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Wednesday, July 9th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Read the Bible

Brenton's Septuagint

Joshua 4:4

And Joshua having called twelve men of distinction among the children of Israel, one of each tribe,

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Instruction;   Pillar;   Stones;   Token;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Jordan, the River;  

Dictionaries:

- Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - God;   Jericho;   Joshua;   Quarry;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Jordan ;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Conquest of Canaan;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Galeed;   Joshua (2);   Joshua, Book of;   Sign;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So Joshua summoned the twelve men he had selected from the Israelites, one man for each tribe,
Hebrew Names Version
Then Yehoshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Yisra'el, out of every tribe a man:
King James Version
Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man:
Lexham English Bible
So Joshua summoned the twelve men whom he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe.
English Standard Version
Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe.
New Century Version
So Joshua chose one man from each tribe. Then he called the twelve men together
New English Translation
Joshua summoned the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one per tribe.
Amplified Bible
Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the sons of Israel, one man from each tribe;
New American Standard Bible
So Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the sons of Israel, one man from each tribe;
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Ioshua called the twelue men, whome he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of euery tribe a man,
Legacy Standard Bible
So Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the sons of Israel, one man from each tribe;
Contemporary English Version
Joshua chose twelve men; he called them together,
Complete Jewish Bible
Y'hoshua called the twelve men whom he had chosen from the people of Isra'el, a man from every tribe,
Darby Translation
And Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had appointed of the children of Israel, a man out of every tribe;
Easy-to-Read Version
So Joshua chose one man from each tribe. Then he called the twelve men together.
George Lamsa Translation
Then Joshua called the twelve men who were selected from the children of Israel, out of each tribe a man;
Good News Translation
Then Joshua called the twelve men he had chosen,
Literal Translation
And Joshua called to the twelve men whom he had readied from the sons of Israel, one man out of each tribe.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The Iosua called twolue me which were prepared of the children of Israel, out of euery trybe one,
American Standard Version
Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man:
Bible in Basic English
So Joshua sent for the twelve men, whom he had ready, one man out of every tribe of the children of Israel,
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then Iosuah called the twelue men, which he had prepared of the chyldren of Israel, out of euery tribe a man.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man;
King James Version (1611)
Then Ioshua called the twelue men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of euery tribe a man:
English Revised Version
Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man:
Berean Standard Bible
So Joshua summoned the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Josue clepide twelue men, whiche he hadde chose of the sones of Israel, of ech lynage o man;
Young's Literal Translation
And Joshua calleth unto the twelve men whom he prepared out of the sons of Israel, one man -- one man out of a tribe;
Update Bible Version
Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the sons of Israel, out of every tribe a man:
Webster's Bible Translation
Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, of every tribe a man:
World English Bible
Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man:
New King James Version
Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe;
New Living Translation
So Joshua called together the twelve men he had chosen—one from each of the tribes of Israel.
New Life Bible
So Joshua called the twelve men he had chosen from the sons of Israel, one man from each family.
New Revised Standard
Then Joshua summoned the twelve men from the Israelites, whom he had appointed, one from each tribe.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So Joshua called unto the twelve men whom he had made ready, from among the sons of Israel, - one man severally out of each tribe;
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Josue called twelve men, whom he had chosen out of the children of Israel, one out of every tribe,
Revised Standard Version
Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe;
THE MESSAGE
Joshua called out the twelve men whom he selected from the People of Israel, one man from each tribe. Joshua directed them, "Cross to the middle of the Jordan and take your place in front of the Chest of God , your God. Each of you heft a stone to your shoulder, a stone for each of the tribes of the People of Israel, so you'll have something later to mark the occasion. When your children ask you, ‘What are these stones to you?' you'll say, ‘The flow of the Jordan was stopped in front of the Chest of the Covenant of God as it crossed the Jordan—stopped in its tracks. These stones are a permanent memorial for the People of Israel.'"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
So Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the sons of Israel, one man from each tribe;

Contextual Overview

1 And when the people had completely passed over Jordan, the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying, 2 Take men from the people, one of each tribe, 3 and charge them; and ye shall take out of the midst of Jordan twelve fit stones, and having carried them across together with yourselves, place them in your camp, where ye shall encamp for the night. 4 And Joshua having called twelve men of distinction among the children of Israel, one of each tribe, 5 said to them, Advance before me in the presence of the Lord into the midst of Jordan, and each having taken up a stone from thence, let him carry it on his shoulders, according to the number of the twelve tribes of Israel: 6 that these may be to you continually for an appointed sign, that when thy son asks thee in future, saying, What are these stones to us? 7 then thou mayest explain to thy son, saying, The river Jordan was dried up from before the ark of the covenant of the Lord of the whole earth, when it passed it: and these stones shall be for a memorial for you for the children of Israel for ever. 8 And the children of Israel did so, as the Lord commanded Joshua; and they took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, (as the Lord commanded Joshua, when the children of Israel had completely passed over,)and carried these stones with them into the camp, and laid them down there. 9 And Joshua set also other twelve stones in Jordan itself, in the place that was under the feet of the priests that bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord; and there they are to this day.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

prepared: Joshua 4:2, Mark 3:14-19

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 18:31 - twelve stones

Cross-References

Genesis 4:16
So Cain went forth from the presence of God and dwelt in the land of Nod over against Edem.
Genesis 4:17
And Cain knew his wife, and having conceived she bore Enoch; and he built a city; and he named the city after the name of his son, Enoch.
Genesis 4:19
And Lamech took to himself two wives; the name of the one was Ada, and the name of the second Sella.
Genesis 4:20
And Ada bore Jobel; he was the father of those that dwell in tents, feeding cattle.
Genesis 15:17
And when the sun was about to set, there was a flame, and behold a smoking furnace and lamps of fire, which passed between these divided pieces.
Exodus 13:12
that thou shalt set apart every offspring opening the womb, the males to the Lord, every one that opens the womb out of the herds or among thy cattle, as many as thou shalt have: thou shalt sanctify the males to the Lord.
Leviticus 9:24
And fire came forth from the Lord, and devoured the offerings on the altar, both the whole-burnt-offerings and the fat; and all the people saw, and were amazed, and fell upon their faces.
Numbers 16:35
And fire went forth from the Lord, and devoured the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.
Numbers 18:12
Every first-offering of oil, and every first-offering of wine, their first-fruits of corn, whatsoever they may give to the Lord, to thee have I given them.
Numbers 18:17
But thou shalt not redeem the first-born of calves and the first-born of sheep and the first-born of goats; they are holy: and thou shalt pour their blood upon the altar, and thou shalt offer the fat as a burnt-offering for a smell of sweet savour to the Lord.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had prepared of the children of Israel,.... It may be for some other purpose, Joshua 3:12; but this was the destination of them eventually, and as by divine direction:

out of every tribe a man: as he had before ordered, and was now directed to.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Joshua 4:4. Twelve men, whom he had prepared — This must refer to their appointment, Joshua 3:12.


 
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