The Meaning of Joshua 8:33 Explained

Joshua 8:33

KJV: And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel.

YLT: And all Israel, and its elders, and authorities, and its judges, are standing on this side and on that of the ark, over-against the priests, the Levites, bearing the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, as well the sojourner as the native, half of them over-against mount Gerizim, and the half of them over-against mount Ebal, as Moses servant of Jehovah commanded to bless the people of Israel at the first.

Darby: And all Israel, and their elders, and their officers and judges, stood on this side and on that side of the ark before the priests the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, as well the stranger as the home-born Israelite; half of them toward mount Gerizim, and the other half of them toward mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of Jehovah had commanded, that they should bless the people of Israel, in the beginning.

ASV: And all Israel, and their elders and officers, and their judges, stood on this side of the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, that bare the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, as well the sojourner as the homeborn; half of them in front of mount Gerizim, and half of them in front of mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of Jehovah had commanded at the first, that they should bless the people of Israel.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And all Israel,  and their elders,  and officers,  and their judges,  stood  on this side the ark  and on that side before the priests  the Levites,  which bare  the ark  of the covenant  of the LORD,  as well the stranger,  as he that was born  among them; half  of them over  against  mount  Gerizim,  and half  of them over against  mount  Ebal;  as Moses  the servant  of the LORD  had commanded  before,  that they should bless  the people  of Israel. 

What does Joshua 8:33 Mean?

Context Summary

Joshua 8:30-35 - Recording And Reading The Law
After the fall of Ai the war was suspended for a time. The divine hand restrained the Canaanites from interfering with Israel's obedience to the Mosaic code. The whole nation was marshaled in the valley between Ebal and Gerizim, to hear the Law recited and to respond with the thunder of their "Amen," Deuteronomy 27:15. Ebal was for the curse. It was appropriate that the altar should be there, Galatians 3:13.
Remember that even when we enter the land of rest, through faith in Jesus, we cannot get away from God's holy Law; nay, it is even more perfectly fulfilled as we walk after the Spirit, Romans 8:1-4. Let us go further and ask that, as the Law was written on those mighty stones, so it may be engraven on the tablets of our hearts, Hebrews 8:10.
In the hour of completest triumph we need to stand before the Lord! It was in this spot that the incident of John 4:1-54 took place. Jesus transformed it into a valley of blessing! [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 8:33 mean?

And all Israel and with their elders and officers and judges stood on this [side] and on this [side] of the ark before the priests the Levites who bore the ark of the covenant of Yahweh as well the stranger as he who was born among them Half of them [were] of them over in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them Ebal as had commanded Moses the servant of Yahweh that they should bless - the people of Israel Before
וְכָל־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֡ל וּזְקֵנָ֡יו וְשֹׁטְרִ֣ים ׀ וְשֹׁפְטָ֡יו עֹמְדִ֣ים מִזֶּ֣ה ׀ וּמִזֶּ֣ה ׀ לָאָר֡וֹן נֶגֶד֩ הַכֹּהֲנִ֨ים הַלְוִיִּ֜ם נֹשְׂאֵ֣י ׀ אֲר֣וֹן בְּרִית־ יְהוָ֗ה כַּגֵּר֙ כָּֽאֶזְרָ֔ח חֶצְיוֹ֙ אֶל־ מ֣וּל הַר־ גְּרִזִ֔ים וְהַֽחֶצְי֖וֹ עֵיבָ֑ל כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֜ה מֹשֶׁ֣ה עֶֽבֶד־ יְהוָ֗ה לְבָרֵ֛ךְ אֶת־ הָעָ֥ם יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בָּרִאשֹׁנָֽה

וְכָל־  And  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֡ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
וּזְקֵנָ֡יו  and  with  their  elders 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: זָקֵן  
Sense: old.
וְשֹׁטְרִ֣ים ׀  and  officers 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁטַר  
Sense: (Qal) official, officer.
וְשֹׁפְטָ֡יו  and  judges 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁפַט  
Sense: to judge, govern, vindicate, punish.
עֹמְדִ֣ים  stood 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
מִזֶּ֣ה ׀  on  this  [side] 
Parse: Preposition-m, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
וּמִזֶּ֣ה ׀  and  on  this  [side] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
לָאָר֡וֹן  of  the  ark 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: אֲרֹון  
Sense: chest, ark.
נֶגֶד֩  before 
Parse: Preposition
Root: נֶגֶד  
Sense: what is conspicuous, what is in front of adv.
הַכֹּהֲנִ֨ים  the  priests 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
הַלְוִיִּ֜ם  the  Levites 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: לֵוִי  
Sense: the descendants of Levi, the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah.
נֹשְׂאֵ֣י ׀  who  bore 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
אֲר֣וֹן  the  ark 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: אֲרֹון  
Sense: chest, ark.
בְּרִית־  of  the  covenant 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בְּרִית  
Sense: covenant, alliance, pledge.
יְהוָ֗ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
כַּגֵּר֙  as  well  the  stranger 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֵּר  
Sense: sojourner.
כָּֽאֶזְרָ֔ח  as  he  who  was  born  among  them 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶזְרָח  
Sense: a native (one rising from the soil).
חֶצְיוֹ֙  Half  of  them  [were] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חֲצִי 
Sense: half.
אֶל־  of  them  over 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
מ֣וּל  in  front 
Parse: Preposition
Root: לְמֹואל 
Sense: front.
הַר־  of  Mount 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
גְּרִזִ֔ים  Gerizim 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: גְּרִזִים  
Sense: a mountain in northern Israel in Ephraim near Shechem from which the blessings were read to the Israelites on entering Canaan; site of the Samaritan temple built after the captivity.
וְהַֽחֶצְי֖וֹ  and  half  of  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חֲצִי 
Sense: half.
עֵיבָ֑ל  Ebal 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֵיבָל 
Sense: a son of Shobal.
צִוָּ֜ה  had  commanded 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: צָוָה  
Sense: to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order.
מֹשֶׁ֣ה  Moses 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
עֶֽבֶד־  the  servant 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
יְהוָ֗ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
לְבָרֵ֛ךְ  that  they  should  bless 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: בָּרַךְ 
Sense: to bless, kneel.
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.
הָעָ֥ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
בָּרִאשֹׁנָֽה  Before 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רִאשֹׁון  
Sense: first, primary, former.