He did this
This phrase refers to the actions of God, emphasizing His direct involvement in the events described. In the context of Joshua 4, God is the one orchestrating the miraculous crossing of the Jordan River. The Hebrew root for "did" is "עָשָׂה" (asah), which means to make, do, or accomplish. This highlights God's active role in the history of Israel, reminding us that He is not a distant deity but one who intervenes in the lives of His people to fulfill His promises.

so that all the peoples of the earth
This phrase expands the scope of God's actions beyond Israel to include all nations. The Hebrew word for "peoples" is "עַמִּים" (amim), which often refers to nations or ethnic groups. This underscores the universal nature of God's power and His desire for all humanity to recognize His sovereignty. Historically, Israel was meant to be a light to the nations, demonstrating God's character and inviting others to know Him.

may know
The Hebrew word "יָדַע" (yada) means to know, perceive, or understand. This is not merely intellectual knowledge but an experiential understanding. God's actions are intended to lead to a deep, personal recognition of His power and authority. This knowledge is transformative, calling for a response of reverence and worship.

that the hand of the LORD
The "hand of the LORD" is a metaphor for God's power and intervention. In Hebrew, "יָד" (yad) signifies strength and capability. This imagery is used throughout Scripture to depict God's mighty acts, such as delivering Israel from Egypt. It reassures believers of God's ability to act decisively in history and in their personal lives.

is mighty
The word "mighty" in Hebrew is "חָזָק" (chazaq), meaning strong or powerful. This emphasizes the overwhelming strength of God, which is unmatched by any earthly power. The crossing of the Jordan River is a testament to this might, as God controls nature itself to fulfill His purposes. This serves as a reminder of God's omnipotence and His ability to overcome any obstacle.

and so that you may always fear the LORD your God
The phrase "fear the LORD" involves reverence, awe, and respect for God. The Hebrew word "יָרֵא" (yare) conveys a sense of awe and worshipful submission. This fear is not about being afraid but about recognizing God's holiness and responding with obedience and devotion. The historical context of Israel's journey shows that their success depended on their faithfulness to God, and this fear was meant to guide their relationship with Him continually.

Verse 24. - The hand of the Lord, that it is mighty. "Thus the river, though dumb, was the best of heralds, proclaiming with a loud voice that heaven and earth are subject to the Lord God of Israel" (Calvin). That ye might fear. The construction here is unusual. Instead of the imperfect or infinitive with לְמַעַן we have the perfect. Therefore Ewald, Maurer, and Knobel (who says that the second member of the sentence ought to correspond with the first) have altered the pointing in order to bring this passage into conformity with the supposed necessities of grammar. In so doing they have robbed it of its picturesqueness and its meaning. For the object is clearly to show the lasting nature of the fear, "that ye might recognise now the hand of the Lord, that ye might have a thorough and lasting fear of his name." We may here remark on the necessarily miraculous character of the whole narrative of the crossing the Jordan. It admits of no explaining away. The account must either be accepted or rejected en bloc. First we have the specific declaration of Rahab in chap. 2:10, that Jehovah dried up the Red Sea, and that this proof of the peculiar protection of Israel by the Most High had struck terror into the hearts of the inhabitants of Canaan. Next we have the fact that Jordan had overflowed its banks. The dangerous nature of the crossing, even at ordinary times, has been mentioned already. Lives are frequently lost in the attempt, as recent travellers with one voice declare. At the time when the waters were out such a crossing was practically impossible to a host like the host of Israel. Nor can there be any mistake about its being the period of the overflowing of Jordan, for the time of the crossing is mentioned. It was the time of harvest - that is, of the barley harvest. This is confirmed by the fact that the recently cut flax was now lying on the roof of Rahab's house, and by the fact that the harley and flax ripened together, a coincidence which we have already mentioned in the note on chap. 2:6. The time is yet further defined. It was the "tenth day of the first month." We learn, moreover, from Leviticus 23:9-15 and Deuteronomy 16:6 that this was the time when the firstfruits were offered, from which seven weeks were reckoned to the beginning of wheat harvest (Exodus 34:2). Moreover, the passover was kept immediately afterwards (Joshua 5:10), on "the fourteenth day of the first month." Thus the date of the crossing, which is accurately fixed by a variety of circumstances, is clearly proved to correspond with the time of Jordan's overflow. We next come to the measures taken to secure the crossing. There is likewise no mistake here. Not one single intimation is given of an endeavour to break in any way the force of the current, or to preserve the Israelites, either men, women, or children, from the imminent risk they ran of death by drowning. Not only are no other expedients resorted to, but no animals seem to have been prepared to transport them over. Nor, again, were any means used to elude the vigilance of the inhabitants of Canaan. Readers of Xenophon's 'Anabasis ' will not fail to notice how often the passage of the rivers was a matter of the utmost difficulty to that expedition, and how fiercely attempts at crossing were disputed by the half savage tribes of Asia Minor. How are we to account for the fact that no opposition was offered to Joshua's passage by the highly civilised nations of Palestine? According to the narrative before us it was effected in the most leisurely and peaceful manner. What other explanation is possible titan that offered in the text, that when the feet of the priests bearing the ark touched the waters, those waters were cut off by supernatural power, and a way was miraculously made for the people of God through the midst of Jordan? The crossing was remarkable enough, we are told, to have been commemorated by a double memorial (vers. 8, 9). If it had taken place through an unusually easy ford there would have been nothing remarkable about it. Therefore it is clear that the whole narrative of the crossing is either absolute fable or strictly and historically accurate. Let us conclude by summing up the several reasons which make the former alternative inadmissible. The first is the precision with which the date is fixed, and the fact that the correctness of this date is confirmed, as we have seen, by a variety of corroborative evidence. The next is the simplicity and artlessness of the narrative, and its appeal to still existing monuments as confirmatory of the facts recorded. The third is that no account of a battle at Jordan is even hinted at by the Hebrew or any other historian, a battle which must infallibly have taken place had the Israelites attempted to enter Palestine in any ordinary manner; for the supposition that the waters of the ford at Jericho were unusually low at this time is quite inadmissible for the reasons given above; nor can it be supposed that the Israelites crossed the river by any other ford without rejecting the whole history of the conquest. The last reason is the touch of detail given in the word XXX which seems to mark the transition from the soft adhesive mud of the river to the firmness of the dry land beyond (for the word translated "dry land" in chap. 3:17 only means that it was land and not water. Gesenius). Our witness, in fact, can be subjected to the severest cross examination without shaking his testimony. And we are thus compelled to choose between accepting the literal correctness of the narrative as it stands, or crediting the author with a skill in constructing a work of fiction which itself scarcely falls short of the miraculous.

Parallel Commentaries ...

{He did this] so that
לְ֠מַעַן (lə·ma·‘an)
Conjunction
Strong's 4616: Purpose -- intent

all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the peoples
עַמֵּ֤י (‘am·mê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

of the earth
הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ (hā·’ā·reṣ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

may know
דַּ֜עַת (da·‘aṯ)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 1847: Knowledge

that
כִּ֥י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

the hand
יַ֣ד (yaḏ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 3027: A hand

of the LORD
יְהוָ֔ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

is mighty,
חֲזָקָ֖ה (ḥă·zā·qāh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 2389: Strong, stout, mighty

and so that
לְמַ֧עַן (lə·ma·‘an)
Preposition
Strong's 4616: Purpose -- intent

you may always
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

fear
יְרָאתֶ֛ם (yə·rā·ṯem)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 3372: To fear, to revere, caus, to frighten

the LORD
יְהוָ֥ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

your God.”
אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֖ם (’ĕ·lō·hê·ḵem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative


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OT History: Joshua 4:24 That all the peoples of the earth (Josh. Jos)