Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe.
We may well imagine how busy Joshua and all the men of war were while they were passing over Jordan, when besides their own marching into an enemy's country, and in the face of the enemy, which could not but occasion them many thoughts of hear, they had their wives, and children, and families, their cattle, and tents, and all their effects, bag and baggage...
Commenting on Joshua 4:1-9
Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had prepared of the children of Israel,.... It may be for some other purpose, Jos 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.
Joshua called the twelve men--They had probably, from a feeling of reverence, kept back, and were standing on the eastern bank. They were now ordered to advance. Picking up each a stone, probably as large as he could carry, from around the spot "where the priests stood," they pass over before the ark and deposit the stones in the place of next encampment (Jos 4:19-20), namely, Gilgal.