The Meaning of Joshua 9:9 Explained

Joshua 9:9

KJV: And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the LORD thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt,

YLT: And they say unto him, 'From a land very far off have thy servants come, for the name of Jehovah thy God, for we have heard His fame, and all that He hath done in Egypt,

Darby: And they said to him, From a very far country are thy servants come, because of the name of Jehovah thy God; for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt,

ASV: And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of Jehovah thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And they said  unto him, From a very  far  country  thy servants  are come  because of the name  of the LORD  thy God:  for we have heard  the fame  of him, and all that he did  in Egypt, 

What does Joshua 9:9 Mean?

Context Summary

Joshua 9:1-15 - Deceived By The Gibeonites
The presence of common peril forced the nations of Canaan to combine for self-preservation. Would that the various sections of the visible Church might see their way to a similar policy in view of the evil in the world!
Gibeon lay five miles north of Jerusalem. The name means "built on a hill." The Church has suffered more from the wiles of the devil than from his attacks. The deceitfulness of sin is most to be dreaded. Better to meet Caiaphas than Judas, and a black devil than a white one.
How often we act without asking the counsel of God! Yet when once an oath is taken which does not absolutely conflict with morality, God holds us to it, 2 Samuel 21:1. By this impressive instance we are taught to wait on God before making our decisions, which are apt to become irrevocable, Psalms 127:2. [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 9:9 mean?

So they said to him from a country far very have come your servants because of the fame of Yahweh your God for we have heard of His fame and all that He did in Egypt
וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלָ֗יו מֵאֶ֨רֶץ רְחוֹקָ֤ה מְאֹד֙ בָּ֣אוּ עֲבָדֶ֔יךָ לְשֵׁ֖ם יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ כִּֽי־ שָׁמַ֣עְנוּ שָׁמְע֔וֹ וְאֵ֛ת כָּל־ אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָׂ֖ה בְּמִצְרָֽיִם

וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ  So  they  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵלָ֗יו  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
מֵאֶ֨רֶץ  from  a  country 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
רְחוֹקָ֤ה  far 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רָחֹוק  
Sense: remote, far, distant, distant lands, distant ones.
מְאֹד֙  very 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מְאֹד  
Sense: exceedingly, much subst.
בָּ֣אוּ  have  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
עֲבָדֶ֔יךָ  your  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
לְשֵׁ֖ם  because  of  the  fame 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
יְהוָ֣ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
שָׁמַ֣עְנוּ  we  have  heard 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
שָׁמְע֔וֹ  of  His  fame 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שֹׁמַע  
Sense: report, rumour, news, fame.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
עָשָׂ֖ה  He  did 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
בְּמִצְרָֽיִם  in  Egypt 
Parse: 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”.