It happened, when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of Yahweh were come up out of the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up to the dry ground, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place, and went over all its banks, as before.
The purposes of the memorial stones were the same as the purposes of the miracle at the Red Sea. They manifested the power of Yahweh to all people (Joshua 4:24; cf. Exodus 14:4; Exodus 14:18), and they caused God’s people to fear Him (Joshua 4:24; cf. Exodus 14:31). "Fear the Lord" is the most common expression calling for faith in God in the Old Testament.