The Meaning of Joshua 4:21 Explained

Joshua 4:21

KJV: 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?

YLT: And he speaketh unto the sons of Israel, saying, 'When your sons ask their fathers hereafter, saying, What are these stones?

Darby: And he spoke to the children of Israel, saying, When your children hereafter ask their fathers, saying, What mean these stones?

ASV: 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?

Discover Joshua 4:21

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Joshua 4:21?

MEANING: What does Joshua 4:21 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Joshua 4:21 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Joshua 4:21?

What is the context of Joshua 4:21?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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?

What does Joshua 4:21 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 4:21 mean?

And he spoke to the sons of Israel saying when ask your children in time to come - their fathers saying what [are] stones these

וַיֹּ֛אמֶר אֶל־ בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר אֲשֶׁר֩ יִשְׁאָל֨וּן בְּנֵיכֶ֤ם מָחָר֙ אֶת־ אֲבוֹתָ֣ם לֵאמֹ֔ר מָ֖ה הָאֲבָנִ֥ים ؟ הָאֵֽלֶּה

וַיֹּ֛אמֶר	And he spoke
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular Root: אָמַר Sense: to say, speak, utter.
בְּנֵ֥י	the sons
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct Root: בֵּן Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל	of Israel
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
לֵאמֹ֑ר	saying
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct Root: אָמַר Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יִשְׁאָל֨וּן	ask
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural, Paragogic nun Root: שָׁאַל Sense: to ask, enquire, borrow, beg.
בְּנֵיכֶ֤ם	your children
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural Root: בֵּן Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
מָחָר֙	in time to come
Parse: Adverb Root: מָחָר Sense: tomorrow, in time to come, in the future.
אֶת־	-
Parse: Direct object marker Root: אֹות Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אֲבוֹתָ֣ם	their fathers
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural Root: אָב Sense: father of an individual.
לֵאמֹ֔ר	saying
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct Root: אָמַר Sense: to say, speak, utter.
מָ֖ה	what [are]
Parse: Interrogative Root: לָמָּה Sense: what, how, of what kind.
הָאֲבָנִ֥ים	stones
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural Root: אֶבֶן Sense: stone (large or small).
؟ הָאֵֽלֶּה	these
Parse: Article, Pronoun, common plural Root: אֵהֶל Sense: these.

What are the major concepts related to Joshua 4:21?

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Similar Scriptures for Joshua 4:21

		Joshua 4:6 [4]
		Psalms 105:2-5 [2]
		Psalms 145:4-7 [2]