Joshua 4:19-20
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This verse marks a precise moment: the tenth day of the first month. This wasn't just any day; it was the exact same calendar day, forty years later, that they were instructed to prepare the Passover lamb before leaving Egypt, highlighting God's perfect timing in bringing them into their promised inheritance.
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. And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Israelites have just miraculously crossed the Jordan River, just as they did the Red Sea years before. This verse marks their first encampment on the west bank of the Jordan, a significant moment as it's the very first step into the Promised Land after forty years in the wilderness. This new location, Gilgal, will become their base of operations and a place of renewed covenant, setting the stage for the conquest of Jericho and the rest of Canaan.
Ever noticed how dates matter in the Bible? This verse pinpoints a specific day for a reason.
Joshua 4:19 tells us the Israelites came up out of the Jordan River on the tenth day of the first month. This date isn't random. It's precisely forty years after they were commanded to set aside the lamb for the Passover (Exodus 12:3-5) on the tenth day of the first month. They left Egypt five days later. Now, on that same significant tenth day, forty years on, they enter the Promised Land.
This timing deliberately links their entry into Canaan with the very beginning of their freedom from Egypt. It's a powerful reminder that God's faithfulness extends through generations, fulfilling the promises made long before. Their new beginning in the land is directly connected to their initial redemption.
The name 'Gilgal' pops up here, but it wasn't officially named yet! Why is it mentioned, and what does it mean?
The verse states the people 'encamped in Gilgal.' While the name Gilgal is used here, the narrative explains in Joshua 5:9 that this is where God said, 'Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.'
The name 'Gilgal' is associated with the Hebrew word for 'to roll.' So, Gilgal signifies a place where something is 'rolled away.' In this context, it's the shedding of the 'reproach of Egypt' – the shame and the sting of their forty years of wandering and the uncircumcised state.
This encampment marks a transition. They are no longer the wandering, disgraced people of the wilderness. At Gilgal, they are initiated into the covenant life in the Promised Land through circumcision, signifying a spiritual cleansing and a renewed commitment to God.
Ask a follow-up
Why did God want fathers to tell their children about crossing the Jordan?
Joshua 4:19-24 emphasizes that the crossing of the Jordan and the monument of stones were not just for the generation experiencing it, but crucially for future generations.
God orchestrated this event so that children would ask their parents, 'What do these stones mean?' (Joshua 4:21). The parents' explanation would recount God’s powerful act of stopping the Jordan River, just as He had stopped the Red Sea for their ancestors. This wasn't just history; it was theology.
By remembering and retelling these miracles, the covenant community understood that God's faithfulness was a continuous thread, connecting their present inheritance to His ancient promises. The stones at Gilgal served as a constant, visible reminder that God’s mighty acts were the foundation upon which their national and spiritual identity was built.
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.
The precise timing of Israel's entrance into the Promised Land on the tenth day of the first month, the same day they had set aside the Passover lamb forty years prior, underscores God's faithfulness and the fulfillment of His promises.
c. 1446 BC
Israel Exits Egypt
The Israelites leave Egypt after 400 years of slavery, marking the start of their 40-year journey in the wilderness. This event establishes the first month (Nisan) as the beginning of their religious calendar.
c. 1446 BC (10th of Nisan)
Israelites Select Passover Lamb
Ten days after leaving Egypt, the Israelites are commanded to set aside a lamb for sacrifice on the tenth day of the first month. This day becomes a significant marker in their calendar.
c. 1406 BC (10th of Nisan)— this verse
Israelites Enter the Promised Land
After forty years in the wilderness, the Israelites cross the Jordan River on the tenth day of the first month, precisely forty years after selecting their first Passover lamb.
c. 1406 BC
Israelites Encamp at Gilgal
Immediately after crossing the Jordan, the people set up camp at Gilgal, on the eastern border of Jericho. This becomes their first base in the Promised Land.
c. 1406 BC (14th of Nisan)
First Passover in the Promised Land
Four days after arriving at Gilgal, the Israelites celebrate their first Passover in the Promised Land, marking a new era of covenant faithfulness.
c. 1406 BC
Circumcision at Gilgal
Following the crossing and Passover, Joshua leads the people in circumcising all the males who were born in the wilderness, a rite neglected during their wandering.
This passage highlights the significance of the tenth day of the first month, the same day the Israelites entered the Promised Land, as it was the day they were to select the lamb for Passover. This timing emphasizes God's deliberate orchestration of events.
Joshua 5:10-12Immediately following their encampment at Gilgal, the Israelites celebrated their first Passover in the Promised Land. This shows Gilgal as the initial base from which they re-established covenant practices in their new land.
Joshua 5:2-9This passage explains the origin of the name 'Gilgal,' which means 'rolling away,' referring to the rolling away of the reproach of Egypt through circumcision. This deeply spiritual event underscores the significance of their first encampment.
Deuteronomy 32:31This verse from Moses' song speaks of God's enemies being judges of His power. The crossing of the Jordan and the subsequent encampment at Gilgal served as a monumental display of God's might to the surrounding nations, fulfilling this prophecy.
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 marks a precise moment: the tenth day of the first month. This wasn't just any day; it was the exact same calendar day, forty years later, that they were instructed to prepare the Passover lamb before leaving Egypt, highlighting God's perfect timing in bringing them into their promised inheritance.
The Israelites have just miraculously crossed the Jordan River, just as they did the Red Sea years before. This verse marks their first encampment on the west bank of the Jordan, a significant moment as it's the very first step into the Promised Land after forty years in the wilderness. This new location, Gilgal, will become their base of operations and a place of renewed covenant, setting the stage for the conquest of Jericho and the rest of Canaan.
The Israelites have just miraculously crossed the Jordan River, just as they did the Red Sea years before. This verse marks their first encampment on the west bank of the Jordan, a significant moment as it's the very first step into the Promised Land after forty years in the wilderness. This new location, Gilgal, will become their base of operations and a place of renewed covenant, setting the stage for the conquest of Jericho and the rest of Canaan.
"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. And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal." — This verse marks a precise moment: the tenth day of the first month. This wasn't just any day; it was the exact same calendar day, forty years later, that they were instructed to prepare the Passover…
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Last reviewed October 2026
