Joshua 4:4 kjv
Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man:
Joshua 4:4 nkjv
Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe;
Joshua 4:4 niv
So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe,
Joshua 4:4 esv
Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe.
Joshua 4:4 nlt
So Joshua called together the twelve men he had chosen ? one from each of the tribes of Israel.
Joshua 4 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jos 3:12 | "Now therefore, take for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe." | Previous command for the 12 men. |
| Jos 4:2-3 | "Take from the people twelve men, one man from each tribe...and command them..." | Direct divine instruction to Joshua. |
| Jos 4:5-7 | "Go before the ark of the LORD your God... for a sign among you." | Explains the purpose of the memorial. |
| Jos 4:20-22 | "And those twelve stones... Joshua set up in Gilgal..." | Fulfillment of the memorial act. |
| Ex 12:26-27 | "When your children say to you, 'What do you mean by this service?'" | Passover as a commemorative instruction. |
| Deut 6:6-7 | "These words... teach them diligently to your children..." | Command to remember and instruct future generations. |
| Ps 78:4 | "We will not conceal them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD." | Duty to declare God's deeds. |
| Ex 24:4 | "Moses built an altar... and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel." | Pillars representing tribes in covenant context. |
| Gen 35:22 | "Jacob had twelve sons..." | Origin of the twelve tribes of Israel. |
| Num 1:4 | "A man from each tribe, head of his father's house, shall be with you." | Appointing leaders by tribal representation. |
| Num 13:2 | "Send men to spy out the land... one man from each ancestral tribe shall you send..." | 12 spies for each tribe, similar selection method. |
| 1 Ki 18:31 | "Elijah took twelve stones... according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob..." | Altar signifying the unity of the whole nation. |
| Ez 48:30-34 | "And these are the exits of the city... with twelve gates..." | Significance of twelve for New Jerusalem gates. |
| Matt 10:1-4 | "He called to Him His twelve disciples and gave them authority..." | Jesus' appointment of twelve representatives. |
| Rev 21:12-14 | "It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates... and on them were the names of the twelve tribes... and the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb." | Twelve apostles/tribes as foundations of the new city. |
| 1 Cor 10:1-2 | "All passed through the sea and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea." | The Red Sea crossing as a historical parallel/type. |
| Heb 11:29 | "By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land..." | Recalling past miraculous crossings. |
| 1 Cor 1:10 | "That you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." | Emphasis on unity of tribes/body of Christ. |
| Judg 20:2 | "And all the chief men of all the tribes of Israel presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God." | Representatives of tribes gathering for decision. |
| Prov 29:18 | "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keeps the law, happy is he." | Joshua's leadership in casting God's vision. |
| Deut 31:7-8 | "Be strong and courageous... the LORD your God goes with you..." | God's presence validating Joshua's leadership. |
| Eph 2:20 | "Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the chief cornerstone." | Parallel of foundational representatives for God's building. |
Joshua 4 verses
Joshua 4 4 Meaning
The verse describes Joshua's immediate action in obedience to the LORD's command, calling forth the designated twelve men, one from each tribe of Israel. These men had been previously chosen to retrieve stones from the midst of the Jordan River to establish a lasting memorial of God's miraculous intervention, serving as a witness to His power and faithfulness for all generations.
Joshua 4 4 Context
Joshua 4 details the Israelites' passage through the Jordan River on dry ground and the subsequent establishment of a memorial to commemorate this miraculous event. Following the divine command in verses 1-3, where the LORD instructs Joshua about the specific men to select and their task, verse 4 describes Joshua's immediate and obedient action in summoning these appointed representatives. These twelve men were to each take a stone from the midst of the Jordan where the priests stood with the Ark, bringing them to the first encampment in the land (Gilgal) to serve as a perpetual sign for future generations of God's mighty hand leading them into the Promised Land. This historical practice of creating memorials served a didactic purpose, ensuring that the covenant narrative and God's faithfulness were continually passed down.
Joshua 4 4 Word analysis
- "So Joshua": Highlights the continuity and Joshua's active role in executing the divine instructions. It signifies prompt obedience following the Lord's command.
- "called": (Hebrew: qara' - קרא). This term implies an official summoning, a deliberate assembly for an important, designated purpose. It underscores Joshua's authority as the leader chosen by God.
- "the twelve men": Refers to the specific number pre-ordained by God for this significant act. The number "twelve" is deeply symbolic in Israel, representing the completeness and unity of the entire nation, rooted in the twelve sons of Jacob.
- "whom he had appointed": (Hebrew: manah - מנה). Denotes that these individuals were not randomly chosen but specifically designated or commissioned for this task. This emphasizes the divine selection through Joshua, as per the command in Josh 3:12.
- "from the people of Israel": (Hebrew: b'nei Yisrael - בני ישראל, "sons of Israel"). Stresses that these representatives were drawn from the entire community, signifying that the act of remembrance was a national undertaking and relevant to every member of the covenant people.
- "one man from each tribe": This precise selection method underscores the principle of tribal representation and impartiality. It ensures that the memorial genuinely represents the experience and inheritance of the entire Israelite confederation, fostering unity and shared ownership of God's miraculous deed.
- "So Joshua called the twelve men": This phrase directly links Joshua's obedient action to the preceding divine directive, demonstrating his role as a faithful mediator and leader. His summons immediately puts God's plan into motion through human agents.
- "whom he had appointed from the people of Israel, one man from each tribe": This clause precisely details the qualifications and purpose of the chosen men. It reiterates that the act of creating the memorial was designed by God to involve and represent every segment of His chosen people, ensuring collective witness and responsibility for passing on the truth.
Joshua 4 4 Bonus section
The precise instruction for "one man from each tribe" for a significant task recurs throughout Israel's history (e.g., sending the spies in Num 13). This recurring pattern highlights the importance of collective responsibility and representation in the unfolding of God's redemptive plan. The emphasis on these chosen men underscores the idea that every tribe has a stake and a memory to carry forward, strengthening the bonds of nationhood under God. This detail also implicitly counters any future attempts by one tribe to claim sole significance or superiority over the others, as God equally honored and involved them all.
Joshua 4 4 Commentary
Joshua 4:4 captures a crucial moment of transition, where God's instructions meet human obedience. Joshua, as the divinely appointed leader, promptly and precisely carries out the command to gather the twelve representatives. The meticulous selection of "one man from each tribe" is vital; it highlights God's design for unity and comprehensive national involvement in recognizing His power. The forthcoming memorial stones would serve as a perpetual object lesson, grounding the nation's identity not in their own strength, but in God's faithful and miraculous interventions, thereby ensuring that the profound lessons of the Jordan crossing were etched into the collective memory of every future generation. This act lays the groundwork for Israel's remembrance and proclamation of God's deeds.