A commentary of M. John Calvin, upon the book of Joshua finished a little…A commentarie of M. Iohn Caluine, vpon the booke of Iosue finished a little…

8 Then the children of Israel did even so, as Joshua had commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the middest of Jordan, as the Lord had said unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them away with them unto the lodging, and laid them down there.

8 Then the children of Israel did euen so, as Ioshua had commanded, and tooke vp twelue stones out of the middest of Iordan, as the Lorde had said vnto Ioshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them away with them vnto the lodging, and layed them downe there.

9 And Joshua set up twelve stones in the middest of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the Priests, which bare the Ark of the covenant, stood, & there have they continued unto this day.

9 And Ioshua set vp twelue stones in the middest of Iordan, in the place where the feete of the Priestes, which bare the Arke of the couenant, stood, & there haue they continued vnto this day.

1 And it came to pass after, &c.) That which he had briefly and darkly touched before concerning the twelve men, now he ⟨image 22⟩setteth it forth more at large and plainly. He had said, that they were chosen out of every tribe: but breaking off that speech, he declared not for what end they were chosen. Now he saith, that by the commandment of Joshua, they took up twelve stones, and set them up in Gilgal, that they might be a notable monument unto the posterity. And for so much as he rehearseth what was done after the people were passed over, that which is interlaced, must be translated by the Preterpluperfect tense. As for the Conjunction copulative, it is easy to consider, that it may be taken for a Causal or Illative. The sum is thus much, that before the Priests removed one foot cut of the middest of the river, where they stood, that the stones were taken from their feet, and placed in Gilgal, that they might be perpetual witnesses of the miracle: and so Joshua did faithfully perform that he was commanded by God. Wherefore Joshua calleth the men, whom he had chosen out before, but not without the commandment of God, that the testimony might be of greater authority. For if Joshua had set up such a trophy, of his own mind, his godliness in deed might well have been praised: but the instruction perhaps would have ben little set by, as erected only by the will of man. But now, when God himself doeth set up a monument, it is by no means tolerable to pass it over negligently. Wherefore it was a monument worthy to be diligently considered, when he bringeth in their children demanding of them, What these stones meant?