The Meaning of Joshua 24:8 Explained

Joshua 24:8

KJV: And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, which dwelt on the other side Jordan; and they fought with you: and I gave them into your hand, that ye might possess their land; and I destroyed them from before you.

YLT: 'And I bring you in unto the land of the Amorite who is dwelling beyond the Jordan, and they fight with you, and I give them into your hand, and ye possess their land, and I destroy them out of your presence.

Darby: And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, who dwelt beyond the Jordan, and they fought with you, and I gave them into your hand, and ye took possession of their land, and I destroyed them from before you.

ASV: And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, that dwelt beyond the Jordan: and they fought with you; and I gave them into your hand, and ye possessed their land; and I destroyed them from before you.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And I brought  you into the land  of the Amorites,  which dwelt  on the other side  Jordan;  and they fought  with you: and I gave  them into your hand,  that ye might possess  their land;  and I destroyed  them from before  you. 

What does Joshua 24:8 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 24:8 mean?

- And I brought you into the land of the Amorites who dwelt on the other side of the Jordan and they fought with you but I gave them into your hand that you might possess - their land and I destroyed them from before you
[ואבאה] (וָאָבִ֣יא) אֶתְכֶ֗ם אֶל־ אֶ֤רֶץ הָאֱמֹרִי֙ הַיּוֹשֵׁב֙ בְּעֵ֣בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן וַיִּֽלָּחֲמ֖וּ אִתְּכֶ֑ם וָאֶתֵּ֨ן אוֹתָ֤ם בְּיֶדְכֶם֙ וַתִּֽירְשׁ֣וּ אֶת־ אַרְצָ֔ם וָאַשְׁמִידֵ֖ם מִפְּנֵיכֶֽם

[ואבאה]  - 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular, third person feminine singular
Root: אֹבֵד  
Sense: destruction.
(וָאָבִ֣יא)  And  I  brought 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֶל־  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
אֶ֤רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
הָאֱמֹרִי֙  of  the  Amorites 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱמֹרִי  
Sense: one of the peoples of east Canaan and beyond the Jordan, dispossessed by the Israelite incursion from Egypt.
הַיּוֹשֵׁב֙  who  dwelt 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
בְּעֵ֣בֶר  on  the  other  side 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֵבֶר  
Sense: region beyond or across, side.
הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן  of  the  Jordan 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יַרְדֵּן  
Sense: the river of Palestine running from the roots of Anti-Lebanon to the Dead Sea a distance of approx 200 miles (320 km).
וַיִּֽלָּחֲמ֖וּ  and  they  fought 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: לָחַם 
Sense: to fight, do battle, make war.
אִתְּכֶ֑ם  with  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.
וָאֶתֵּ֨ן  but  I  gave 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
בְּיֶדְכֶם֙  into  your  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
וַתִּֽירְשׁ֣וּ  that  you  might  possess 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: יָרַשׁ  
Sense: to seize, dispossess, take possession off, inherit, disinherit, occupy, impoverish, be an heir.
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.
אַרְצָ֔ם  their  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וָאַשְׁמִידֵ֖ם  and  I  destroyed  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַד  
Sense: to destroy, exterminate, be destroyed, be exterminated.
מִפְּנֵיכֶֽם  from  before  you 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.