The Meaning of Joshua 8:18 Explained

Joshua 8:18

KJV: And the LORD said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thine hand. And Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand toward the city.

YLT: And Jehovah saith unto Joshua, 'Stretch out with the javelin which is in thy hand towards Ai, for into thy hand I give it;' and Joshua stretcheth out with the javelin which is in his hand toward the city,

Darby: And Jehovah said to Joshua, Stretch out the javelin that is in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thy hand. And Joshua stretched out the javelin that he had in his hand toward the city.

ASV: And Jehovah said unto Joshua, Stretch out the javelin that is in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thy hand. And Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the LORD  said  unto Joshua,  Stretch out  the spear  that [is] in thy hand  toward Ai;  for I will give  it into thine hand.  And Joshua  stretched out  the spear  that [he had] in his hand  toward the city. 

What does Joshua 8:18 Mean?

Context Summary

Joshua 8:18-29 - The Enemy Completely Destroyed
Joshua's preparations were skillfully made, and in that very place where Israel had been so disastrously defeated they scored a great victory and took large spoil, especially cattle, which they drove in triumph to the camp at Gilgal.
Taught by Christ's gentle spirit, we turn our eyes away from the doom that befell the entire population. In those days notions of God's justice were not tempered by knowledge of His mercy. But the Bible records the slow growth of even the religious leaders of the race in the true knowledge of God, Acts 26:9.
Be of good cheer, you that have been repeatedly overwhelmed by your strong enemies! Your failure arises from some hidden evil lurking in your soul! Put that away! Cast it out as a cancer! Where you were defeated you shall be more than conqueror, through the grace of Christ. [source]

Chapter Summary: Joshua 8

1  God encourages Joshua
3  The plan whereby Ai was taken
29  The king thereof is hanged
30  Joshua builds an altar
32  writes the law on stones
33  and pronounces the blessings and curses

What do the individual words in Joshua 8:18 mean?

And said Yahweh to Joshua Stretch out the battle lance that [is] in your hand toward Ai for into your hand I will give it and stretched out Joshua that [was] in his hand the city
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־ יְהוֹשֻׁ֗עַ נְ֠טֵה בַּכִּיד֤וֹן אֲשֶׁר־ בְּיָֽדְךָ֙ אֶל־ הָעַ֔י כִּ֥י בְיָדְךָ֖ אֶתְּנֶ֑נָּה וַיֵּ֧ט יְהוֹשֻׁ֛עַ אֲשֶׁר־ בְּיָד֖וֹ הָעִֽיר

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָ֜ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
יְהוֹשֻׁ֗עַ  Joshua 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹושֻׁעַ  
Sense: son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim and successor to Moses as the leader of the children of Israel; led the conquest of Canaan.
נְ֠טֵה  Stretch  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: נָטָה 
Sense: to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow.
בַּכִּיד֤וֹן  the  battle  lance 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כִּידֹון  
Sense: javelin, short sword, dart.
אֲשֶׁר־  that  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בְּיָֽדְךָ֙  in  your  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
אֶל־  toward 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הָעַ֔י  Ai 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עַי 
Sense: a city lying east of Bethel and beside Bethaven near Jericho and the 2nd city taken on the invasion of Canaan.
בְיָדְךָ֖  into  your  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
אֶתְּנֶ֑נָּה  I  will  give  it 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular, third person feminine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
וַיֵּ֧ט  and  stretched  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָטָה 
Sense: to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow.
יְהוֹשֻׁ֛עַ  Joshua 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹושֻׁעַ  
Sense: son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim and successor to Moses as the leader of the children of Israel; led the conquest of Canaan.
אֲשֶׁר־  that  [was] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בְּיָד֖וֹ  in  his  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
הָעִֽיר  the  city 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.