The Meaning of Joshua 23:11 Explained

Joshua 23:11

KJV: Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the LORD your God.

YLT: and ye have been very watchful for yourselves to love Jehovah your God.

Darby: Take great heed therefore unto your souls, that ye love Jehovah your God.

ASV: Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love Jehovah your God.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Take good  heed  therefore unto yourselves,  that ye love  the LORD  your God. 

What does Joshua 23:11 Mean?

Context Summary

Joshua 23:1-16 - Joshua's Farewell Address
Joshua's anxiety for the welfare of his people after his death has New Testament parallels. See Acts 20:29; 2 Peter 1:13-15; and especially John 13:1-38; John 14:1-31; John 15:1-27. As always, he lays stress on what the Lord had done, Joshua 23:3; Joshua 23:5; Joshua 23:9. Not one ray of glory is stolen for himself.
He argues for their steadfastness on three grounds: There are the promises of Joshua 23:5; the threatenings of Joshua 23:11-13; the exhortations of Joshua 23:14-16. Our failure to drive out the foes of our heart is due to our failure to follow the Lord. A lack of whole-hearted surrender lies at the root of all failure. Cleaving to the Lord is the Old Testament way of saying "abide in Christ," John 15:1-27.
In contrast to man's inconstancy and infidelity, notice the sublime testimony to God's faithfulness. "Not one thing hath failed," Joshua 23:14. When at last we review our life, we, too, shall be able to say as much, if only by His grace we are kept faithful and obedient. We cannot keep the old Covenant, but the new stands forever, Jeremiah 31:31. [source]

Chapter Summary: Joshua 23

1  Joshua's exhortation before his death
3  by former benefits
5  by promises
11  and by threatenings

What do the individual words in Joshua 23:11 mean?

Therefore take heed careful to yourselves that you love - Yahweh your God
וְנִשְׁמַרְתֶּ֥ם מְאֹ֖ד לְנַפְשֹֽׁתֵיכֶ֑ם לְאַהֲבָ֖ה אֶת־ יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם

וְנִשְׁמַרְתֶּ֥ם  Therefore  take  heed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
מְאֹ֖ד  careful 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מְאֹד  
Sense: exceedingly, much subst.
לְנַפְשֹֽׁתֵיכֶ֑ם  to  yourselves 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
לְאַהֲבָ֖ה  that  you  love 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person feminine singular
Root: אָהַב  
Sense: to love.
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.
יְהוָ֥ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).