The Meaning of Joshua 24:14 Explained

Joshua 24:14

KJV: Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.

YLT: 'And now, fear ye Jehovah, and serve Him, in perfection and in truth, and turn aside the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, and in Egypt, and serve ye Jehovah;

Darby: And now fear Jehovah and serve him in perfectness and in truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the river, and in Egypt; and serve Jehovah.

ASV: Now therefore fear Jehovah, and serve him in sincerity and in truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, and in Egypt; and serve ye Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Now therefore fear  the LORD,  and serve  him in sincerity  and in truth:  and put away  the gods  which your fathers  served  on the other side  of the flood,  and in Egypt;  and serve  ye the LORD. 

What does Joshua 24:14 Mean?

Study Notes

fear
.
fear of the Lord
The "fear of the Lord," a phrase of the O.T. piety, meaning reverential trust, with hatred of evil.

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 24:14 mean?

Now therefore fear - Yahweh and serve Him in sincerity and in truth and put away the gods which served your fathers on the other side of the River and in Egypt Yahweh!
וְעַתָּ֞ה יְר֧אוּ אֶת־ יְהוָ֛ה וְעִבְד֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ בְּתָמִ֣ים וּבֶֽאֱמֶ֑ת וְהָסִ֣ירוּ אֱלֹהִ֗ים אֲשֶׁר֩ עָבְד֨וּ אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֜ם בְּעֵ֤בֶר הַנָּהָר֙ וּבְמִצְרַ֔יִם יְהוָֽה

וְעַתָּ֞ה  Now  therefore 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
יְר֧אוּ  fear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: יָרֵא 
Sense: to fear, revere, be afraid.
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.
יְהוָ֛ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וְעִבְד֥וּ  and  serve 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: עָבַד  
Sense: to work, serve.
בְּתָמִ֣ים  in  sincerity 
Parse: Preposition-b, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: תָּמִים  
Sense: complete, whole, entire, sound.
וּבֶֽאֱמֶ֑ת  and  in  truth 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֱמֶת  
Sense: firmness, faithfulness, truth.
וְהָסִ֣ירוּ  and  put  away 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: סוּר 
Sense: to turn aside, depart.
אֱלֹהִ֗ים  the  gods 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
עָבְד֨וּ  served 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָבַד  
Sense: to work, serve.
אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֜ם  your  fathers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
בְּעֵ֤בֶר  on  the  other  side 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֵבֶר  
Sense: region beyond or across, side.
הַנָּהָר֙  of  the  River 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָהָר  
Sense: stream, river.
וּבְמִצְרַ֔יִם  and  in  Egypt 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
יְהוָֽה  Yahweh! 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.