The Meaning of Joshua 24:6 Explained

Joshua 24:6

KJV: And I brought your fathers out of Egypt: and ye came unto the sea; and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and horsemen unto the Red sea.

YLT: And I bring out your fathers from Egypt, and ye go into the sea, and the Egyptians pursue after your fathers, with chariot and with horsemen, to the Red Sea;

Darby: And I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and ye came unto the sea; and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and horsemen unto the Red sea.

ASV: And I brought your fathers out of Egypt: and ye came unto the sea; and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and with horsemen unto the Red Sea.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And I brought  your fathers  out of Egypt:  and ye came  unto the sea;  and the Egyptians  pursued  after  your fathers  with chariots  and horsemen  unto the Red  sea. 

What does Joshua 24:6 Mean?

Context Summary

Joshua 24:1-15 - The Lesson Of Israel's History
The previous chapter contains Joshua's own last words of warning to Israel; here he is God's mouthpiece: "Thus saith the Lord God of Israel."
There is, first, the recapitulation of past mercy. From time to time we should definitely recall, for our children's sake, the divine interpositions in our national and domestic life.
It is interesting in the opening words to learn that Abraham was called out of an idolatrous family. This was the pit whence he had been digged, Isaiah 51:1. He was a Gentile before he became a Jew; and was familiar with all the seductions of a lower religious type before he definitely stood for the only true God. It took long to eradicate this evil strain from Israel. During their sojourn in Egypt they had yielded to the fascinations of idolatry, Joshua 24:14. Joshua at least had made his choice! What a blessed thing for a family, when the parents make the avowal of Joshua 24:15. Why not from henceforth? [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 24:6 mean?

And I brought - your fathers out of Egypt and you came to the sea and pursued Egypt after your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Sea Red
וָֽאוֹצִ֤יא אֶת־ אֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶם֙ מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם וַתָּבֹ֖אוּ הַיָּ֑מָּה וַיִּרְדְּפ֨וּ מִצְרַ֜יִם אַחֲרֵ֧י אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֛ם בְּרֶ֥כֶב וּבְפָרָשִׁ֖ים יַם־ סֽוּף

וָֽאוֹצִ֤יא  And  I  brought 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
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.
אֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶם֙  your  fathers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם  out  of  Egypt 
Parse: Preposition-m, 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”.
וַתָּבֹ֖אוּ  and  you  came 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
הַיָּ֑מָּה  to  the  sea 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
וַיִּרְדְּפ֨וּ  and  pursued 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: רָדַף  
Sense: to be behind, follow after, pursue, persecute, run after.
מִצְרַ֜יִם  Egypt 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרִי  
Sense: Egyptian—an inhabitant or citizen of Egypt.
אַחֲרֵ֧י  after 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֛ם  your  fathers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
בְּרֶ֥כֶב  with  chariots 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֶכֶב  
Sense: a team, chariot, chariotry, mill-stone, riders.
וּבְפָרָשִׁ֖ים  and  horsemen 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural
Root: פָּרָשׁ 
Sense: horse, steed, warhorse.
יַם־  to  the  Sea 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
סֽוּף  Red 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: סוּף  
Sense: reed, rush, water plant.