Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, April 23rd, 2026
the Third Week after Easter
Attention!
Take your personal ministry to the Next Level by helping StudyLight build churches and supporting pastors in Uganda.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

Myles Coverdale Bible

Joshua 4:6

yt they maye be a token amonge you. And whan youre children are their fathers here after, and saye: What do these stones there?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Instruction;   Pillar;   Stones;   Token;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Jordan, the River;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Ark;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Jordan;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Miracles, Signs, Wonders;   Sign;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - God;   Jericho;   Joshua;   Quarry;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Jordan ;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Gourd;   Stone;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Conquest of Canaan;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Catechist;   Images;   Joshua (2);   Joshua, Book of;   Sign;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
so that this will be a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’
Hebrew Names Version
that this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask in time to come, saying, What do you mean by these stones?
King James Version
That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?
Lexham English Bible
so that this may be a reminder among you. When your children ask in the future, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?'
English Standard Version
that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?'
New Century Version
They will be a sign among you. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these rocks mean?'
New English Translation
The stones will be a reminder to you. When your children ask someday, ‘Why are these stones important to you?'
Amplified Bible
so that this may be a sign among you; when your children ask later, 'What do these stones mean to you?'
New American Standard Bible
"This shall be a sign among you; when your children ask later, saying, 'What do these stones mean to you?'
Geneva Bible (1587)
That this may bee a signe among you, that whe your children shal aske their fathers in time to come, saying, What meane you by these stones?
Legacy Standard Bible
in order that this would be a sign among you, so that when your children ask later, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?'
Contemporary English Version
Someday your children will ask, "Why are these rocks here?" Then you can tell them how the water stopped flowing when the chest was being carried across the river. These rocks will always remind our people of what happened here today.
Complete Jewish Bible
This will be a sign for you. In the future, when your children ask, ‘What do you mean by these stones?'
Darby Translation
that this may be a sign in your midst. When your children ask hereafter, saying, What mean ye by these stones?
Easy-to-Read Version
These rocks will be a sign for you. In the future, your children will ask you, ‘What do these rocks mean?'
George Lamsa Translation
That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask you in time to come, saying, What is the meaning of these stones?
Good News Translation
These stones will remind the people of what the Lord has done. In the future, when your children ask what these stones mean to you,
Literal Translation
that this shall be a sign among you, when your children ask hereafter, saying, What are these stones to you?
American Standard Version
that this may be a sign among you, that, when your children ask in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?
Bible in Basic English
So that this may be a sign among you; when your children say to you in time to come, What is the reason for these stones?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
That this may be a signe among you: That when your chyldren aske their fathers in tyme to come, saying, What [meane] these stones with you?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
that this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask in time to come, saying: What mean ye by these stones?
King James Version (1611)
That this may be a signe among you, that when your children aske their fathers in time to come, saying, What meane you by these stones?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
that these may be to you continually for an appointed sign, that when thy son asks thee in future, saying, What are these stones to us?
English Revised Version
that this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?
Berean Standard Bible
to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask, 'What do these stones mean to you?'
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
that it be a signe bitwixe you. And whanne youre sones schulen axe you to morewe, that is, in tyme `to comynge, and schulen seie, What wolen these stonus `to hem silf?
Young's Literal Translation
so that this is a sign in your midst, when your children ask hereafter, saying, What [are] these stones to you?
Update Bible Version
that this may be a sign among you, that, when your sons ask in time to come, saying, What do you mean by these stones?
Webster's Bible Translation
That this may be a sign among you, [that] when your children ask [their fathers] in time to come, saying, What [mean] ye by these stones?
World English Bible
that this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask in time to come, saying, What do you mean by these stones?
New King James Version
that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, "What do these stones mean to you?'
New Living Translation
We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?'
New Life Bible
Let this be something special among you. Your children will ask you later, ‘What do these stones mean to you?'
New Revised Standard
so that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?'
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
that this may be a sign in your midst, - for your sons will ask in time to come, saying, What mean these stones to you?
Douay-Rheims Bible
That it may be a sign among you: and when your children shall ask you tomorrow, saying: What means these stones?
Revised Standard Version
that this may be a sign among you, when your children ask in time to come, 'What do those stones mean to you?'
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Let this be a sign among you, so that when your children ask later, saying, 'What do these stones mean to you?'

Contextual Overview

1 And ye LORDE sayde vnto Iosua: Take you twolue men, out of euery trybe one, & comaunde them, & saye: 2 Take vp twolue stones out of Iordane, 3 from the place where the fete of the prestes stode in their araye: & cary them with you, yt ye maie leaue them in ye lodginge, where ye shal lodge this night. 4 The Iosua called twolue me which were prepared of the children of Israel, out of euery trybe one, 5 & sayde vnto the: Go youre waye ouer before the Arke of the LORDE youre God in the myddes of Iordane, & take euery man a stone vpon his shulder, after the nombre of the trybes of ye children of Israel, 6 yt they maye be a token amonge you. And whan youre children are their fathers here after, and saye: What do these stones there? 7 That ye maye then saye vnto them, how that the water of Iordane claue in sunder before the Arke of the LORDES couenaunt, whan it wente thorow Iordane, & that these stones are set for a perpetuall remembraunce vnto the children of Israel. 8 Then dyd the children of Israel as Iosua commaunded them, and bare twolue stones out of the myddes of Iordane (as the LORDE had sayde vnto Iosua) acordinge to the nombre of the trybes of the children of Israel, and broughte the same with them in to the lodginge, and lefte them there. 9 And Iosua set vp twolue stones in ye myddes of Iordane, where ye fete of the prestes stode, that bare ye Arke of the couenaunt: and there they be yet vnto this daye.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

a sign: Joshua 22:27, Exodus 12:14, Exodus 13:9, Exodus 31:13, Numbers 16:38, Isaiah 55:13, Ezekiel 20:12, Ezekiel 20:20

when your: Joshua 4:21, Exodus 12:26, Exodus 12:27, Exodus 13:14, Deuteronomy 6:20, Deuteronomy 6:21, Deuteronomy 11:19, Psalms 44:1, Psalms 71:18, Psalms 78:3-8, Isaiah 38:19, Acts 2:39

in time to come: Heb. to-morrow

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 4:9 - teach them Joshua 4:7 - memorial Joshua 22:24 - In time to come Psalms 78:4 - showing Psalms 111:4 - He hath Psalms 119:27 - so shall I talk Ezekiel 17:12 - Know Joel 1:3 - General Ephesians 6:4 - but

Cross-References

Genesis 4:1
Morouer Adam laye with Heua his wyfe, which coceaued & bare Cain, and sayde, I haue opteyned ye man of the LORDE.
Genesis 4:3
And it fortuned after certaine daies, that Cain brought of the frute of the earth, an offrynge vnto ye LORDE.
Genesis 4:4
And Abell brought also of the firstlinges of his shepe, and of ye fat of them. And the LORDE had respecte vnto Abell and to his offerynge:
Genesis 4:5
but vnto Cain and his offerynge he loked not. Then was Cain exceadinge wroth, and his countenaunce chaunged.
Genesis 4:8
And Cain talked with Abell his brother. And it happened, that whan they were in the felde, Cain arose agaynst Abell his brother, and slew him.
Genesis 4:11
And now shalt thou be cursed vpon the earth, which hath opened hir mouth, and receaued thy brothers bloude of thine hande.
Genesis 4:13
And Cain sayde vnto ye LORDE: my synne is greater, then that it maye be forgeuen me.
Job 5:2
As for the foolish man displeasure kylleth him, and anger slayeth ye ignoraunt.
Isaiah 1:18
Now go to (saieth the LORDE) we wil talke together. Is it not so? Though youre synnes be as read as scarlet, shal they not be whyter then snowe? And though they were like purple, shall they not be like whyte woll?
Jeremiah 2:5
Thus saieth ye LORDE vnto you: What vnfaithfulnesse founde youre fathers in me, that they wente so farre awaye fro me, fallinge to lightnesse, and beinge so vayne?

Gill's Notes on the Bible

That this may be a sign among you,.... A commemorative one:

[that] when your children ask [their fathers] in time to come; or "tomorrow" g and so in all time, or any time hereafter:

saying, what mean you by these stones? what is the reason of setting them up, and in this place, and being just of such a number?

g מחר αυριον, Sept. "eras", Pagninus, Montanus.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Joshua 4:6. This may be a sign — Stand as a continual memorial of this miraculous passage, and consequently a proof of their lasting obligation to God.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile