English Standard Version
Joshua 4:2
2"Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man,
Joshua 4:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man,
- New International Version (NIV)“Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe,
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe,
- New Living Translation (NLT)“Now choose twelve men, one from each tribe.
Context of Joshua 4:2
1When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, "Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, 3and command them, saying, 'Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests' feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.'" 4Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe.
Read all of Joshua 4Joshua 4:2 word by word
קְח֤וּ לָכֶם֙ מִן־הָעָ֔ם שְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָׂ֖ר אֲנָשִׁ֑ים אִישׁ־אֶחָ֥ד אִישׁ־אֶחָ֖ד מִשָּֽׁבֶט׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Joshua 4:2
- Joshua 3:12Now therefore take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, from each tribe a man.
- Numbers 1:4And there shall be with you a man from each tribe, each man being the head of the house of his fathers.
- Numbers 13:2"Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel. From each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a chief among them."
- Numbers 34:18You shall take one chief from every tribe to divide the land for inheritance.
- Deuteronomy 1:23The thing seemed good to me, and I took twelve men from you, one man from each tribe.
- 1 Kings 18:31Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, "Israel shall be your name,"
- Matthew 10:15Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.
Commentaries on Joshua 4:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Take you twelve men - From Joshua 3:12, it appears that the twelve men had been before appointed, one taken out of each of the twelve tribes; and now they are employed for that purpose for which they had been before selected.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Take you twelve men - The order is given in the plural, because no doubt the tribes themselves were to choose their own representatives, the choice being approved by Joshua Joshua 4:4. These twelve would be left with Joshua on the hither bank of the river, waiting to receive his orders after the rest of the people had made their way across Joshua 3:17; Joshua 4:1.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Choose twelve men: These men represented Jacob’s 12 sons. The tribe of Levi was not counted because the Levites settled in designated cities among the other tribes (Genesis 49:5–7; Numbers 1:49–52; 18:20). However, the number of tribes remained at 12 because Joseph’s two sons (Ephraim and Manasseh) were accounted as separate tribes (Genesis 48:5).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-81-3. the Lord spake unto Joshua, Take you twelve men--each representing a tribe. They had been previously chosen for this service (Jos 3:12), and the repetition of the command is made here solely to introduce the account of its execution. Though Joshua had been divinely instructed to erect a commemorative pile, the representatives were not apprised of the work they were to do till the time of the passage.Read the comment
Topics related to Joshua 4:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Joshua 4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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