The Meaning of Joshua 4:10 Explained

Joshua 4:10

KJV: For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until every thing was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua: and the people hasted and passed over.

YLT: And the priests bearing the ark are standing in the midst of the Jordan till the completion of the whole thing which Jehovah commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua, and the people haste and pass over.

Darby: And the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan, until everything was finished that Jehovah had commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. And the people hasted and passed over.

ASV: For the priests that bare the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan, until everything was finished that Jehovah commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua: and the people hasted and passed over.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For the priests  which bare  the ark  stood  in the midst  of Jordan,  until every thing  was finished  that the LORD  commanded  Joshua  to speak  unto the people,  according to all that Moses  commanded  Joshua:  and the people  hasted  and passed over. 

What does Joshua 4:10 Mean?

Context Summary

Joshua 4:1-24 - The Memorial Stones
Twelve stones were brought up from the Jordan and erected in Gilgal. They gave fathers the opportunity of telling their children of the miraculous passage of the river. We, too, through our Lord, have passed through the waters of death on to resurrection-ground. Let the great deliverances of God wrought for our fatherland, as well as those wrought for us personally in Christ, be more frequent subjects of family-talk.
Twelve other stones were placed in the river-bed and would be visible when the waters were low. There was an ocular demonstration, therefore, that Israel was really once in these depths. We must not forget the Rock out of which we were hewn, Isaiah 51:1; 1 Corinthians 6:11. Let us never cease to magnify God's grace, Psalms 40:2.
The presence of the Ark alone restrained the piled-up waters. Thus Jesus stands between us and whatever would overwhelm us, especially sin and death, Hebrews 2:14. Do not, in rejecting Him, reject your only screen. [source]

Chapter Summary: Joshua 4

1  Twelve men are appointed to take twelve memorial stones from Jordan
9  Twelve other stones are set up in the midst of Jordan
10  The people pass over
14  God magnifies Joshua
15  The priests commanded to come out of Jordan
20  The twelve stones are pitched in Gilgal

What do the individual words in Joshua 4:10 mean?

So the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until was finished everything - that had commanded Yahweh - Joshua to speak to the people according to all Moses Joshua And hurried the people and crossed over
וְהַכֹּהֲנִ֞ים נֹשְׂאֵ֣י הָאָר֗וֹן עֹמְדִים֮ בְּת֣וֹךְ הַיַּרְדֵּן֒ עַ֣ד תֹּ֣ם כָּֽל־ הַ֠דָּבָר אֲשֶׁר־ צִוָּ֨ה יְהוָ֤ה אֶת־ יְהוֹשֻׁ֙עַ֙ לְדַבֵּ֣ר אֶל־ הָעָ֔ם כְּכֹ֛ל מֹשֶׁ֖ה יְהוֹשֻׁ֑עַ וַיְמַהֲר֥וּ הָעָ֖ם וַֽיַּעֲבֹֽרוּ

וְהַכֹּהֲנִ֞ים  So  the  priests 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
נֹשְׂאֵ֣י  who  bore 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
הָאָר֗וֹן  the  ark 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: אֲרֹון  
Sense: chest, ark.
עֹמְדִים֮  stood 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
בְּת֣וֹךְ  in  the  midst 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: תָּוֶךְ  
Sense: midst, middle.
הַיַּרְדֵּן֒  of  the  Jordan 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יַרְדֵּן  
Sense: the river of Palestine running from the roots of Anti-Lebanon to the Dead Sea a distance of approx 200 miles (320 km).
עַ֣ד  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
תֹּ֣ם  was  finished 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: תָּמַם  
Sense: to be complete, be finished, be at an end.
כָּֽל־  everything 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הַ֠דָּבָר  - 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
אֲשֶׁר־  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
צִוָּ֨ה  had  commanded 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: צָוָה  
Sense: to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order.
יְהוָ֤ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
יְהוֹשֻׁ֙עַ֙  Joshua 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹושֻׁעַ  
Sense: son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim and successor to Moses as the leader of the children of Israel; led the conquest of Canaan.
לְדַבֵּ֣ר  to  speak 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
הָעָ֔ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
כְּכֹ֛ל  according  to  all 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
מֹשֶׁ֖ה  Moses 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
יְהוֹשֻׁ֑עַ  Joshua 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹושֻׁעַ  
Sense: son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim and successor to Moses as the leader of the children of Israel; led the conquest of Canaan.
וַיְמַהֲר֥וּ  And  hurried 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: מָהַר  
Sense: (Qal) to hasten.
הָעָ֖ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
וַֽיַּעֲבֹֽרוּ  and  crossed  over 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.