King James Version

Joshua 4:6

That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?

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Hebrew

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לְמַ֗עַןlemaanthatמַעַןpreposition — “that”H4616properly, heed, i.e. purpose; used only adverbially, on account of (as a motive or an aim), teleologically, in order thatbecause of, to the end (intent) that, for (to,... 's sake), [phrase] lest, that, to.תִּֽהְיֶ֛הtihyehbeהָיָהverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “be”, an unfinished actionH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.זֹ֥אתzotthisזֹאתpronoun, demonstrative, feminine, singular — “this”H2063this (often used adverb)hereby (-in, -with), it, likewise, the one (other, same), she, so (much), such (deed), that, therefore, these, this (thing), thus.א֖וֹתotmarkאוֹתnoun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “mark”, the ordinary formH226a signal (literally or figuratively), as aflag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence, etc.mark, miracle, (en-) sign, token.בְּקִרְבְּכֶ֑םbeqirbekhemin bowelsקֶרֶבpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “in bowels”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7130properly, the nearest part, i.e. the center, whether literal, figurative or adverbial (especially with preposition)[idiom] among, [idiom] before, bowels, [idiom] unto charge, [phrase] eat (up), [idiom] heart, [idiom] him, [idiom] in, inward ([idiom] -ly, part, -s, thought), midst, [phrase] out of, purtenance, [idiom] therein, [idiom] through, [idiom] w…כִּֽיkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…יִשְׁאָל֨וּןyishalundemandשָׁאַלverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural, paragogic nun — “demand”, an unfinished actionH7592to inquire; by implication, to request; by extension, to demandask (counsel, on), beg, borrow, lay to charge, consult, demand, desire, [idiom] earnestly, enquire, [phrase] greet, obtain leave, lend, pray, request, require, [phrase] salute, [idiom] straitly, [idiom] surely, wish.בְּנֵיכֶ֤םbeneykhemsonבֵּןnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “son”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1121a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)[phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, […מָחָר֙machartomorrowמָחָרnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “tomorrow”, the ordinary formH4279properly, deferred, i.e. the morrow; usually (adverbially) tomorrow; indefinitely, hereaftertime to come, tomorrow.לֵאמֹ֔רlemorto sayאָמַרpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to say”, the to-form of the verbH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…מָ֛הmahhowמָהparticle, interrogative — “how”H4100properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senseshow (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.הָאֲבָנִ֥יםhaavanimthe stoneאֶבֶןdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, plural, absolute — “the stone”, the ordinary formH68a stone[phrase] carbuncle, [phrase] mason, [phrase] plummet, (chalk-, hail-, head-, sling-) stone(-ny), (divers) weight(-s).הָאֵ֖לֶּהhaelehthe theseאֵלֶּהdefinite article, pronoun, demonstrative, common, plural — “the these”H428these or thosean-(the) other; one sort, so, some, such, them, these (same), they, this, those, thus, which, who(-m).לָכֶֽםlakhemtoלָכֶֽםpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “to”to

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

that this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask in time to come, saying: What mean ye by these stones?

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

that this may be a sign among you, that, when your children ask in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?

Young’s Literal Translation

so that this is a sign in your midst, when your children ask hereafter, saying, What [are] these stones to you?

World English Bible

that this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask in the future, saying, ‘What do you mean by these stones?’

Darby Translation

that this may be a sign in your midst. When your children ask hereafter, saying, What mean ye by these stones?

Douay-Rheims

That it may be a sign among you and when your children shall ask you tomorrow, saying: What mean these stones?

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

that this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask in time to come, saying: What mean ye by these stones?

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

that these may be to you continually for an appointed sign, that when thy son asks thee in future, saying, What are these stones to us?

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

ἵνα ὑπάρχωσιν ὑμῖν οὗτοι εἰς σημεῖον κείμενον διαπαντός· ἵνα ὅταν ἐρωτᾷ σε ὁ υἱός σου αὔριον λέγων, τί εἰσιν οἱ λιθοι οὗτοι ἡμῖν;