TRV
- English
- King James KJV
- Complete Jewish CJB
- World English WEBM
- Berean Standard BSB
- American Standard ASV
- Geneva GNV
- Young's Literal YLT
- Douay-Rheims DRC
- International
- Shqip ALB
- العربية SVD
- বাংলা BN-IRV
- မြန်မာ Judson
- 简体文 CUV-S
- 繁體中文 CUV-T
- Čeština BKR
- Nederlands STVE
- Français LSG
- Deutsch SCH
- Ελληνικά Vamvas
- ગુજરાતી GU-IRV
- Hausa HCB
- עברית Hebrew
- हिन्दी HCV
- Magyar KAROLI
- Bahasa Indonesia INDO-TB
- Italiano Diodati
- 日本語 Kougo
- 한국어 Korean
- മലയാളം MAL
- मराठी MRCV
- Norsk DNB
- فارسی OPV
- Polski BG
- Português Almeida
- Română Cornilescu
- Русский Synodal
- Español RVG
- Kiswahili Neno
- Svenska SV1917
- Tagalog TAG-ADB
- தமிழ் TCV
- తెలుగు TSA
- ภาษาไทย THAI-KJV
- Українська Ohienko
- Tiếng Việt CADMAN
- Yorùbá YCB
King James Version
Know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you.
KJV (with Strong's)
Know H3045 for a certainty H3045 that the LORD H3068 your God H430 will no more H3254 drive out H3423 any of these nations H1471 from before H6440 you; but they shall be snares H6341 and traps H4170 unto you, and scourges H7850 in your sides H6654, and thorns H6796 in your eyes H5869, until ye perish H6 from off this good H2896 land H127 which the LORD H3068 your God H430 hath given H5414 you.
Complete Jewish Bible
know for certain that ADONAI your God will stop driving out these nations from your sight. Instead, they will become a snare and a trap for you, whipping your sides and pricking your eyes, until you perish from this good land which ADONAI your God has given you.
Berean Standard Bible
know for sure that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become for you a snare and a trap, a scourge in your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land that the LORD your God has given you.
American Standard Version
know for a certainty that Jehovah your God will no more drive these nations from out of your sight; but they shall be a snare and a trap unto you, and a scourge in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which Jehovah your God hath given you.
World English Bible Messianic
know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no longer drive these nations from out of your sight; but they shall be a snare and a trap to you, a scourge in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which the LORD your God has given you.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Knowe ye for certaine, that the Lord your God will cast out no more of these nations from before you: but they shall be a snare and destruction vnto you, and a whip on your sides, and thornes in your eyes, vntill ye perish out of this good land, which ye Lord your God hath giue you.
Young's Literal Translation
know certainly that Jehovah your God is not continuing to dispossess these nations from before you, and they have been to you for a gin, and for a snare, and for a scourge, in your sides, and for thorns in your eyes, till ye perish from off this good ground which Jehovah your God hath given to you.
فارسی · OPV
یقیناً بدانید كه یهُوَه خدای شما این طوایف را از حضور شما دیگر بیرون نخواهد كرد، بلكه برای شما دام و تله و برای پهلوهای شما تازیانه و در چشمان شما خار خواهنـد بود، تا وقتـی كه از این زمیـن نیكو كه یهُوَه خدای شما، به شما داده است، هلاك شویـد.
Translation
In the KJVVerse 6,474 of 31,102 · 20.8%
LawLawHistoryHistPoetryPoetProphetsProphNew TestamentNT
Study this verse
Copy as
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
Copy as
Continue studying Joshua 23:13 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
Summary
Joshua 23:13 presents a solemn and unyielding warning from the venerable leader Joshua to the Israelites, articulating the severe consequences of their potential failure to fully dispossess the remaining Canaanite nations as commanded by God. This pivotal declaration underscores that if they compromise by allowing these peoples to remain, the Lord will cease His active assistance in their removal. Instead, these unexpelled nations will transform from conquered foes into perpetual sources of spiritual danger, moral entanglement, and physical affliction, ultimately leading to Israel's tragic expulsion from the very good land which the Lord their God had graciously bestowed upon them. The verse serves as a potent reminder of the conditional nature of God's covenant blessings and the grave perils inherent in disobedience and spiritual compromise.
Context
Literary Context
Joshua 23:13 is situated within Joshua's valedictory address, a significant and poignant farewell discourse delivered to the leaders and all the tribes of Israel in chapters 23 and 24. This address marks a critical transition point in Israel's history, occurring after the major military campaigns of the conquest have largely concluded and the land has been meticulously apportioned among the tribes. Joshua, now "old and well advanced in years" (Joshua 23:1), gathers the nation to impart his final, urgent exhortations and warnings. Prior to this verse, Joshua meticulously recounts God's unwavering faithfulness in fulfilling every single promise He made to them, specifically highlighting His powerful intervention in driving out their enemies and granting them possession of the land (Joshua 23:3-5). He then transitions to a stern admonition, imploring them to "be very strong to observe and do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses" (Joshua 23:6) and to scrupulously avoid any association with the remaining pagan nations, particularly through intermarriage or the adoption of their idolatrous practices (Joshua 23:7-8). Verse 13, therefore, functions as the explicit and dire articulation of the consequences should they fail to heed these crucial warnings, directly linking their future well-being and continued tenure in the land to their covenant fidelity.
Historical & Cultural Context
At the time of Joshua's address, Israel stood at a precarious crossroads. While the major Canaanite strongholds had been decisively conquered, significant pockets of indigenous inhabitants stubbornly remained throughout the land, as extensively detailed in the opening chapter of Judges. These lingering peoples represented an omnipresent spiritual and cultural menace. Their polytheistic religions, deeply entrenched fertility cults, and pervasive immoral practices were fundamentally antithetical to the exclusive, monotheistic, and covenantal worship of Yahweh. God had unequivocally commanded Israel to utterly dispossess or destroy these nations (e.g., Deuteronomy 7:1-6), not out of arbitrary cruelty, but as a divine imperative to preserve Israel's spiritual purity, prevent syncretism, and maintain their distinct identity as His chosen, holy people. The prevailing cultural norms of the ancient Near East often involved syncretism, where conquering nations would assimilate aspects of the defeated peoples' religions and customs. Joshua's warning directly confronts this powerful temptation, emphatically stating that such compromise would not lead to peaceful coexistence but to Israel's spiritual degradation, moral corruption, and ultimately, physical ruin, thereby jeopardizing their possession of the land—an inheritance that was always conditional upon their unwavering obedience to the covenant.
Key Themes
Joshua 23:13 profoundly contributes to several overarching themes that permeate the book of Joshua and the broader Old Testament narrative. Foremost among these is the theme of Covenant Fidelity and the Inevitable Consequences of Disobedience. God had meticulously fulfilled His promises to Israel, demonstrating His faithfulness; however, their continued enjoyment of the land and its blessings was unequivocally contingent upon their unwavering obedience to His commands, especially concerning the eradication of idolatry and the complete dispossessing of the Canaanites. The verse starkly illustrates that divine blessings are conditional, and persistent disobedience inevitably leads to severe judgment. This ties inextricably into the theme of Spiritual Compromise, emphasizing that even seemingly minor compromises with pagan practices, peoples, or their ideologies would inevitably lead to significant spiritual degradation and entanglement. The vivid imagery of "snares and traps" powerfully represents the subtle allurements, deceptive influences, and moral pitfalls of idolatry and cultural assimilation. Finally, the verse powerfully highlights the Conditional Nature of the Land Inheritance. The "good land" was a gracious, unmerited gift from God, but its retention was not an unconditional right. Israel's continued presence and prosperity in Canaan were directly tied to their faithfulness to the Lord, a principle that tragically foreshadows the recurring cycles of apostasy, oppression, and judgment vividly depicted throughout the Book of Judges and culminating in the devastating exiles (e.g., 2 Kings 17:7-23).
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
"Know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no more drive out [any of] these nations from before you;"
This opening clause serves as an unequivocal and emphatic declaration of divine judgment. Joshua, speaking with prophetic authority, emphasizes that God's active and miraculous assistance in dispossessing the Canaanite nations, which had been so powerfully evident throughout the conquest, would irrevocably cease. The emphatic Hebrew construction "know for a certainty" (literally, "knowing, know") highlights the absolute reliability and inevitability of this consequence. God's withdrawal of His enabling power and protection is presented as a direct and righteous response to Israel's failure to complete the sacred task He commanded, demonstrating that His continued intervention and blessing are profoundly conditional upon their faithful obedience.
"but they shall be snares and traps unto you, "
This part of the verse marks a crucial shift from God's cessation of action to the active and detrimental role the remaining nations would play. They would transform from passive inhabitants into instruments of Israel's spiritual and moral downfall. The "snares and traps" refer to the subtle, deceptive, and alluring influences of paganism, idolatry, and immorality that would entice Israel away from their exclusive covenant with Yahweh, leading them into spiritual compromise and moral degradation. These are not direct military threats but insidious spiritual dangers that would entangle and corrupt the nation from within, making escape difficult once caught.
"and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, "
These powerful and visceral metaphors intensify the description of the suffering Israel would endure. "Scourges in your sides" depicts a constant, stinging pain and persistent affliction, akin to a whip or goad repeatedly striking one's flank. This suggests ongoing physical, emotional, or political distress caused by the unexpelled nations—perhaps through continuous conflict, oppressive tactics, or internal strife—resulting in incessant vexation and a weakening of Israel's resolve and strength. "Thorns in your eyes" illustrates an incessant irritation, hindrance, and spiritual blindness. Just as a physical thorn impairs vision and causes excruciating discomfort, so too would the presence of these nations obstruct Israel's spiritual discernment, making it difficult to perceive God's will clearly and follow His path without stumbling. Together, these images paint a grim picture of perpetual vexation, spiritual debilitation, and a compromised existence.
"until ye perish from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you."
This final clause articulates the ultimate and most severe consequence: expulsion from the Promised Land. The "good land" was a gracious, unmerited gift from God, a tangible manifestation of His covenant promises and a place of blessing. However, Israel's continued enjoyment of this inheritance was always profoundly contingent upon their fidelity to the covenant. "Perish from off this good land" signifies not necessarily physical annihilation of every individual, but rather the catastrophic loss of their national identity, presence, and corporate inheritance in the land, culminating in exile and the forfeiture of their covenantal status within Canaan, a tragic reality that unfolded repeatedly and ultimately in later Israelite history.
Literary Devices
Joshua 23:13 is powerfully constructed using rich Metaphorical Language, which vividly communicates the dire consequences of disobedience. The unexpelled nations are not merely described as a nuisance but are directly equated with "snares and traps," implying their deceptive, entangling nature that would ensnare Israel in idolatry and immorality. Further, they are depicted as "scourges in your sides," a visceral image of constant, stinging pain and affliction, representing the perpetual distress and conflict they would cause. The most striking metaphor is "thorns in your eyes," which conveys an incessant irritation that impairs vision, symbolizing spiritual blindness and a hindrance to discerning God's will. This cumulative imagery creates a potent and memorable warning, emphasizing the pervasive and debilitating nature of the problems arising from compromise. The verse also functions as a stark Prophetic Warning, foretelling the future trajectory of Israel's history if they deviate from God's commands, a prophecy tragically fulfilled throughout the period of the Judges and culminating in the Babylonian exile. The use of such strong, vivid imagery also lends itself to Hyperbole, underscoring the extreme and inescapable nature of the impending suffering, though rooted in a very real and existential threat to Israel's covenant relationship and national existence.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Joshua 23:13 encapsulates a foundational principle of the Old Covenant: God's blessings, particularly the security of Israel's inheritance in the land, were profoundly conditional upon their covenant fidelity and unwavering obedience. This verse highlights God's unwavering commitment to His holiness and His expectation of exclusive worship from His people. The failure to fully dispossess the nations was not merely a military oversight or a logistical challenge but a profound spiritual compromise that directly violated God's explicit commands and opened the door to pervasive idolatry, syncretism, and moral corruption. This stern warning powerfully foreshadows the cyclical pattern of disobedience, oppression by their enemies, and eventual repentance that defines much of the Book of Judges, where the unexpelled nations indeed became persistent "thorns in their sides" and spiritual "snares" to them. Ultimately, it demonstrates God's consistent justice and the profound seriousness with which He regards His covenant demands, illustrating that persistent rebellion and compromise against His clear commands inevitably lead to the forfeiture of promised blessings and the experience of divine judgment.
Reflection and Application
Joshua's warning in verse 13 transcends its specific historical context, offering profound and enduring spiritual lessons for believers today. Just as ancient Israel was called to fully conquer the Promised Land and meticulously remove all influences that would compromise their exclusive relationship with God, so too are Christians called to engage in vigorous spiritual warfare, actively dispossessing sinful habits, worldly values, and ungodly influences that threaten our fidelity to Christ. The "nations" in our lives can manifest as unconfessed sins, unmortified desires, lingering resentments, uncritical assimilation of secular ideologies, or even subtle forms of idolatry that subtly draw our affections away from God. Failing to address these spiritual "enemies" can lead to spiritual "snares" (temptations and entanglements that hinder our walk with Christ), "scourges" (constant inner turmoil, guilt, or the painful external consequences of compromise), and "thorns in our eyes" (a diminished ability to discern God's will, spiritual blindness, and a loss of clarity in our faith and purpose). This verse serves as a powerful call to radical obedience, unwavering spiritual vigilance, and the absolute necessity of rooting out anything that would compromise our devotion to God and jeopardize our spiritual inheritance in Christ. It reminds us that God's warnings are not arbitrary or punitive but are given out of His perfect love and His fervent desire for our holiness, abundant joy, and continued blessing in Him.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did God command Israel to drive out the nations, and why was it so serious if they didn't?
God commanded Israel to drive out the Canaanite nations primarily to preserve Israel's spiritual purity and distinct identity as His covenant people. These nations practiced abhorrent idolatry, child sacrifice, and various immoral cultic rituals (e.g., Deuteronomy 12:29-31). God knew with absolute certainty that if Israel allowed these corrupting influences to remain, they would inevitably be drawn into syncretism and apostasy, thereby violating the first and most fundamental commandment to have no other gods before Him (Exodus 20:3). The profound seriousness of their failure lay in its direct threat to the very foundation of their covenant relationship with Yahweh, jeopardizing their spiritual integrity, their unique role as a holy nation, and their witness as a light to the surrounding nations.
What does it mean to "perish from off this good land"? Was it literal annihilation?
To "perish from off this good land" does not necessarily signify the literal annihilation of every individual Israelite, but rather the catastrophic loss of their national presence, identity, and corporate inheritance in the Promised Land. It refers to a severe divine judgment that would result in their removal from the land God had graciously given them, leading to exile and dispersion among other nations. This was a direct fulfillment of the covenant curses outlined in Deuteronomy 28, where persistent disobedience would lead to being "plucked off the land" (Deuteronomy 28:63). While some individuals would indeed die in the process of such judgment, the primary threat was the forfeiture of their national home, their unique covenant status, and their corporate existence in the land.
Is this warning relevant for Christians today, given we are not conquering a physical land?
Absolutely, this warning is profoundly relevant for Christians today. While believers are not called to a physical conquest of land or the literal extermination of peoples, the spiritual principles embedded in Joshua 23:13 are timeless and universal. The "good land" for believers can be understood metaphorically as the spiritual inheritance we possess in Christ—our salvation, progressive sanctification, and the abundant life empowered by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:3). The "nations" represent sinful desires, worldly influences, ungodly habits, and spiritual strongholds that seek to compromise our faith and draw us away from full devotion to God (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). Just as Israel's blessing was conditional on their obedience, our spiritual vitality, our experience of God's grace, and our progress in holiness are deeply tied to our willingness to "put off the old self with its practices" and "put on the new self, created after the likeness of God" (Ephesians 4:22-24), actively resisting and dispossessing anything that would hinder our walk with Christ and compromise our spiritual inheritance.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Joshua 23:13, with its stern warning of the catastrophic consequences of Israel's failure and spiritual compromise, finds its ultimate fulfillment and glorious resolution in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Where Israel, despite God's mighty acts, failed to perfectly obey and fully dispossess the "nations" within their borders, leading to their eventual exile and the loss of their promised land, Christ perfectly fulfilled all righteousness and completely disarmed the spiritual "nations" and principalities that seek to ensnare humanity. He is the true and faithful Israelite, the obedient Son, who perfectly obeyed God's will, even to the point of sacrificial death on a cross (Philippians 2:8). Through His atoning sacrifice and victorious resurrection, Jesus has conquered sin, death, and the devil—the ultimate "snares and traps" that hold humanity captive and blind them (Colossians 2:15). He bore the "scourges" and "thorns" of our sin, our judgment, and the curse of the law upon Himself, suffering the full wrath of God so that we, through faith in Him, might be set free from the curse of disobedience and inherit eternal life (Galatians 3:13). Believers in Christ do not inherit a physical land conditionally, but rather an eternal, spiritual inheritance that is "imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you" (1 Peter 1:4). Our security in this glorious inheritance is not based on our imperfect efforts to dispossess every spiritual "nation" within us, but entirely on Christ's finished work and His ongoing power to sanctify us by His Spirit. He empowers us to overcome sin and worldly influences, transforming us from within so that we might truly live in the freedom, abundance, and eternal security of the "good land" of His everlasting kingdom, a kingdom that "shall never be destroyed" (Daniel 2:44).