Joshua 3:12

12 Choose for yourselves twelve men of the sons of Israel, one of each tribe.

Joshua 3:12 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 3:12

Now therefore take ye twelve men
For what end and purpose is not mentioned. Abarbinel is of opinion, that they were chosen and appointed, that every man might pitch upon and take a place for his tribe to encamp in, when they came on the other side Jordan: whether this was Joshua's view or no is not certain; however, the use he made of these, thus provided by divine direction, is related ( Joshua 4:2-4 ) ;

and these were to be taken out of the tribes of Israel, out of every
tribe a man;
Levi not reckoned, having no part in the land; and so we find that tribe left out in other accounts, when there was a choice of twelve men out of each of the tribes, ( Numbers 13:4 ) ( 34:19 ) .

Joshua 3:12 In-Context

10 Hereby ye shall know that the living God among you, and will utterly destroy from before our face the Chananite, and the Chettite and Pherezite, and the Evite, and the Amorite, and the Gergesite, and the Jebusite.

11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passes over Jordan.

12 Choose for yourselves twelve men of the sons of Israel, one of each tribe.

13 And it shall come to pass, when the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord of the whole earth rest in the water of Jordan, the water of Jordan shall fail, and the water coming down from above shall stop.

14 And the people removed from their tents to cross over Jordan, and the priests bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord before the people.