Joshua 3:12
in Joshua 3Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, for every tribe a man.
KJV
Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man.
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This verse in Joshua 3
Commentary
2 notes on this verseNow therefore take ye twelve men,.... For what end and purpose is not mentioned.
This site's exposition
take you twelve men out
on Joshua 3:12-13
Twelve men are chosen and no reason is given for them, an omission John Gill points out, and chapter 4 supplies the answer when they lift twelve stones out of the riverbed. The condition in verse 13 is exact: the water is cut off as soon as the soles of the priests' feet rest in it, so nothing moves until men walk into a river in flood. Stand upon an heap is Red Sea vocabulary, since Exodus 15:8 says the floods stood upright as an heap and Psalm 78:13 says it again, and the phrase upon an heap falls in the King James Bible only here and at verse 16.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Take for yourselves twelve men. Prepare them to be available to fulfil that which I will command them when you finally cross the Jordan.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
The waters that descend from above. Coming down from the heights which is the way of all flowing rivers.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְעַתָּ֗ה | veatah | and therefore | H6258 → | 433 times |
| קְח֤וּ | kechu | take | H3947 → | 966 times |
| לָכֶם֙ | lakhem | for <the> yourselves | ||
| שְׁנֵ֣י | shenei | two [plus] | H8147 → | 768 times |
| עָשָׂ֣ר | ʾasar | ten | H6240 → | 338 times |
| אִ֔ישׁ | ʾish | man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| מִשִּׁבְטֵ֖י | mishivtei | from [the] tribes of | H7626 → | 190 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| אִישׁ־ | ʾish- | a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֶחָ֥ד | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| אִישׁ־ | ʾish- | a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֶחָ֖ד | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| לַשָּֽׁבֶט׃ | lashavet | to the tribe | H7626 → | 190 times |
וְעַתָּ֗הand therefore
veatahH6258 →433 times
קְח֤וּtake
kechuH3947 →966 times
לָכֶם֙for <the> yourselves
lakhem
שְׁנֵ֣יtwo [plus]
sheneiH8147 →768 times
עָשָׂ֣רten
ʾasarH6240 →338 times
אִ֔ישׁman
ʾishH376 →1663 times
מִשִּׁבְטֵ֖יfrom [the] tribes of
mishivteiH7626 →190 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
אִישׁ־a man
ʾish-H376 →1663 times
אֶחָ֥דone
ʾechadH259 →971 times
אִישׁ־a man
ʾish-H376 →1663 times
אֶחָ֖דone
ʾechadH259 →971 times
לַשָּֽׁבֶט׃to the tribe
lashavetH7626 →190 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Joshua 4:9Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant stood. And the stones are there to this day.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 7:12
Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”
- 1 Samuel 7:12
Through
Joshua 4:2“Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe,
it leads to
- 1 Kings 18:31
And Elijah took twelve stones, one for each tribe of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come and said, “Israel shall be your name.”
- Matthew 10:1–5
And calling His twelve disciples to Him, Jesus gave them authority over unclean spirits, so that they could drive them out and heal every disease and sickness.
- Numbers 1:4–15
And one man from each tribe, the head of each family, must be there with you.
- Deuteronomy 1:23
The plan seemed good to me, so I selected twelve men from among you, one from each tribe.
- Numbers 34:18
Appoint one leader from each tribe to distribute the land.
- 1 Kings 18:31
Through
Joshua 4:4So Joshua summoned the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe,
it leads to
- Joshua 4:2
“Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe,
- Mark 3:14–19
He appointed twelve of them, whom He designated as apostles, to accompany Him, to be sent out to preach,
- Joshua 4:2
About Joshua
This page draws on John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth.