Joshua 4:23 tells Israel that the same God who dried up the waters of the Jordan River also once dried up the Red Sea, so that they could cross on dry ground. The verse is a reminder that the crossing into the Promised Land was not a random event but a repeat of God’s rescue at the Exodus, showing that the Lord who led them out of Egypt was still leading them forward. Joshua spoke these words to the people of Israel, who had just crossed the Jordan under his leadership.
For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan from before you, until you had crossed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up from before us, until we had crossed over…
Joshua 4:23 (WEB)
What Joshua 4:23 Means
The phrase “the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan from before you” describes a direct act of God. The waters did not part because of good timing or a lucky season. The people walked across because God held back the river while they passed. The word “until” in the verse emphasizes that the water stayed back for the whole crossing, not just the first few steps.
The comparison to the Red Sea connects the two events. Israel’s parents had walked out of Egypt through the sea, and now their children were walking into the land through the river. The verse does not promise that God will always stop rivers or seas for us. It does show that God has a track record of intervening for his people and that he can be trusted to act again when the moment calls for it.
The Context of Joshua 4:23
The book of Joshua is traditionally attributed to Joshua himself, though it likely reached its final form later and includes material from other hands. It tells the story of Israel’s entry into Canaan after the wilderness years and their conquest and settlement of the land. The audience was the Israelite people, and the book was written to remind them of God’s faithfulness and their covenant obligations.
Just before the verse, Joshua sets up twelve stones taken from the riverbed at Gilgal as a memorial. He tells the people that when their children ask what the stones mean, they should explain the crossing and the God who made it possible. Reading the verse in that setting shows that it is part of a teaching plan: the stones prompt the question, and the verse supplies the answer. The memorial is meant to be retold, not simply admired.
Key Phrases in Joshua 4:23
Exodus 14:21
Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
(WEB)
This verse describes the original parting of the Red Sea that Joshua 4:23 recalls. Reading it alongside Joshua shows how the Jordan crossing echoes the Exodus and confirms that the same God acted in both moments to deliver his people.
Joshua 3:17
The priests who bore the ark of the LORD’s covenant stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the nation had passed completely over the Jordan.
(WEB)
This verse describes the priests standing firm in the middle of the Jordan while the people crossed. It shows the scene Joshua 4:23 summarizes, with the focus on the steadiness of God’s presence while the whole nation passed through the river.
A Short Prayer From Joshua 4:23
Lord, you dried up the waters for your people in the past, and you have never stopped being the God who makes a way. When I look at the rivers in front of me, help me remember what you have already done. Give me courage to take the next step even when I cannot see the other side. Hold the waters back while I cross, and let my steps be a witness to your faithfulness. Amen.
