The Meaning of Joshua 24:31 Explained

Joshua 24:31

KJV: And Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the LORD, that he had done for Israel.

YLT: And Israel serveth Jehovah all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who prolonged days after Joshua, and who knew all the work of Jehovah which He did to Israel.

Darby: And Israel served Jehovah all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders whose days were prolonged after Joshua, and who had known all the works of Jehovah, which he had done for Israel.

ASV: And Israel served Jehovah all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, and had known all the work of Jehovah, that he had wrought for Israel.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Israel  served  the LORD  all the days  of Joshua,  and all the days  of the elders  that overlived  Joshua,  and which had known  all the works  of the LORD,  that he had done  for Israel. 

What does Joshua 24:31 Mean?

Study Notes

overlived
prolonged their days after.

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 24:31 mean?

And served Israel - Yahweh all the days of Joshua and all of the elders who outlived the days after that Joshua and who had known - all the works of Yahweh which He had done for Israel
וַיַּעֲבֹ֤ד יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֶת־ יְהוָ֔ה כֹּ֖ל יְמֵ֣י יְהוֹשֻׁ֑עַ וְכֹ֣ל ׀ הַזְּקֵנִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר הֶאֱרִ֤יכוּ יָמִים֙ אַחֲרֵ֣י יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַ וַאֲשֶׁ֣ר יָדְע֗וּ אֵ֚ת כָּל־ מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יְהוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָׂ֖ה לְיִשְׂרָאֵֽל

וַיַּעֲבֹ֤ד  And  served 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָבַד  
Sense: to work, serve.
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
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.
יְמֵ֣י  the  days 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
יְהוֹשֻׁ֑עַ  of  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.
וְכֹ֣ל ׀  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הַזְּקֵנִ֗ים  of  the  elders 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: זָקֵן  
Sense: old.
הֶאֱרִ֤יכוּ  outlived 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: אָרַךְ 
Sense: to be long, prolong.
יָמִים֙  the  days 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
אַחֲרֵ֣י  after  that 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַ  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.
וַאֲשֶׁ֣ר  and  who 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יָדְע֗וּ  had  known 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
אֵ֚ת  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה  the  works 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מַעֲשֶׂה  
Sense: deed, work.
יְהוָ֔ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
עָשָׂ֖ה  He  had  done 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
לְיִשְׂרָאֵֽל  for  Israel 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.