Joshua 4:20 tells us that Joshua set up a memorial of twelve stones at Gilgal, stones taken from the bed of the Jordan River after Israel crossed over on dry ground. The stones were a visible reminder of what God had just done for the nation, so that future generations would remember it. Joshua spoke these words as the leader of the Israelites, who had just entered the Promised Land after forty years of wandering in the wilderness.
Joshua set up those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, in Gilgal.
Joshua 4:20 (WEB)
What Joshua 4:20 Means
The verse begins with Joshua taking action. He does not simply talk about the crossing; he builds something that will stand in the landscape. The phrase “those twelve stones” points back to a specific instruction given earlier in the chapter, where one man from each of the twelve tribes carried a stone from the riverbed. The number twelve matches the twelve tribes, so the memorial speaks for the whole nation, not only for one group within it.
The words “which they took out of the Jordan” tie the memorial directly to the river itself. The stones were not decorative or chosen for beauty. They came from the very place where the water had stood back and let the people pass. Setting them down “in Gilgal,” the first campsite in the land, made that camp the place where the memory would be kept.
The verse does not promise that stones will fix faith or that every visitor will understand their meaning. It records a particular act of remembrance at a particular place. What it does affirm is that God’s past help is worth marking in a tangible way, so that the people’s story is anchored in something they can point to.
The Context of Joshua 4:20
The Book of Joshua is traditionally attributed to Joshua himself, though much of it may have been compiled and edited later. It tells how Israel, under Joshua’s leadership, entered and settled Canaan after Moses’ death. The audience is the Israelite community, and the book is written to shape their understanding of who they are and how God has been faithful to them.
Just before verse 20, the priests carrying the ark step out of the riverbed, and the waters rush back to their normal flow. Just after, in verses 21 to 23, Joshua explains that the stones are meant to prompt a question from children, which the parents will answer by telling the story of the crossing. Read this way, the stones are less a monument for adults and more a teaching tool for the next generation, which changes how the verse feels.
Key Phrases in Joshua 4:20
Deuteronomy 6:12
Then beware lest you forget the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
(WEB)
This verse warns Israel not to forget the Lord who brought them out of slavery. It echoes the concern in Joshua 4:20 that God’s deliverance be remembered, and it shows that the call to remembrance runs through the whole story of Israel.
Psalm 77:11
I will remember Yah’s deeds; for I will remember your wonders of old.
(WEB)
The psalmist deliberately recalls the works of the Lord from long ago as a way of steadying his heart. Like the stones at Gilgal, this act of remembering becomes a source of hope in a difficult season.
A Short Prayer From Joshua 4:20
Lord, you have carried your people through rivers and wildernesses, and you have not left us without evidence of your care. Help me to remember the ways you have already acted in my life, especially when the road ahead looks uncertain. Let those memories become stones I can set up in my own heart, pointing back to your faithfulness. Teach me to tell these stories to the people who come after me, so they will know that you are good and that you keep your promises. Amen.
