The Meaning of Joshua 24:7 Explained

Joshua 24:7

KJV: And when they cried unto the LORD, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and covered them; and your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt: and ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season.

YLT: and they cry unto Jehovah, and He setteth thick darkness between you and the Egyptians, and bringeth on them the sea, and covereth them, and your eyes see that which I have done in Egypt; and ye dwell in a wilderness many days.

Darby: Then they cried to Jehovah, and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and covered them; and your eyes saw what I did in Egypt; and ye dwelt in the wilderness a long time.

ASV: And when they cried out unto Jehovah, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and covered them; and your eyes saw what I did in Egypt: and ye dwelt in the wilderness many days.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And when they cried  unto the LORD,  he put  darkness  between you and the Egyptians,  and brought  the sea  upon them, and covered  them; and your eyes  have seen  what I have done  in Egypt:  and ye dwelt  in the wilderness  a long  season. 

What does Joshua 24:7 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 24:7 mean?

So they cried out to Yahweh and He put darkness between you and the Egyptians and brought upon them - the sea and covered them and saw your eyes - what I did in Egypt And you dwelt in the wilderness a time long
וַיִּצְעֲק֣וּ אֶל־ יְהוָ֗ה וַיָּ֨שֶׂם מַֽאֲפֵ֜ל בֵּינֵיכֶ֣ם ׀ וּבֵ֣ין הַמִּצְרִ֗ים וַיָּבֵ֨א עָלָ֤יו אֶת־ הַיָּם֙ וַיְכַסֵּ֔הוּ וַתִּרְאֶ֙ינָה֙ עֵינֵיכֶ֔ם אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־ עָשִׂ֖יתִי בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם וַתֵּשְׁב֥וּ בַמִּדְבָּ֖ר יָמִ֥ים רַבִּֽים

וַיִּצְעֲק֣וּ  So  they  cried  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: צָעַק  
Sense: to cry, cry out, call, cry for help.
יְהוָ֗ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וַיָּ֨שֶׂם  and  He  put 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
מַֽאֲפֵ֜ל  darkness 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַאֲפֵל  
Sense: darkness.
בֵּינֵיכֶ֣ם ׀  between  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
Root: בַּיִן 
Sense: between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between.
הַמִּצְרִ֗ים  the  Egyptians 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: מִצְרִי  
Sense: Egyptian—an inhabitant or citizen of Egypt.
וַיָּבֵ֨א  and  brought 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
עָלָ֤יו  upon  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
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.
הַיָּם֙  the  sea 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
וַיְכַסֵּ֔הוּ  and  covered  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּסָה  
Sense: to cover, conceal, hide.
וַתִּרְאֶ֙ינָה֙  and  saw 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
עֵינֵיכֶ֔ם  your  eyes 
Parse: Noun, cdc, second person masculine plural
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
אֵ֥ת  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
עָשִׂ֖יתִי  I  did 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם  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”.
וַתֵּשְׁב֥וּ  And  you  dwelt 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
בַמִּדְבָּ֖ר  in  the  wilderness 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
יָמִ֥ים  a  time 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
רַבִּֽים  long 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.