For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Joshua deliberately links the Jordan crossing to the Red Sea escape, not just to recall a past miracle, but to emphasize God's consistent faithfulness. He uses "us" for both events, including the entire generation as participants, even those unborn, highlighting that God's covenant love extends across generations.
For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Joshua is explaining the significance of the twelve stones taken from the Jordan River to the Israelites. He's instructing them and their descendants to remember how God miraculously dried up the Jordan for them, just as He had done for their ancestors at the Red Sea, emphasizing God's consistent power and faithfulness across generations.
How can a miracle that happened before you were born still be your miracle? Joshua reminds us that God's acts are for all His people, across time.
The Chain of Faith
Joshua 4:23 links the crossing of the Jordan to the crossing of the Red Sea. Notice how he says, 'as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us.'
Even though most of the people present hadn't actually witnessed the Red Sea parting, Joshua speaks as if they had. This is because:
This is a powerful reminder that we are part of a grander story, linked to those who came before us in faith. Their victories and God's faithfulness to them are part of our inheritance.
Miracles aren't just for the 'wow' factor. Joshua emphasizes that these powerful acts were designed to make something specific known to everyone.
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A Global Announcement
The text in Joshua 4:24 is clear: 'that all people of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is mighty.'
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The covenant name of the one true God, signifying His eternal self-existence, faithfulness, and relationship with His people.
Elohim · Hebrew Proper Noun
The supreme Being who created and sustains the universe, and who has entered into a covenant relationship with His people. It emphasizes His power, sovereignty, and authority.
This verse directly links the miraculous crossing of the Jordan River to the earlier, foundational miracle of the Red Sea crossing. It emphasizes that the same God who delivered their ancestors is now delivering them, strengthening their faith and national identity through these powerful acts of remembrance.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
The Israelites, led by Moses, escape slavery in Egypt after a series of plagues. God miraculously parts the Red Sea, allowing them to cross on dry ground.
c. 1446 BC
Wandering in the Wilderness
After the Red Sea crossing, the Israelites wander in the Sinai desert for 40 years due to their disobedience and lack of faith.
c. 1406 BC— this verse
Conquest of Canaan Begins
Under the leadership of Joshua, the Israelites cross the Jordan River into the Promised Land after the death of Moses. This marks the start of their military campaign to claim the land.
c. 1406 BC
Jordan River Crossing
The priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant stand in the Jordan River, causing its waters to halt upstream, allowing the entire Israelite nation to cross on dry ground.
c. 1406 BC
Erection of Memorial Stones
In accordance with God's command, Joshua instructs the Israelites to take twelve stones from the Jordan Riverbed to set up as a memorial to future generations.
This passage directly parallels the verse by describing God's miraculous drying of the Red Sea, a foundational event for the Israelites' identity and freedom.
Psalm 114:3This psalm recounts the parting of the Red Sea and the Jordan River, highlighting them as key demonstrations of God's power and sovereignty over creation.
Deuteronomy 31:3This verse speaks to God's ongoing faithfulness in leading the Israelites, echoing the sentiment that He who acted in the past (Red Sea) will continue to act for them (Jordan).
Nehemiah 9:11This prayer explicitly references God's deliverance at the Red Sea and His provision in the wilderness, reinforcing the theme of God's historical acts of salvation for His people.
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…
jfbJoshua 4:14-24: "On that day the LORD magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life."
Jos 4:14-24. God Magnifies Joshua.14-17. On that day the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel—It appeared clear from the chief part he acted, that he was the divinely appointed leader; for even the priests did not enter the river or quit their position, except at his command; and thenceforward his authority was as firmly established…
Joshua deliberately links the Jordan crossing to the Red Sea escape, not just to recall a past miracle, but to emphasize God's consistent faithfulness. He uses "us" for both events, including the entire generation as participants, even those unborn, highlighting that God's covenant love extends across generations.
Joshua is explaining the significance of the twelve stones taken from the Jordan River to the Israelites. He's instructing them and their descendants to remember how God miraculously dried up the Jordan for them, just as He had done for their ancestors at the Red Sea, emphasizing God's consistent power and faithfulness across generations.
Joshua is explaining the significance of the twelve stones taken from the Jordan River to the Israelites. He's instructing them and their descendants to remember how God miraculously dried up the Jordan for them, just as He had done for their ancestors at the Red Sea, emphasizing God's consistent power and faithfulness across generations.
"For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over," — Joshua deliberately links the Jordan crossing to the Red Sea escape, not just to recall a past miracle, but to emphasize God's consistent faithfulness. He uses "us" for both events, including the ent…
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Last reviewed October 2026