The Meaning of Joshua 24:17 Explained

Joshua 24:17

KJV: For the LORD our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed:

YLT: for Jehovah our God is He who is bringing us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, out of a house of servants, and who hath done before our eyes these great signs, and doth keep us in all the way in which we have gone, and among all the peoples through whose midst we passed;

Darby: for Jehovah our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and who did those great signs before our eyes, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed!

ASV: for Jehovah our God, he it is that brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and that did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the peoples through the midst of whom we passed;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For the LORD  our God,  he [it is] that brought us up  and our fathers  out of the land  of Egypt,  from the house  of bondage,  and which did  those great  signs  in our sight,  and preserved  us in all the way  wherein we went,  and among all the people  through  whom we passed: 

What does Joshua 24:17 Mean?

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 24:17 mean?

For Yahweh our God [is] He who brought up us and our fathers out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage and who did in our sight - signs great these and preserved us in all the way that we went in and among all the people through whose we passed through whom
כִּ֚י יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ הוּא֩ הַמַּעֲלֶ֨ה אֹתָ֧נוּ וְאֶת־ אֲבוֹתֵ֛ינוּ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם מִבֵּ֣ית עֲבָדִ֑ים וַאֲשֶׁ֧ר עָשָׂ֣ה לְעֵינֵ֗ינוּ אֶת־ הָאֹת֤וֹת הַגְּדֹלוֹת֙ הָאֵ֔לֶּה וַֽיִּשְׁמְרֵ֗נוּ בְּכָל־ הַדֶּ֙רֶךְ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָלַ֣כְנוּ בָ֔הּ וּבְכֹל֙ הָֽעַמִּ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָבַ֖רְנוּ בְּקִרְבָּֽם

יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ  our  God  [is] 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
הַמַּעֲלֶ֨ה  who  brought  up 
Parse: Article, Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
אֹתָ֧נוּ  us 
Parse: Direct object marker, first person common plural
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אֲבוֹתֵ֛ינוּ  our  fathers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
מֵאֶ֥רֶץ  out  of  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
מִצְרַ֖יִם  of  Egypt 
Parse: 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”.
מִבֵּ֣ית  from  the  house 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
עֲבָדִ֑ים  of  bondage 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
וַאֲשֶׁ֧ר  and  who 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
לְעֵינֵ֗ינוּ  in  our  sight 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, cdc, first person common plural
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
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.
הָאֹת֤וֹת  signs 
Parse: Article, Noun, common plural
Root: אֹות  
Sense: sign, signal.
הַגְּדֹלוֹת֙  great 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine plural
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
הָאֵ֔לֶּה  these 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵהֶל 
Sense: these.
וַֽיִּשְׁמְרֵ֗נוּ  and  preserved  us 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, first person common plural
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
בְּכָל־  in  all 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הַדֶּ֙רֶךְ֙  the  way 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
הָלַ֣כְנוּ  we  went 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
וּבְכֹל֙  and  among  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הָֽעַמִּ֔ים  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  through  whose 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
עָבַ֖רְנוּ  we  passed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
בְּקִרְבָּֽם  through  whom 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: קֶרֶב  
Sense: midst, among, inner part, middle.