that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’
English Standard Version (ESV)
This isn't just about remembering a past event; it's about setting up a conversation starter for future generations. The stones aren't just a passive memorial; they're designed to prompt questions, ensuring the story of God's faithfulness becomes a living tradition passed down through families.
that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’
English Standard Version (ESV)
God commanded Joshua to have the Israelites set up a pile of twelve stones taken from the middle of the Jordan River, one for each tribe. This act was meant to serve as a tangible sign, a memorial for future generations. When their children would later ask about the meaning of these stones, the parents would have the opportunity to recount the miraculous story of how God had stopped the waters of the Jordan for the entire nation to cross.
Ever feel like the amazing things God has done can fade from memory? Joshua and the Israelites faced this, and they had a powerful solution.
God didn't just want the Israelites to experience His miraculous power in crossing the Jordan; He wanted them to remember it, and to teach it to their children. That's why He instructed them to take twelve stones from the middle of the river and set them up as a memorial.
A Visible Reminder
These stones weren't just random rocks. They were deliberately chosen, carried from the very place where God had made the waters stand still. They were meant to be a tangible, visible sign – a physical anchor for an incredible event. When future generations saw these stones, they wouldn't just see rocks; they'd see a testament to God's faithfulness.
Passing Down Faith
The core purpose of this monument was intergenerational teaching. The question, "What do these stones mean?" was a direct invitation for parents to share the story of God's power and deliverance. This highlights a vital principle: faith isn't meant to be a private experience but a shared legacy, passed down through intentional storytelling and remembrance.
Why twelve stones? Why carry them? The details matter when God instructs us. Let's look at the purpose behind this specific memorial.
The instruction to take twelve stones, one for each tribe, wasn't arbitrary. It served multiple crucial purposes:
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Unity in Remembrance
By having stones representing every tribe, the memorial underscored the unity of Israel in God's covenant. It wasn't just one tribe's miracle; it was all of Israel crossing over together. This shared experience and shared monument reinforced their collective identity under God.
A Sign of Divine Power
These stones were to be a sign, not of Israel's strength, but of God's power. They pointed back to the miraculous parting of the Jordan River – an event that showcased God's absolute authority over nature. This memorial declared, "Look what our God did!"
Ongoing Testimony
The monument was intended to be a perpetual testimony. Unlike a fleeting spoken word, these stones would stand (or lie) as a constant, silent witness to the truth of the event, ready to prompt conversations and pass on the faith for generations to come.
Understand the original words
’ôt · Hebrew Noun
A visible object or event intended to serve as a witness or evidence of a deeper spiritual reality, covenant, or act of God. It often points beyond itself to God's faithfulness or future promises.
The command for the stones to be a sign for future generations highlights the importance of teaching children about God's mighty acts, ensuring that the memory of His faithfulness is passed down through storytelling and visible reminders.
c. 1406 BC— this verse
Israelites Enter Promised Land
After 40 years in the wilderness, the Israelites, led by Joshua, crossed the Jordan River to enter the land of Canaan.
c. 1406 BC
Conquest of Canaan Begins
Following the Jordan crossing, Israel embarks on a military campaign to conquer the land of Canaan, as God had commanded.
c. 1406 BC
Establishment of Twelve Memorial Stones
Joshua commands the Israelites to take twelve stones from the Jordan River's midst to serve as a perpetual reminder of God's miraculous power in parting the waters.
c. 1406 BC
Setting up Stones at Gilgal
The twelve stones are set up in Gilgal, the first camp in the Promised Land, becoming a tangible sign for future generations to question and learn.
This passage highlights the importance of explaining religious observances to children, paralleling the stones as a sign that prompts questions about their meaning.
Exodus 13:14Similar to the Passover, these stones serve as a tangible reminder of God's miraculous intervention, meant to be explained to future generations.
Deuteronomy 6:20This verse directly speaks to the responsibility of parents to explain the statutes and testimonies of God to their children, a practice directly modeled by the purpose of the memorial stones.
Psalm 78:3-7This Psalm recounts the importance of passing down the mighty works of God and His law to the next generation, emphasizing the same goal as the stones in Joshua 4.
calvinJoshua 4:1-9: "And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying,"
And command you them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and you shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where you shall lodge this night.
Et praecipite illis dicendo: Tollite vobis hinc e medio Jordanis a loco ubi stant pedes sacerdotum expeditorum,…
cambridgeJoshua 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?"
6 . when your children ] Comp. Exodus 12:26 ; Exodus 13:14 ; Deuteronomy 6:20 .
This isn't just about remembering a past event; it's about setting up a conversation starter for future generations. The stones aren't just a passive memorial; they're designed to prompt questions, ensuring the story of God's faithfulness becomes a living tradition passed down through families.
God commanded Joshua to have the Israelites set up a pile of twelve stones taken from the middle of the Jordan River, one for each tribe. This act was meant to serve as a tangible sign, a memorial for future generations. When their children would later ask about the meaning of these stones, the parents would have the opportunity to recount the miraculous story of how God had stopped the waters of the Jordan for the entire nation to cross.
God commanded Joshua to have the Israelites set up a pile of twelve stones taken from the middle of the Jordan River, one for each tribe. This act was meant to serve as a tangible sign, a memorial for future generations. When their children would later ask about the meaning of these stones, the parents would have the opportunity to recount the miraculous story of how God had stopped the waters of the Jordan for the entire nation to cross.
"that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’" — This isn't just about remembering a past event; it's about setting up a conversation starter for future generations. The stones aren't just a passive memorial; they're designed to prompt questions, e…
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Last reviewed October 2026