The Meaning of Joshua 23:5 Explained

Joshua 23:5

KJV: And the LORD your God, he shall expel them from before you, and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess their land, as the LORD your God hath promised unto you.

YLT: 'As to Jehovah your God, He doth thrust them from your presence, and hath dispossessed them from before you, and ye have possessed their land, as Jehovah your God hath spoken to you,

Darby: And Jehovah your God, he will expel them from before you, and dispossess them from out of your sight; and ye shall take possession of their land, as Jehovah your God hath said unto you.

ASV: And Jehovah your God, he will thrust them out from before you, and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess their land, as Jehovah your God spake unto you.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the LORD  your God,  he shall expel  them from before  you, and drive  them from out of your sight;  and ye shall possess  their land,  as the LORD  your God  hath promised  unto you. 

What does Joshua 23:5 Mean?

Context Summary

Joshua 23:1-16 - Joshua's Farewell Address
Joshua's anxiety for the welfare of his people after his death has New Testament parallels. See Acts 20:29; 2 Peter 1:13-15; and especially John 13:1-38; John 14:1-31; John 15:1-27. As always, he lays stress on what the Lord had done, Joshua 23:3; Joshua 23:5; Joshua 23:9. Not one ray of glory is stolen for himself.
He argues for their steadfastness on three grounds: There are the promises of Joshua 23:5; the threatenings of Joshua 23:11-13; the exhortations of Joshua 23:14-16. Our failure to drive out the foes of our heart is due to our failure to follow the Lord. A lack of whole-hearted surrender lies at the root of all failure. Cleaving to the Lord is the Old Testament way of saying "abide in Christ," John 15:1-27.
In contrast to man's inconstancy and infidelity, notice the sublime testimony to God's faithfulness. "Not one thing hath failed," Joshua 23:14. When at last we review our life, we, too, shall be able to say as much, if only by His grace we are kept faithful and obedient. We cannot keep the old Covenant, but the new stands forever, Jeremiah 31:31. [source]

Chapter Summary: Joshua 23

1  Joshua's exhortation before his death
3  by former benefits
5  by promises
11  and by threatenings

What do the individual words in Joshua 23:5 mean?

And Yahweh your God He will expel them from before you and drive them out of your sight so you shall possess - their land as promised Yahweh your God you
וַיהוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֗ם ה֚וּא יֶהְדֳּפֵ֣ם מִפְּנֵיכֶ֔ם וְהוֹרִ֥ישׁ אֹתָ֖ם מִלִּפְנֵיכֶ֑ם וִֽירִשְׁתֶּם֙ אֶת־ אַרְצָ֔ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבֶּ֛ר יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֖ם לָכֶֽם

וַיהוָ֣ה  And  Yahweh 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֗ם  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
יֶהְדֳּפֵ֣ם  will  expel  them 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: הָדַף  
Sense: to thrust, push, drive, cast away, cast out, expel, thrust away.
מִפְּנֵיכֶ֔ם  from  before  you 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
וְהוֹרִ֥ישׁ  and  drive 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָרַשׁ  
Sense: to seize, dispossess, take possession off, inherit, disinherit, occupy, impoverish, be an heir.
מִלִּפְנֵיכֶ֑ם  out  of  your  sight 
Parse: Preposition-m, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
וִֽירִשְׁתֶּם֙  so  you  shall  possess 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: יָרַשׁ  
Sense: to seize, dispossess, take possession off, inherit, disinherit, occupy, impoverish, be an heir.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אַרְצָ֔ם  their  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
דִּבֶּ֛ר  promised 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
יְהוָ֥ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֖ם  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).