And as the Israelites watched, Joshua copied onto the stones of the altar the instructions Moses had given them.
Parallel translations
- WEB He wrote there on the stones a copy of Moses’ law, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel.
- KJV And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel.
- BSB And there in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua inscribed on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written.
- NKJV And there, in the presence of the children of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written.
- NASB And he wrote there on the stones a copy of the Law of Moses, which he had written, in the presence of the sons of Israel.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Joshua writes a copy of Moses' law on the stones before the people. God's word is publicly inscribed and affirmed.
Overview
Inscribing the law fulfills Moses' command and places God's word at the center of Israel's life in the land. The public writing makes the covenant terms visible and binding for the whole nation. It testifies that Israel's identity and security rest on faithfulness to the revealed will of God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
- Deut 27:8You shall write on the stones all the words of this law very plainly.”
- Deut 27:2–3It shall be on the day when you shall pass over the Jordan to the land which Yahweh your God gives you, that you shall set yourself up great stones, and coat them with plaster.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Joshua — the same name as Jesus, 'the LORD saves' — leads God's people into their inheritance, a shadow of the greater Joshua who brings us into the true rest and the promised land that remains.
How Joshua 8:32 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.