The Meaning of Joshua 24:12 Explained

Joshua 24:12

KJV: And I sent the hornet before you, which drave them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.

YLT: And I send before you the hornet, and it casteth them out from your presence -- two kings of the Amorite -- not by thy sword, nor by thy bow.

Darby: And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out from before you, as the two kings of the Amorites; not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.

ASV: And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And I sent  the hornet  before  you, which drave them out  from before  you, [even] the two  kings  of the Amorites;  [but] not with thy sword,  nor with thy bow. 

What does Joshua 24:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Joshua 24:1-15 - The Lesson Of Israel's History
The previous chapter contains Joshua's own last words of warning to Israel; here he is God's mouthpiece: "Thus saith the Lord God of Israel."
There is, first, the recapitulation of past mercy. From time to time we should definitely recall, for our children's sake, the divine interpositions in our national and domestic life.
It is interesting in the opening words to learn that Abraham was called out of an idolatrous family. This was the pit whence he had been digged, Isaiah 51:1. He was a Gentile before he became a Jew; and was familiar with all the seductions of a lower religious type before he definitely stood for the only true God. It took long to eradicate this evil strain from Israel. During their sojourn in Egypt they had yielded to the fascinations of idolatry, Joshua 24:14. Joshua at least had made his choice! What a blessed thing for a family, when the parents make the avowal of Joshua 24:15. Why not from henceforth? [source]

Chapter Summary: Joshua 24

1  Joshua assembles the tribes at Shechem
2  A brief history of God's benefits from Terah
14  He renews the covenant between them and God
26  A stone the witness of the covenant
29  Joshua's age, death, and burial
32  Joseph's bones are buried
33  Eleazar dies

What do the individual words in Joshua 24:12 mean?

And I sent before you - the hornet and which drove them out - from before you two [also] the kings of the Amorites [but] not with your sword or with your bow
וָאֶשְׁלַ֤ח לִפְנֵיכֶם֙ אֶת־ הַצִּרְעָ֔ה וַתְּגָ֤רֶשׁ אוֹתָם֙ מִפְּנֵיכֶ֔ם שְׁנֵ֖י מַלְכֵ֣י הָאֱמֹרִ֑י לֹ֥א בְחַרְבְּךָ֖ וְלֹ֥א בְקַשְׁתֶּֽךָ

וָאֶשְׁלַ֤ח  And  I  sent 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
לִפְנֵיכֶם֙  before  you 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
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.
הַצִּרְעָ֔ה  the  hornet 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: צִרְעָה  
Sense: hornets.
וַתְּגָ֤רֶשׁ  and  which  drove  them  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: גָּרַשׁ 
Sense: to drive out, expel, cast out, drive away, divorce, put away, thrust away, trouble, cast up.
אוֹתָם֙  - 
Parse: Direct object marker, third person masculine plural
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
מִפְּנֵיכֶ֔ם  from  before  you 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
שְׁנֵ֖י  two 
Parse: Number, mdc
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
מַלְכֵ֣י  [also]  the  kings  of 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
הָאֱמֹרִ֑י  the  Amorites 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱמֹרִי  
Sense: one of the peoples of east Canaan and beyond the Jordan, dispossessed by the Israelite incursion from Egypt.
לֹ֥א  [but]  not 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
בְחַרְבְּךָ֖  with  your  sword 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
בְקַשְׁתֶּֽךָ  with  your  bow 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: קֶשֶׁת  
Sense: bow.

What are the major concepts related to Joshua 24:12?

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