And Joshua said unto them
The twelve men:
pass ye over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of
Jordan;
that is, they were to go back to Jordan again, which they had passed over, and go into the midst of it, where were the priests bearing the ark; for it is not to be imagined that the ark went along with them, or followed them, they going before it; but they went where that was, just before it, from whence they were to take the stones, as next directed:
and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder;
by which it appears they were large stones they were to take, not what they could carry in their hands, but what they were obliged to take upon their shoulders:
according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel;
who had that day passed over Jordan, of which these stones were to be a memorial.