4:4 Joshua summoned the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one per tribe. 4:5 Joshua told them, “Go in front of the ark of the Lord your God to the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to put a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the Israelite tribes. 4:6 The stones 5 will be a reminder to you. 6 When your children ask someday, ‘Why are these stones important to you?’ 4:7 tell them how the water of the Jordan stopped flowing 7 before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the water of the Jordan stopped flowing. 8 These stones will be a lasting memorial for the Israelites.”
4:8 The Israelites did just as Joshua commanded. They picked up twelve stones, according to the number of the Israelite tribes, from the middle of the Jordan as the Lord had instructed Joshua. They carried them over with them to the camp and put them there.
21:43 For this reason I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people 12 who will produce its fruit.
1 tn Grk “and answering, he said.” This has been simplified in the translation to “He answered.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
2 tn Grk “these.”
3 sn This statement amounts to a rebuke. The idiom of creation speaking means that even creation knows what is taking place, yet the Pharisees miss it. On this idiom, see Gen 4:10 and Hab 2:11.
4 tn Heb “the feet of the priests.”
5 tn Heb “that this may be”; the referent of “this” (the twelve stones) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
6 tn Heb “in order that this might be a sign among you.”
7 tn Heb “were cut off from before.”
8 tn Heb “how the waters descending from above stood still.”
9 tn Grk “and recline at table,” as 1st century middle eastern meals were not eaten while sitting at a table, but while reclining on one’s side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away. The word “banquet” has been supplied to clarify for the modern reader the festive nature of the imagery. The banquet imagery is a way to describe the fellowship and celebration of being among the people of God at the end.
10 tn Grk “and Isaac and Jacob,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
11 sn Weeping and gnashing of teeth is a figure for remorse and trauma, which occurs here because of exclusion from God’s promise.
12 tn Or “to a nation” (so KJV, NASB, NLT).
13 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 1:10.
14 tn Grk “male and female.”
15 tn Grk “seed.” See the note on the first occurrence of the word “descendant” in 3:16.