The Meaning of Joshua 24:19 Explained

Joshua 24:19

KJV: And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.

YLT: And Joshua saith unto the people, 'Ye are not able to serve Jehovah, for a God most holy He is; a zealous God He is; He doth not bear with your transgression and with your sins.

Darby: And Joshua said to the people, Ye cannot serve Jehovah, for he is a holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.

ASV: And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve Jehovah; for he is a holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgression nor your sins.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Joshua  said  unto the people,  Ye cannot  serve  the LORD:  for he [is] an holy  God;  he [is] a jealous  God;  he will not forgive  your transgressions  nor your sins. 

What does Joshua 24:19 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.
[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 24:19 mean?

But said Joshua to the people cannot You serve - Yahweh for a God holy He [is] a God jealous He [is] not He will forgive your transgressions nor your sins
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוֹשֻׁ֜עַ אֶל־ הָעָ֗ם לֹ֤א תֽוּכְלוּ֙ לַעֲבֹ֣ד אֶת־ יְהוָ֔ה כִּֽי־ אֱלֹהִ֥ים קְדֹשִׁ֖ים ה֑וּא אֵֽל־ קַנּ֣וֹא ה֔וּא לֹֽא־ יִשָּׂ֥א לְפִשְׁעֲכֶ֖ם וּלְחַטֹּאותֵיכֶֽם

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר  But  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוֹשֻׁ֜עַ  Joshua 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹושֻׁעַ  
Sense: son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim and successor to Moses as the leader of the children of Israel; led the conquest of Canaan.
הָעָ֗ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
לֹ֤א  cannot 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
לַעֲבֹ֣ד  serve 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: עָבַד  
Sense: to work, serve.
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.
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהִ֥ים  a  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
קְדֹשִׁ֖ים  holy 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: קָדֹושׁ  
Sense: sacred, holy, Holy One, saint, set apart.
ה֑וּא  He  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
אֵֽל־  a  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֵל 
Sense: god, god-like one, mighty one.
קַנּ֣וֹא  jealous 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: קַנּׄוא  
Sense: jealous.
ה֔וּא  He  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
יִשָּׂ֥א  He  will  forgive 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
לְפִשְׁעֲכֶ֖ם  your  transgressions 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: פֶּשַׁע  
Sense: transgression, rebellion.
וּלְחַטֹּאותֵיכֶֽם  nor  your  sins 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, feminine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: חַטָּאָה 
Sense: sin, sinful.