Exodus 12:26

12:26 When your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ ¹  –

Deuteronomy 6:20-24

Exhortation to Remember the Past

6:20 When your children ²  ask you later on, “What are the stipulations, statutes, and ordinances that the Lord our God commanded you?” 6:21 you must say to them, ³  “We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt in a powerful way. ⁴  6:22 And he ⁵  brought signs and great, devastating wonders on Egypt, on Pharaoh, and on his whole family ⁶  before our very eyes. 6:23 He delivered us from there so that he could give us the land he had promised our ancestors. 6:24 The Lord commanded us to obey all these statutes and to revere him ⁷  so that it may always go well for us and he may preserve us, as he has to this day.

Joshua 4:6

4:6 The stones ⁸  will be a reminder to you. ⁹  When your children ask someday, ‘Why are these stones important to you?’

Joshua 4:21-24

4:21 He told the Israelites, “When your children someday ask their fathers, ‘What do these stones represent?’ ¹⁰  4:22 explain ¹¹  to your children, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan River ¹²  on dry ground.’ 4:23 For the Lord your God dried up the water of the Jordan before you while you crossed over. It was just like when the Lord your God dried up the Red Sea before us while we crossed it. ¹³  4:24 He has done this so ¹⁴  all the nations ¹⁵  of the earth might recognize the Lord’s power ¹⁶  and so you might always obey ¹⁷  the Lord your God.”

Psalms 145:4

145:4 One generation will praise your deeds to another,

and tell about your mighty acts! ¹⁸ 

¹ tn Heb “what is this service to you?”

² tn Heb “your son.”

³ tn Heb “to your son.”

⁴ tn Heb “by a strong hand.” The image is that of a warrior who, with weapon in hand, overcomes his enemies. The Lord is commonly depicted as a divine warrior in the Book of Deuteronomy (cf. 5:15; 7:8; 9:26; 26:8).

⁵ tn Heb “the Lord.” See note on the word “his” in v. 17.

⁶ tn Heb “house,” referring to the entire household.

⁷ tn Heb “the Lord our God.” See note on the word “his” in v. 17.

⁸ tn Heb “that this may be”; the referent of “this” (the twelve stones) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁹ tn Heb “in order that this might be a sign among you.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “What are these stones?”

¹¹ tn Heb “make known.”

¹² tn Heb “crossed this Jordan”; the word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied to clarify the meaning.

¹³ tn Heb “just as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea when he dried [it] up before us while we crossed over.”

¹⁴ tn Heb “in order that.”

¹⁵ tn Or “peoples.”

¹⁶ tn Heb “know the hand of the Lord that it is strong.”

¹⁷ tn Heb “fear.”

¹⁸ tn The prefixed verbal forms in v. 4 are understood as imperfects, indicating how the psalmist expects his audience to respond to his praise. Another option is to take the forms as jussives, indicating the psalmist’s wish, “may one generation praise…and tell about.”