Joshua 4:19
The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at Gilgal on the east border of Jericho.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse subtly highlights that the Israelites entered the Promised Land exactly forty years to the day after they were commanded to prepare for their first Passover in Egypt. This timing underscores a profound divine faithfulness, fulfilling a promise that spanned generations and marked the end of their wilderness wandering with a precise, almost symbolic, return to sacred observance.
After miraculously crossing the Jordan River, the Israelites establish their first camp in the Promised Land at Gilgal, near Jericho. This marks a significant moment, precisely forty years after their exodus from Egypt, with the crossing occurring on the very same day of the month they were instructed to prepare the Passover lamb. This new location becomes the central base for Joshua's military campaigns and holds deep symbolic meaning as they begin their conquest.
Did you know that the Israelites entered the Promised Land on a specific, significant date? It wasn't just any day; it was a day that echoed back to their very beginnings as a nation.
The verse states the people came up out of the Jordan on the 'tenth day of the first month.' This wasn't accidental. We know from Exodus that forty years earlier, on the tenth day of this same month (Nisan), the Israelites were instructed to select the lamb that would be sacrificed on the fourteenth, marking the first Passover.
Echoes of the Exodus
This deliberate timing highlights God's faithfulness. He brought His people into the fulfillment of His ancient promises on the very day that marked the beginning of their journey to freedom.
The place they camped, Gilgal, is mentioned here, but its significance unfolds later. What was so special about this new location?
The text mentions they 'encamped at Gilgal.' While this sounds like a simple geographical note, the commentators point out that the name 'Gilgal' isn't fully explained until later in Joshua chapter 5.
A Name of New Beginnings
Understand the original words
Gilgal · Hebrew Proper Noun
A place of rolling or circular formation, used in the Bible as a location for spiritual renewal, the renewal of the covenant, and a base of operations for the conquest of Canaan.
Yericho · Hebrew Proper Noun
The primary city and fortress at the entry point into the Promised Land, representing the first major obstacle and victory for Israel under God's command.
This verse pinpoints the Israelites' precise entry into the Promised Land, aligning with the timing of the first Passover. This chronological significance underscores God's faithfulness to His promises across generations.
c. 1446 BC
Israelites Leave Egypt
The Israelites depart from Egypt after 400 years of slavery, beginning their 40-year journey through the wilderness.
c. 1446 BC, 10th day of the 1st month (Nisan)
Israelites Take the Passover Lamb
Just before leaving Egypt, God instructs the Israelites to set aside a lamb for the Passover sacrifice, to be observed on the 14th day of Nisan.
c. 1406 BC, 10th day of the 1st month (Nisan)— this verse
Israelites Enter the Promised Land
The people cross the Jordan River, led by Joshua, completing their 40-year wilderness journey and entering the land promised to Abraham. This day marks exactly 40 years since they set aside the first Passover lamb.
c. 1406 BC
Camp Established at Gilgal
The Israelites set up their first camp in the Promised Land at Gilgal, east of Jericho, on the border of the land.
This passage describes the institution of the Passover, which was to be kept on the tenth day of the first month before it was sacrificed. Joshua 4:19 mirrors this by noting the Israelites entered the Promised Land on this same significant day, highlighting divine timing and the continuity of God's promises.
Joshua 5:10-12Immediately following their encampment at Gilgal, the Israelites celebrated their first Passover in the Promised Land. This demonstrates Gilgal as a place of new beginnings and covenant remembrance, directly linking to their arrival mentioned in Joshua 4:19.
Deuteronomy 32:31This verse from Moses' song speaks of God's enemies being 'judges' of His power. The crossing of the Jordan and encampment at Gilgal served as a public demonstration of God's might to surrounding nations, fulfilling this principle by forcing acknowledgment of His sovereignty.
Genesis 12:6-7God promised Abraham he would give this land to his descendants. The encampment at Gilgal marks the physical arrival and claiming of this promised inheritance, fulfilling a covenant made centuries earlier.
Joshua 5:2-9This passage details the renewal of circumcision at Gilgal, a pivotal event that re-established the covenant sign among the people. The encampment in Joshua 4:19 is the immediate precursor to this essential covenant act, showing Gilgal as a place of spiritual re-birth and commitment.
calvinJoshua 4:19-24: "And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho."
- And the people came up, etc Why the day on which they entered the land, and first encamped in it, is marked, we shall see in next chapter. But the name of Gilgal is given to the first station by anticipation, for this new name was afterwards given to it by Joshua on the renewal of circumcision; its etymology will be explained in its own place. Mo…
gillJoshua 4:19: "And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho."
And the people came up out of Jordan,.... The channel of it, to the shore: on the tenth day of the first month; the month Nisan or Abib, which from the time of Israel's coming out of Egypt was appointed the first month of the year, Exodus 12:2; on the fifteenth of which month they came out of Egypt, having kept the passover on the fourteenth at even; so…
This verse subtly highlights that the Israelites entered the Promised Land exactly forty years to the day after they were commanded to prepare for their first Passover in Egypt. This timing underscores a profound divine faithfulness, fulfilling a promise that spanned generations and marked the end of their wilderness wandering with a precise, almost symbolic, return to sacred observance.
After miraculously crossing the Jordan River, the Israelites establish their first camp in the Promised Land at Gilgal, near Jericho. This marks a significant moment, precisely forty years after their exodus from Egypt, with the crossing occurring on the very same day of the month they were instructed to prepare the Passover lamb. This new location becomes the central base for Joshua's military campaigns and holds deep symbolic meaning as they begin their conquest.
After miraculously crossing the Jordan River, the Israelites establish their first camp in the Promised Land at Gilgal, near Jericho. This marks a significant moment, precisely forty years after their exodus from Egypt, with the crossing occurring on the very same day of the month they were instructed to prepare the Passover lamb. This new location becomes the central base for Joshua's military campaigns and holds deep symbolic meaning as they begin their conquest.
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This initial encampment at Gilgal wasn't just a stopover; it was a place where God began to establish His people in their new identity and their new land.
Why did God want everyone, even the nations around Canaan, to know about this momentous crossing?
Joshua 4:19 is part of a larger narrative (Joshua 4:19-24) about the twelve stones taken from the Jordan. The purpose of this memorial was not just for the Israelites themselves.
Proclaiming God's Might
This event was a public declaration of God's sovereignty, meant to instill awe and fear – for His people, a reverent fear that leads to worship; for the nations, a fearful recognition of His might.
c. 1406 BC
Circumcision and Passover at Gilgal
Joshua circumcises the new generation at Gilgal, and the people celebrate their first Passover in the Promised Land, signifying spiritual renewal and obedience.
c. 1406 BC
The Fall of Jericho
Following God's instructions, the Israelites march around Jericho for seven days, and the city walls miraculously collapse, marking their first major conquest.
"The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at Gilgal on the east border of Jericho." — This verse subtly highlights that the Israelites entered the Promised Land exactly forty years to the day after they were commanded to prepare for their first Passover in Egypt. This timing underscor…
