Joshua 4:9 describes a second memorial of twelve stones that Joshua set up in the middle of the Jordan River, on the spot where the priests carrying the ark had stood while Israel crossed over. The verse tells us that these stones were still visible in Joshua’s day, serving as a lasting reminder of what God had done there. The narrator is the author of the book of Joshua, traditionally held to be Joshua himself or a close associate, and the audience is the people of Israel who had just entered the promised land.
Joshua 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.
Joshua 4:9 (WEB)
What Joshua 4:9 Means
The verse begins with Joshua setting up twelve stones “in the middle of the Jordan.” This is a deliberate act of witness. Joshua does not simply pile up rocks on the riverbank. He places them where the water had been held back, so that anyone looking at the river would see a physical sign in the very place God acted. The second set of stones is a companion to the twelve taken out of the riverbed and carried to Gilgal, so the river itself now holds one memorial and the camp holds another.
The phrase “in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood” ties the memorial to a precise location. The priests stood firm in the riverbed while the water was cut off, and the stones mark that exact footprint of faith. The final clause, “and they are there to this day,” tells us the stones were still visible when the book was written, which shows that the memorial was meant to outlast the generation that witnessed the miracle.
The verse does not promise that every river will be dried up for you, nor does it describe a formula for getting through hard places. What it does show is that God’s faithfulness is worth remembering in concrete, visible ways, and that the people of God are called to keep those remembrances alive for the next generation.
The Context of Joshua 4:9
The book of Joshua records Israel’s entry into Canaan after the wilderness years, and chapter 4 focuses on the crossing of the Jordan. Verses 6 and 7 explain why the stones are being set up: they are “a sign among you,” so that when children ask what they mean, parents can tell them that the waters were cut off before the ark of the LORD’s covenant. Verse 8 then describes the first set of stones, taken from the riverbed and carried to the first camp. Verses 10 and 11 report that the priests remained standing in the river until the whole nation had crossed.
Seeing verse 9 inside this sequence changes how it reads. It is not a random detail but part of a deliberate teaching structure built around memory and instruction. The stones are meant to provoke questions, and the answer is always the same: the LORD did this. Read this way, verse 9 shows a community being equipped to pass its faith to children and grandchildren, not just to remember a single event.
Key Phrases in Joshua 4:9
Joshua 4:6-7
6 That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask in the future, saying, ‘What do you mean by these stones?’ 7 then you shall tell them, ‘Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the LORD’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.’”
(WEB)
These verses explain the purpose of the stones directly, stating that they are a sign to prompt questions from children. Reading them alongside verse 9 shows that the memorial was always meant to be a teaching tool, not merely a monument.
Deuteronomy 6:20-21
20 When your son asks you in time to come, saying, “What do the testimonies, the statutes, and the ordinances, which the LORD our God has commanded you mean?” 21 then you shall tell your son, “We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. The LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand…
(WEB)
Moses instructs the people to explain to their children how the LORD brought them out of Egypt. This passage shares the same pattern of memory and instruction that Joshua 4:9 reinforces, showing that the practice of telling God’s deeds was rooted in the earlier law.
A Short Prayer From Joshua 4:9
Lord, you have shown yourself faithful in ways I can point to and remember. Help me to notice the moments when you have carried me through rivers I could not cross on my own, and give me the wisdom to mark them so that I do not forget. Let my life be a sign to the people around me, and especially to those who are growing up and asking questions. May my testimony of your goodness stand firm in the places where I have walked with you. Amen.
