Joshua 4:12
in Joshua 4The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over before the Israelites, armed for battle as Moses had instructed them.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spake unto them:
KJV
And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spake unto them:
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This verse in Joshua 4
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThe children of Reuben, and - Gad - Concerning the numbers of these tribes that stayed behind to take care of the women, children, and cattle, and which amounted to 70,580 men, see the note on Num 32:17. Passed over armed - See the note on Jos 1:14.
This site's exposition
The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh
on Joshua 4:12-13
They cross first and armed under the bargain of Numbers 32:16-32, restated at 1:12-15. The muster of Numbers 26 puts Reuben, Gad and half Manasseh near a hundred and ten thousand, so the 40,000 are a portion. Clarke reckons the rest stayed to guard the families.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh,.... Who were settled on the other side Jordan, in the countries taken from Sihon and Og: passed over armed before the children of Israel; the rest of the tribes: as Moses spake unto them; or ordered them, and as they promised they would, Num 32:17.
And Joshua had lately reminded them of their promise, ch. i. It was fit that those who had the first settlement should be the first in the encounter of difficulties, the rather because they had not the incumbrance of families with them as the other tribes had, and they were all chose men, and fit for service, ready armed.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
And it was when all the people had finished crossing and the Ark crossed. The Ark did not cross as the others did, but in the manner explained below: 3 Verse.
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. 6 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
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַ֠יַּעַבְרוּ | vaiyaavru | and they passed over | H5674 → | 556 times |
| בְּנֵי־ | benei- | [the] descendants of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| רְאוּבֵ֨ן | reuven | Reuben | H7205 → | 72 times |
| וּבְנֵי־ | uvenei- | and [the] descendants of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| גָ֜ד | gad | Gad | H1410 → | 72 times |
| וַחֲצִ֨י | vachatzi | and [the] half of | H2677 → | 125 times |
| שֵׁ֤בֶט | shevet | [the] tribe of | H7626 → | 190 times |
| הַֽמְנַשֶּׁה֙ | hamnasheh | <the> Manasseh | H4519 → | 146 times |
| חֲמֻשִׁ֔ים | chamushim | arrayed for battle | H2571 → | |
| לִפְנֵ֖י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר | kaasher | just as | H834 → | 5497 times |
| דִּבֶּ֥ר | diber | he had spoken | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֲלֵיהֶ֖ם | ʾaleihem | to them | H413 → | 5510 times |
| מֹשֶֽׁה׃ | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
וַ֠יַּעַבְרוּand they passed over
vaiyaavruH5674 →556 times
בְּנֵי־[the] descendants of
benei-H1121 →4930 times
רְאוּבֵ֨ןReuben
reuvenH7205 →72 times
וּבְנֵי־and [the] descendants of
uvenei-H1121 →4930 times
גָ֜דGad
gadH1410 →72 times
וַחֲצִ֨יand [the] half of
vachatziH2677 →125 times
שֵׁ֤בֶט[the] tribe of
shevetH7626 →190 times
הַֽמְנַשֶּׁה֙<the> Manasseh
hamnashehH4519 →146 times
חֲמֻשִׁ֔יםarrayed for battle
chamushimH2571 →
לִפְנֵ֖י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
בְּנֵ֣י[the] people of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
כַּאֲשֶׁ֛רjust as
kaasherH834 →5497 times
דִּבֶּ֥רhe had spoken
diberH1696 →1141 times
אֲלֵיהֶ֖םto them
ʾaleihemH413 →5510 times
מֹשֶֽׁה׃Moses
moshehH4872 →765 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
3 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 1:14Your wives, your young children, and your livestock may remain in the land that Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But all your mighty men of valor must be armed for…
it leads to
- Exodus 13:18
So God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the Israelites left the land of Egypt arrayed for battle.
- Deuteronomy 20:8
Then the officers shall speak further to the army, saying, “Is any man afraid or fainthearted? Let him return home, so that the hearts of his brothers will not melt like his own.”
- Revelation 17:4
The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls. She held in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual…
- Exodus 13:18
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Joshua
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.