Joshua 4:2

 

Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man,

 

a. NLT: “Now choose twelve men, one from each tribe.

 

b. NIV: “Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe,

 

c. YLT: 'Take for you out of the people twelve men, one man -- one man out of a tribe;

 

d. Amplified Bible Classic: Take twelve men from among the people, one man out of every tribe,

 

e. Septuagint: Take men from the people, one of each tribe,

 

f. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: “Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from each tribe;

 

1. “Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man,”

 

a. Take [Strong: 3947 * laqach law-kakh' a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of applications):--accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, X many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.]

 

b. twelve [Strong: 8147 * shnayim shen-ah'-yim dual of 8145; feminine shttayim {shet-tah'-yim}; two; also (as ordinal) twofold:--both, couple, double, second, twain, + twelfth, + twelve, + twenty (sixscore) thousand, twice, two.]

 

c. twelve [Strong: 6240 * `asar aw-sawr' for 6235; ten (only in combination), i.e. -teen; also (ordinal) -teenth:--(eigh-, fif-, four-, nine-, seven-, six-, thir-)teen(-th), + eleven(-th), + sixscore thousand, + twelve(-th).]

 

d. men [Strong: 582 * 'enowsh en-oshe' from 605; properly, a mortal (and thus differing from the more dignified 120); hence, a man in general (singly or collectively):--another, X (blood-)thirsty, certain, chap(-man); divers, fellow, X in the flower of their age, husband, (certain, mortal) man, people, person, servant, some ( X of them), + stranger, those, + their trade. It is often unexpressed in the English versions, especially when used in apposition with another word.]

 

e. out of the people [Strong: 5971 * `am am from 6004; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock:--folk, men, nation, people.]

 

f. out of every [Strong: 259 * 'echad ekh-awd' a numeral from 258; properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first:--a, alike, alone, altogether, and, any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-)ly, each (one), + eleven, every, few, first, + highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together,]

 

g. tribe [Strong: 7626 * shebet shay'-bet from an unused root probably meaning to branch off; a scion, i.e. (literally) a stick (for punishing, writing, fighting, ruling, walking, etc.) or (figuratively) a clan:--X correction, dart, rod, sceptre, staff, tribe.]

 

h. a man [Strong: 376 * 'iysh eesh contracted for 582 (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation):--also, another, any (man), a certain, + champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-)man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), + none, one, people, person, + steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy.]

 

1). The reason for picking out these 12 men is to accomplish a couple of tasks. They were to each gather one large rock out of the Jordan River bed and build a memorial. They were to also erect a memorial in the river at the exact spot where the priests holding the Ark stood enabling Israel to cross the river.

 

a). Joshua 4:3-9 And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night.

4:4 Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man:

4:5 And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of Jordan, and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:

4:6 That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?

4:7 Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.

4:8 And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the Lord spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.

4:9 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.

b). Joshua 4:20-24  And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.

4:21 And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones?

4:22 Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.

4:23 For the Lord your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over:

4:24 That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the Lord your God for ever.