The Meaning of Joshua 24:18 Explained

Joshua 24:18

KJV: And the LORD drave out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land: therefore will we also serve the LORD; for he is our God.

YLT: and Jehovah casteth out the whole of the peoples, even the Amorite inhabiting the land, from our presence; we also do serve Jehovah, for He is our God.'

Darby: And Jehovah drove out from before us all the peoples, and the Amorites the inhabitants of the land: so therefore we will serve Jehovah, for he is our God.

ASV: and Jehovah drove out from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites that dwelt in the land: therefore we also will serve Jehovah; for he is our God.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the LORD  drave out  from before  us all the people,  even the Amorites  which dwelt  in the land:  [therefore] will we also serve  the LORD;  for he [is] our God. 

What does Joshua 24:18 Mean?

Context Summary

Joshua 24:16-33 - Joshua's Last Service To His People
Joshua did well to discourage their proud vauntings, and to show that the people could not in their own might realize God's ideal, Psalms 105:4. The book of Judges is a bitter commentary on these lofty words.
What the stone of witness was to Israel, the ordinances of the Lord's Supper and Baptism are to the Church and to the world. The walls of our private chambers have listened to our prayers and tears. God help us to be true to them!
Joshua and the elders, while they lived, were a steadying influence to Israel. Such was the influence of the Apostles on the early Church. Let us learn the value of character. Compare Joshua 24:32 with Genesis 50:25 and Exodus 13:19. Take heart! The fulfillment of God's promise may tarry, but His word is sure as the morning light, Hosea 6:1-4.
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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 24:18 mean?

And drove out Yahweh - all the people and including the Amorites who dwelt in the land From before us also we will serve Yahweh for He [is] our God -
וַיְגָ֨רֶשׁ יְהוָ֜ה אֶת־ כָּל־ הָעַמִּ֗ים וְאֶת־ הָאֱמֹרִ֛י יֹשֵׁ֥ב הָאָ֖רֶץ מִפָּנֵ֑ינוּ גַּם־ אֲנַ֙חְנוּ֙ נַעֲבֹ֣ד יְהוָ֔ה כִּי־ ה֖וּא אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ ס

וַיְגָ֨רֶשׁ  And  drove  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: גָּרַשׁ 
Sense: to drive out, expel, cast out, drive away, divorce, put away, thrust away, trouble, cast up.
יְהוָ֜ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
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.
הָעַמִּ֗ים  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
וְאֶת־  and  including 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הָאֱמֹרִ֛י  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.
יֹשֵׁ֥ב  who  dwelt 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
הָאָ֖רֶץ  in  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
מִפָּנֵ֑ינוּ  From  before  us 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
גַּם־  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
נַעֲבֹ֣ד  will  serve 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common plural
Root: עָבַד  
Sense: to work, serve.
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
ה֖וּא  He  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ  our  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation