Joshua 4:1-9 Meaning: Why God Told Israel to Carry Stones from the Jordan
1When all the nation had completely crossed over the Jordan, Yahweh spoke to Joshua, saying,
2“Take twelve men out of the people, a man out of every tribe,
3and command them, saying, ‘Take from out of the middle of the Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, carry them over with you, and lay them down in the place where you’ll camp tonight.’”
4Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, a man out of every tribe.
5Joshua said to them, “Cross before the ark of Yahweh your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you pick up a stone and put it on your shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel;
6that this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask in the future, saying, ‘What do you mean by these stones?’
7then you shall tell them, ‘Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of Yahweh’s covenant. When it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.’”
8The children of Israel did as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the middle of the Jordan, as Yahweh spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel. They carried them over with them to the place where they camped, and laid them down there.
9Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to this day.
1And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying,
2Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man,
3And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night.
4Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man:
5And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:
6That 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?
7Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.
8And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the Lord spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.
9And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day.
1And it came to pass, when all the nation were clean passed over the Jordan, that Jehovah spake unto Joshua, saying,
2Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man,
3and command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of the Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and carry them over with you, and lay them down in the lodging-place, where ye shall lodge this night.
4Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man:
5and Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of Jehovah your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel;
6that this may be a sign among you, that, when your children ask in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?
7then ye shall say unto them, Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah; when it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.
8And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, as Jehovah spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel; and they carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.
9And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests that bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day.
1And it cometh to pass, when all the nation hath completed to pass over the Jordan, that Jehovah speaketh unto Joshua, saying,
2`Take for you out of the people twelve men, one man--one man out of a tribe;
3and command ye them, saying, Take up for you from this place , from the midst of the Jordan, from the established standing-place of the feet of the priests, twelve stones, and ye have removed them over with you, and placed them in the lodging-place in which ye lodge to-night.'
4And Joshua calleth unto the twelve men whom he prepared out of the sons of Israel, one man--one man out of a tribe;
5and Joshua saith to them, `Pass over before the ark of Jehovah your God unto the midst of the Jordan and lift up for you each, one stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel,
6so that this is a sign in your midst, when your children ask hereafter, saying, What are these stones to you?
7that ye have said to them, Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off, at the presence of the ark of the covenant of Jehovah; in its passing over into the Jordan were the waters of the Jordan cut off; and these stones have been for a memorial to the sons of Israel--to the age.'
8And the sons of Israel do so as Joshua commanded, and take up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, as Jehovah hath spoken unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel, and remove them over with them unto the lodging-place, and place them there,
9even the twelve stones hath Joshua raised up out of the midst of the Jordan, the place of the standing of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant, and they are there unto this day.
1And it came to pass when the whole nation had completely gone over the Jordan, that Jehovah spoke to Joshua, saying,
2Take you twelve men out of the people, one man out of every tribe,
3and command them, saying, Take up hence out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and carry them over with you, and lay them down in the lodging-place where ye shall lodge this night.
4And Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had appointed of the children of Israel, a man out of every tribe;
5and Joshua said to them, Pass before the ark of Jehovah your God into the midst of the Jordan, and lift up each of you a stone [and put it] upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel,
6that this may be a sign in your midst. When your children ask hereafter, saying, What mean ye by these stones?
7then ye shall say to them, That the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah; when it went through the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.
8And the children of Israel did so, as Joshua had commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, as Jehovah had spoken to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel; and they carried them over with them to the lodging-place, and laid them down there.
9And twelve stones did Joshua set up in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant had stood firm; and they are there to this day.
Meaning in one sentence
When Israel crossed the Jordan, God commanded twelve stones as a memorial. What do these stones mean and why two sets?
Context
After decades of wandering, Israel finally stands in the Promised Land. The crossing of the Jordan River is the last physical barrier before Jericho. God commands Joshua to take twelve men, one from each tribe, and gather stones from the very place the priests stood with the ark. The stones will be carried to the campsite and set up as a permanent memorial. The narrative weaves together God's command, Joshua's instruction, and the people's obedience. In the rush of the miracle, God pauses the story to make sure this moment is not forgotten. He wants parents to answer their children's future questions with a story: the waters were cut off before the covenant ark. The stacked stones will speak long after the river returns to its banks.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words carry the weight of this passage. First, even (stone) is used repeatedly for the twelve stones lifted from the river bed. These are not gemstones but rough, heavy field stones, each one as large as a man could carry on his shoulder. Ordinary objects become witnesses to extraordinary grace. Second, ot (sign) describes what the pile will become: a visible marker of an invisible reality. This same word is used for the rainbow after the flood and the signs Moses performed in Egypt. A sign points beyond itself to a truth you cannot see. Third, zikkaron (memorial) appears in verse 7. This is not a passive reminder. In Hebrew thought, a memorial calls the past into the present. Whenever Israel looks at these stones, the crossing does not belong to their grandparents alone. It becomes their own story too.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions agree these twelve stones were meant to provoke conversation and preserve the memory of God's deliverance. Matthew Henry sees them as a teaching tool for parents to instruct their children about God's mighty works. John Calvin notes that though the stones themselves are silent, they give parents material to speak. The Cambridge Bible connects the practice to earlier monuments, Jacob's pillar at Bethel, showing a consistent biblical pattern of visible reminders. Several commentators, including Barnes and Keil, observe that Joshua set up a second set of stones in the middle of the river. Calvin questions the use of stones hidden underwater, while the Geneva Bible and Wesley see them as marking the exact spot of the miracle. Both sets serve memory, though one is public and the other submerged, hidden from the eye but known to God.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers assume the twelve stones carried to Gilgal and the twelve stones set up in the river are the same stones. In fact, the passage describes two separate monuments. Verse 8 tells us the twelve men picked up stones and laid them at the campsite (Gilgal). Then verse 9 adds that Joshua set up another twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan itself. The underwater stones mark where the priests stood. The above-water stones tell the story to every passing child. Both are needed: one to mark the place, the other to tell the tale.
Living This Out
This passage asks a straightforward question: what belongs in your home that helps your family remember God's faithfulness? The stones were not hidden in a museum. They sat at the edge of camp where children would trip over them and ask questions. Maybe you need a physical reminder too, a cross on the wall, a journal of answered prayers, a photo of the place God met you. When the miracle is still fresh, do something concrete to preserve it. Later, when the memory fades, the object will speak. And when someone asks "what does this mean?" you will have a story to tell.
Main takeaway: God commands us to build visible reminders of his saving acts so that we can tell the next generation what he has done.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God wanted the people to remember what he did. So he told them to pick up heavy stones from the river and stack them up. Every time they saw the stones, they would remember God helped them cross.
For ages 9, 12
When Israel crossed the Jordan, God told Joshua to have one man from each tribe carry a stone from the river bed to their campsite. The pile of stones became a visual reminder for future generations. When children asked "What do those stones mean?" parents could tell the story of God stopping the river. God wants us to remember what he has done and pass those stories on. Think about what you could put in your room or house to remind your family of God's goodness.
Questions People Ask
Why did God command two sets of twelve stones?
One set was carried to the campsite at Gilgal to be seen by everyone and spark questions from children. The other set was placed in the middle of the Jordan where the priests stood. The underwater stones marked the exact spot of the miracle, though some commentators wonder how visible they remained over time.
Why were the stones taken from the middle of the river and not from the bank?
God specifically told the men to take stones from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. This connected the stones directly to the miracle. Each stone came from the spot where God held back the water, making the memorial not just about crossing but about the precise place of deliverance.
What does 'memorial' mean in Joshua 4:7?
The Hebrew word is zikkaron, meaning a reminder or a memorial. It is more than just a marker. In the Bible, a memorial brings the past event into the present. When Israel saw the stones, they were not just remembering a history lesson. They were participating in the story of God's faithfulness as their own.
Were the stones in the river still visible after the water returned?
The passage says they are there to this day, but commentators disagree on whether they remained visible. Some think they formed a visible cairn that could be seen when the river was low. Others, like Calvin, wonder at their use if submerged. The key point may be that God knows where they are, even if human eyes cannot always see them.
What did Joshua mean by 'these stones shall be a sign among you'?
The word 'sign' (ot) is the same word used for the rainbow in Genesis. It is a visible token of a divine promise or act. For Israel, the stones were a conversation starter. They were not just an ancient artifact but a living teaching tool meant to prompt questions from children and invite parents to tell the story of God's deliverance.
For pastors & researchers
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