The Meaning of Joshua 9:23 Explained

Joshua 9:23

KJV: Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall none of you be freed from being bondmen, and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.

YLT: and now, cursed are ye, and none of you is cut off from being a servant, even hewers of wood and drawers of water, for the house of my God.'

Darby: And now ye are cursed, and ye shall never cease to be bondmen, and hewers of wood, and drawers of water for the house of my God.

ASV: Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall never fail to be of you bondmen, both hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Now therefore ye [are] cursed,  and there shall none of you be freed  from being bondmen,  and hewers  of wood  and drawers  of water  for the house  of my God. 

What does Joshua 9:23 Mean?

Context Summary

Joshua 9:16-27 - "hewers Of Wood And Drawers Of Water"
The faith of these people was so far rewarded that, while their deception was punished by their reduction to the most menial tasks, yet their lives were spared; and, to a certain degree, they were incorporated with Israel and associated with the service of God's house. This position made them as unlikely as possible to seduce Israel from loyalty to Jehovah.
The Gibeonites were afterward known as Nethinim-that is, given. See 1 Chronicles 9:2; Ezra 2:43; Ezra 8:20. If in the earlier part of your life you have made some great mistake which threatens to limit your influence for good, do not sit down in despair, but get service out of it. Let it hew your wood and draw your water! [source]

Chapter Summary: Joshua 9

1  The kings combine against Israel
3  The Gibeonites by craft obtain a league
22  They are condemned to perpetual bondage

What do the individual words in Joshua 9:23 mean?

Now therefore [are] cursed you and none shall be freed of you from being slaves and woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God
וְעַתָּ֖ה אֲרוּרִ֣ים אַתֶּ֑ם וְלֹֽא־ יִכָּרֵ֨ת מִכֶּ֜ם עֶ֗בֶד וְחֹטְבֵ֥י עֵצִ֛ים וְשֹֽׁאֲבֵי־ מַ֖יִם לְבֵ֥ית אֱלֹהָֽי

וְעַתָּ֖ה  Now  therefore 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
אֲרוּרִ֣ים  [are]  cursed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine plural
Root: אָרַר  
Sense: to curse.
וְלֹֽא־  and  none 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יִכָּרֵ֨ת  shall  be  freed 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
מִכֶּ֜ם  of  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
עֶ֗בֶד  from  being  slaves 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
עֵצִ֛ים  woodcutters 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
מַ֖יִם  water  carriers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
לְבֵ֥ית  for  the  house 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
אֱלֹהָֽי  of  my  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).

What are the major concepts related to Joshua 9:23?

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