“And 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.”
My Notes
What Does Joshua 4:9 Mean?
Joshua sets up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan River—at the exact spot where the priests stood with the ark while the river was parted. The stones mark the invisible: they identify the specific location where the miracle happened. The water that was parted has returned. The riverbed is submerged again. But the stones remain, underwater, marking the place where Israel crossed on dry ground.
The phrase "they are there unto this day" means the stones endured—still present when the account was written, still marking the spot, still identifying where the miraculous crossing happened. The memorial outlasted the event. The marker survived the moment. The stones persist after the water returned.
The underwater memorial is a hidden testimony: you can't see the stones unless the water is low or you're looking specifically for them. The miracle site is marked but submerged—present but not visible to casual observation. The most significant thing that happened in this river is invisible from the bank. You have to know the stones are there. The memory requires effort to access.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What hidden 'stones' mark the significant things God has done in your life—invisible to others but known to you?
- 2.The miracle site looks ordinary now. What extraordinary event in your past is hidden by the 'water' of normal life returning?
- 3.The stones endured whether anyone acknowledged them or not. What testimony persists in your life regardless of who sees it?
- 4.Some memorials are submerged. Is that okay—or do some hidden testimonies need to surface?
Devotional
Twelve stones. In the middle of the Jordan. Underwater. Invisible from the bank. Marking the exact spot where the priests stood while the river parted. The most significant location in the Jordan—the place where God stopped the water and Israel crossed—is marked by stones nobody can see unless they know to look.
The memorial is hidden. The water returned. The riverbed is covered. The stones are submerged. If you walk along the Jordan's bank, you see nothing unusual. The miracle site looks like every other stretch of river. But underneath—at the exact spot where the priests' feet held the ground while an entire nation walked through—twelve stones sit. A hidden testimony to what happened in a place that now looks ordinary.
"They are there unto this day." The stones endured. Through floods and droughts and seasons. Through years when nobody thought about them and years when the water was low enough to glimpse them. The memorial persists whether anyone acknowledges it or not. The testimony doesn't depend on the audience. It exists because the event happened, whether anyone remembers or not.
Some of the most significant things God has done in your life are like the Jordan stones: underwater, invisible to casual observers, present but submerged. The miracle happened. The crossing was real. The river parted. But the water returned, and now the site looks ordinary. The stones are there. You know they're there. And the fact that nobody else can see them doesn't mean they don't exist. Some memorials are hidden. Some testimonies are submerged. And they're there unto this day.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan,.... Twelve other stones, as the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin…
Another set of stones is intended than that before mentioned. The one set was erected by the command of God at the spot…
And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan - It seems from this chapter that there were two sets of stones…
We may well imagine how busy Joshua and all the men of war were while they were passing over Jordan, when besides their…
And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan "Alios quoque duodecim lapides," Vulg. Another set of stones is…
Cross References
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