Now then, take for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man for 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.
- BSB Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe.
- NKJV Now therefore, take for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from every 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“Take twelve men out of the people, a man out of every tribe,
- Josh 4:9Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to this day.
- Josh 4:4Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, a man out of every tribe.
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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.