This verse shows how God’s mighty acts secure a tangible reminder for future generations.
Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan at the place where the feet of the priests carrying the ark of the covenant were standing, and they are there to this day. (v.9) This verse takes place as the Israelites complete their crossing of the Jordan River. Joshua, the leader of Israel in approximately 1400 BC, directs that twelve stones be set up within the river itself. These stones serve as a striking memorial to the miraculous stopping of the Jordan’s flow, acknowledge the presence of the priests who carried the ark of the covenant, and recognize the faithfulness of God in leading His people across the water on dry ground. By placing these stones in the very bed of the Jordan, Joshua ensures that future generations would know the place where God’s power was at work on Israel’s behalf.
The Jordan River is geographically significant. It stretches from the Sea of Galilee in the north, flowing down into the Dead Sea in the south, and forms a major waterway in the ancient region of Canaan. In Joshua’s day, this spot was near the first area the Israelites would conquer after Moses’ death—a region that would eventually lead them to take Jericho (Joshua 6). The stones left beneath the waters would symbolize that Israel’s deliverance did not come of their own hard work or might. Rather, these stones emphasize how God’s direct intervention brought them safely to the other side.
This memorial is part of a recurring biblical theme: God guiding and providing proof of His works in tangible ways, similar to how He delivered the Israelites through the Red Sea (Exodus 14). For followers of Jesus, this moment in Israel’s history can be seen as a foreshadowing of God’s continuous desire for His people’s faith to be firmly anchored in His power and presence. When Jesus was baptized in the Jordan (Matthew 3), it was also a public display of God’s approval and a sign of His covenant promises coming to fulfillment in the New Testament era.
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Joshua 4:9 meaning
Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan at the place where the feet of the priests carrying the ark of the covenant were standing, and they are there to this day. (v.9) This verse takes place as the Israelites complete their crossing of the Jordan River. Joshua, the leader of Israel in approximately 1400 BC, directs that twelve stones be set up within the river itself. These stones serve as a striking memorial to the miraculous stopping of the Jordan’s flow, acknowledge the presence of the priests who carried the ark of the covenant, and recognize the faithfulness of God in leading His people across the water on dry ground. By placing these stones in the very bed of the Jordan, Joshua ensures that future generations would know the place where God’s power was at work on Israel’s behalf.
The Jordan River is geographically significant. It stretches from the Sea of Galilee in the north, flowing down into the Dead Sea in the south, and forms a major waterway in the ancient region of Canaan. In Joshua’s day, this spot was near the first area the Israelites would conquer after Moses’ death—a region that would eventually lead them to take Jericho (Joshua 6). The stones left beneath the waters would symbolize that Israel’s deliverance did not come of their own hard work or might. Rather, these stones emphasize how God’s direct intervention brought them safely to the other side.
This memorial is part of a recurring biblical theme: God guiding and providing proof of His works in tangible ways, similar to how He delivered the Israelites through the Red Sea (Exodus 14). For followers of Jesus, this moment in Israel’s history can be seen as a foreshadowing of God’s continuous desire for His people’s faith to be firmly anchored in His power and presence. When Jesus was baptized in the Jordan (Matthew 3), it was also a public display of God’s approval and a sign of His covenant promises coming to fulfillment in the New Testament era.