Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe.
Parallel translations
- WEB Now therefore take 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.
- NKJV Now therefore, take for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from every tribe.
- NASB Now then, take for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man for each tribe.
- NLT Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Joshua tells Israel to choose twelve men, one from each tribe, for a coming task. The whole nation is to be represented in what God is about to do.
Overview
The selection of one man per tribe ensures that all Israel shares in the memorial that will follow the crossing (chapter 4). This emphasis on the twelve tribes underscores the unity and completeness of God's covenant people. The careful inclusion of every tribe reflects God's faithfulness to the whole nation descended from the patriarchs.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Josh 4:2“Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe,
- Josh 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.
- Josh 4:4So Joshua summoned the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe,
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Joshua — the same name as Jesus, 'the LORD saves' — leads God's people into their inheritance, a shadow of the greater Joshua who brings us into the true rest and the promised land that remains.
How Joshua 3:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.