Joshua 4:12-13 NLT,NIV,ESV

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Joshua 4:12-13

Joshua 4:12-13. The children of Reuben passed over armed As they had engaged to do, Numbers 32:20-27, and Joshua 1:13. About forty thousand prepared for war It is likely that Joshua drew out this number only of chosen men; and left all the rest to take care of their families and flocks. Passed over before the Lord Having passed over the river, they stood in battle array before the ark, at the distance, probably, of two thousand cubits; or, in the presence of the Lord, as the expression,... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Joshua 4:1-24

Crossing the Jordan River (3:1-5:1)Israel’s conquest of Jericho was more than just a military exercise. It had religious meaning. The Israelites were to cleanse themselves before God, because he was the one who would lead them against their enemies. His presence was symbolized in the ark of the covenant (GNB: covenant box), which the priests carried ahead of the procession in full view of the people (3:1-6).As God had worked through Moses, so he would work through Joshua. Just as the waters of... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Joshua 4:12

Reuben. Compare Numbers 32:27 . Compare Joshua 1:12 . armed = by fives. Compare Joshua 6:7 , Joshua 6:9 . These formed the van. read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Joshua 4:13

prepared for war = ready armed. read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Joshua 4:8-14

"And the children of Israel did so, as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, as Jehovah spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel; and they carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests that bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day. For the priests... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Joshua 4:12-13

Ver. 12, 13. And the children of Reuben, &c.— In conformity to their engagement, (Numbers 32:20; Num 21:27 and chap. Joshua 1:13.) these two tribes and a half supplied a body which passed over the Jordan, marching into the enemy's country at the head of all the people. This was evidently a chosen troop; for in the numbering, which had been made a year before, of the soldiers which each tribe could furnish, 43,730 were found in the single tribe of Reuben, 40,500 in that of Gad, and 26,350 in... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Joshua 4:12

12, 13. the children of Reuben . . . passed over armed before the children of Israel—There is no precedency to the other tribes indicated here; for there is no reason to suppose that the usual order of march was departed from; but these are honorably mentioned to show that, in pursuance of their promise (Joshua 1:16-18), they had sent a complement of fighting men to accompany their brethren in the war of invasion. read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Joshua 4:13

13. to the plains of Jericho—That part of the Arabah or Ghor, on the west, is about seven miles broad from the Jordan to the mountain entrance at Wady-Kelt. Though now desert, this valley was in ancient times richly covered with wood. An immense palm forest, seven miles long, surrounded Jericho. :-. GOD MAGNIFIES JOSHUA. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Joshua 4:1-14

Piling up stones was often a covenant ritual in the ancient Near East. [Note: G. Herbert Livingston, The Pentateuch in its Cultural Environment, p. 157.] It was a common method of preserving the memory of important events (cf. Genesis 8:20; Genesis 12:7; Genesis 35:7; et al.).There were apparently two piles of 12 stones each, one at Gilgal (Joshua 4:3-8; Joshua 4:20) and one in the Jordan River bed (Joshua 4:9). Some scholars believe there was only one pile of stones, which the NIV translation... read more