The Meaning of Joshua 11:14 Explained

Joshua 11:14

KJV: And all the spoil of these cities, and the cattle, the children of Israel took for a prey unto themselves; but every man they smote with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them, neither left they any to breathe.

YLT: and all the spoil of these cities, and the cattle, have the sons of Israel spoiled for themselves; only, every human being they have smitten by the mouth of the sword, till their destroying them; they have not left any one breathing.

Darby: And all the spoil of these cities and the cattle the children of Israel took as prey to themselves; only, they smote all the men with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them: they left none that breathed.

ASV: And all the spoil of these cities, and the cattle, the children of Israel took for a prey unto themselves; but every man they smote with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them, neither left they any that breathed.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And all the spoil  of these cities,  and the cattle,  the children  of Israel  took for a prey  unto themselves; but every man  they smote  with the edge  of the sword,  until they had destroyed  them, neither left  they any to breathe. 

What does Joshua 11:14 Mean?

Context Summary

Joshua 11:1-15 - Joshua's Obedience To The Lord's Commands
The scene is removed to the waters of Merom, near the sources of the Jordan. Hazor was the capital of the region; Jabin, like Pharaoh, was an hereditary title, Judges 4:2. All the northern nations combined. Joshua's heart might well have failed, had it not been for the divine promise on the night before the battle, Joshua 11:6.
His attack under cover of night was like the falling of a thunderbolt. The effect was immediate. The huge host dissolved. The hocking of the horses disabled them, so that Israel was not tempted to trust in chariots and horses, Deuteronomy 17:16; Isaiah 31:1. God's will was literally carried out. But what a noble record is given of this simple-minded soldier! "He left nothing undone," Joshua 11:15. It is only as we literally obey that we can count on such success as his. See 2 Timothy 4:7. [source]

Chapter Summary: Joshua 11

1  Diverse kings overcome at the waters of Merom
10  Hazor is taken and burnt
16  All the country taken by Joshua
21  The Anakims cut off
23  The land rests from war

What do the individual words in Joshua 11:14 mean?

And all the spoil of cities these and the livestock took as booty for themselves the sons of Israel but - every man they struck with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed them [and] not they left any of the breathing
וְ֠כֹל שְׁלַ֞ל הֶעָרִ֤ים הָאֵ֙לֶּה֙ וְהַבְּהֵמָ֔ה בָּזְז֥וּ לָהֶ֖ם בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל רַ֣ק אֶֽת־ כָּל־ הָאָדָ֞ם הִכּ֣וּ לְפִי־ חֶ֗רֶב עַד־ הִשְׁמִדָם֙ אוֹתָ֔ם לֹ֥א הִשְׁאִ֖ירוּ כָּל־ נְשָׁמָֽה

וְ֠כֹל  And  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
שְׁלַ֞ל  the  spoil 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שָׁלָל  
Sense: prey, plunder, spoil, booty.
הֶעָרִ֤ים  of  cities 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
הָאֵ֙לֶּה֙  these 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵהֶל 
Sense: these.
וְהַבְּהֵמָ֔ה  and  the  livestock 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּהֵמָה  
Sense: beast, cattle, animal.
בָּזְז֥וּ  took  as  booty  for 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: בָּזַז  
Sense: to spoil, plunder, prey upon, seize.
לָהֶ֖ם  themselves 
Parse: Preposition-l, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
בְּנֵ֣י  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
אֶֽת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
כָּל־  every 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הָאָדָ֞ם  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
הִכּ֣וּ  they  struck 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
לְפִי־  with  the  edge 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
חֶ֗רֶב  of  the  sword 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
עַד־  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
הִשְׁמִדָם֙  they  had  destroyed 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַד  
Sense: to destroy, exterminate, be destroyed, be exterminated.
לֹ֥א  [and]  not 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
הִשְׁאִ֖ירוּ  they  left 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׁאַר  
Sense: to remain, be left over, be left behind.
כָּל־  any  of 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
נְשָׁמָֽה  the  breathing 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: נָפַשׁ  
Sense: (Niphal) to take breath, refresh oneself.