Jordan
10  The people pass over
14  God magnifies Joshua
15  The priests commanded to come out of Jordan
20  The twelve stones are pitched in Gilgal

What do the individual words in Joshua 4:18 mean?

And it came to pass - when had come the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of Yahweh from the midst of the Jordan touched [and] the soles of feet the priests' unto the dry land that returned the waters of the Jordan to their place and overflowed as before Over all its banks
וַ֠יְהִי [בעלות] (כַּעֲל֨וֹת) הַכֹּהֲנִ֜ים נֹשְׂאֵ֨י אֲר֤וֹן בְּרִית־ יְהוָה֙ מִתּ֣וֹךְ הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן נִתְּק֗וּ כַּפּוֹת֙ רַגְלֵ֣י הַכֹּהֲנִ֔ים אֶ֖ל הֶחָרָבָ֑ה וַיָּשֻׁ֤בוּ מֵֽי־ הַיַּרְדֵּן֙ לִמְקוֹמָ֔ם וַיֵּלְכ֥וּ כִתְמוֹל־ שִׁלְשׁ֖וֹם עַל־ כָּל־ גְּדוֹתָֽיו

וַ֠יְהִי  And  it  came  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
[בעלות]  - 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
(כַּעֲל֨וֹת)  when  had  come 
Parse: Preposition-k, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
הַכֹּהֲנִ֜ים  the  priests 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
נֹשְׂאֵ֨י  who  bore 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
אֲר֤וֹן  the  ark 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: אֲרֹון  
Sense: chest, ark.
בְּרִית־  of  the  covenant 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בְּרִית  
Sense: covenant, alliance, pledge.
יְהוָה֙  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
מִתּ֣וֹךְ  from  the  midst 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: תָּוֶךְ  
Sense: midst, middle.
הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן  of  the  Jordan 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יַרְדֵּן  
Sense: the river of Palestine running from the roots of Anti-Lebanon to the Dead Sea a distance of approx 200 miles (320 km).
נִתְּק֗וּ  touched 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: נָתַק  
Sense: to pull or tear or draw off or away or apart, draw out, pluck up, break, li ft, root out.
כַּפּוֹת֙  [and]  the  soles 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: כַּף  
Sense: palm, hand, sole, palm of the hand, hollow or flat of the hand.
רַגְלֵ֣י  of  feet 
Parse: Noun, fdc
Root: רֶגֶל  
Sense: foot.
הַכֹּהֲנִ֔ים  the  priests' 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
אֶ֖ל  unto 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הֶחָרָבָ֑ה  the  dry  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חָרָבָה  
Sense: dry land, dry ground.
וַיָּשֻׁ֤בוּ  that  returned 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
מֵֽי־  the  waters 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
הַיַּרְדֵּן֙  of  the  Jordan 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יַרְדֵּן  
Sense: the river of Palestine running from the roots of Anti-Lebanon to the Dead Sea a distance of approx 200 miles (320 km).
לִמְקוֹמָ֔ם  to  their  place 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: מָקֹום  
Sense: standing place, place.
וַיֵּלְכ֥וּ  and  overflowed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
שִׁלְשׁ֖וֹם  before 
Parse: Adverb
Root: שִׁלְשֹׁום  
Sense: day before yesterday, three days ago.
עַל־  Over 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
גְּדוֹתָֽיו  its  banks 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: גָּדָה  
Sense: a river bank.

What are the major concepts related to Joshua 4:18?

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