Joshua 23:14
in Joshua 23Now behold, today I am going the way of all the earth, and you know with all your heart and soul that not one of the good promises the LORD your God made to you has failed. Everything was fulfilled for you; not one promise has failed.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which Jehovah your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, not one thing hath failed thereof.
KJV
And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.
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This verse in Joshua 23
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThe way of all the earth - I am about to die; I am going into the grave. Not one thing hath failed, etc. - God had so remarkably and literally fulfilled his promises, that not one of his enemies could state that even the smallest of them had not had its most literal accomplishment: this all Israel could testify.
This site's exposition
today I am going the way of all the earth
The way of all the earth occurs here first in Scripture and once more, from David to Solomon at 1 Kings 2:2. Joshua twice speaks the narrator's line from 21:45, "not one promise has failed", while Judges 1 lists the towns never taken, and both accounts stand. Keil and Delitzsch read his words as what God had done; Gill holds the remainder at verse 5 under the condition of obedience.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
"Now," said he, "has God been thus true to you? Be not you false to him." It is the apostle's argument for perseverance ( Heb. x. 23 ), He is faithful that has promised.
Of all the earth - That is, of all flesh, or of all men; the way which all men go; I am about to die, as all men must. To die is, to go a journey, a journey to our long home.
And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth,.... That is, about to die; not that precise day, but in a short time, of which the daily increasing infirmities of old age gave him notice.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
The way of all the earth - I am about to die; I am going into the grave. Not one thing hath failed, etc. - God had so remarkably and literally fulfilled his promises, that not one of his enemies could state that even the smallest of them had not had its most literal accomplishment: this all Israel could testify.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
And a goad in your sides. 1 Rashi takes the word לְשׁטֵט as an expression of prowing rather than as an expression of a rod or goad as do other commentaries. They will prowl around you to loot and ransack.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
33 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהִנֵּ֨ה | vehineh | and here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| אָנֹכִ֤י | ʾanokhi | I | H595 → | 359 times |
| הוֹלֵךְ֙ | holekh | [am] about to go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| הַיּ֔וֹם | haiyom | this day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| בְּדֶ֖רֶךְ | bederekh | in [the] way of | H1870 → | 707 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָאָ֑רֶץ | haaretz | the earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
| וִידַעְתֶּ֞ם | vida'tem | and you know | H3045 → | 945 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | with all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| לְבַבְכֶ֣ם | levavkhem | heart your | H3824 → | 252 times |
| וּבְכָל־ | uvekhol- | and with all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| נַפְשְׁכֶ֗ם | nafshekhem | being your | H5315 → | 754 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| נָפַל֩ | nafal | it has fallen | H5307 → | 435 times |
| דָּבָ֨ר | davar | a word | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| אֶחָ֜ד | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| מִכֹּ֣ל׀ | mikol | of all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַדְּבָרִ֣ים | hadevarim | the words | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הַטּוֹבִ֗ים | hatovim | <the> good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| דִּבֶּ֜ר | diber | he spoke | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| יְהוָ֤ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֵיכֶם֙ | ʾeloheikhem | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| עֲלֵיכֶ֔ם | ʾaleikhem | on you | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַכֹּל֙ | hakol | <the> everything | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| בָּ֣אוּ | bau | they have come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| לָכֶ֔ם | lakhem | to <the> you | ||
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| נָפַ֥ל | nafal | it has fallen | H5307 → | 435 times |
| מִמֶּ֖נּוּ | mimenu | of it | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| דָּבָ֥ר | davar | a word | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| אֶחָֽד׃ | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
וְהִנֵּ֨הand here!
vehinehH2009 →843 times
אָנֹכִ֤יI
ʾanokhiH595 →359 times
הוֹלֵךְ֙[am] about to go
holekhH1980 →1546 times
הַיּ֔וֹםthis day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
בְּדֶ֖רֶךְin [the] way of
bederekhH1870 →707 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הָאָ֑רֶץthe earth
haaretzH776 →2504 times
וִידַעְתֶּ֞םand you know
vida'temH3045 →945 times
בְּכָל־with all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
לְבַבְכֶ֣םheart your
levavkhemH3824 →252 times
וּבְכָל־and with all
uvekhol-H3605 →5413 times
נַפְשְׁכֶ֗םbeing your
nafshekhemH5315 →754 times
כִּ֣יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
נָפַל֩it has fallen
nafalH5307 →435 times
דָּבָ֨רa word
davarH1697 →1440 times
אֶחָ֜דone
ʾechadH259 →971 times
מִכֹּ֣ל׀of all
mikolH3605 →5413 times
הַדְּבָרִ֣יםthe words
hadevarimH1697 →1440 times
הַטּוֹבִ֗ים<the> good
hatovimH2896 →538 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
דִּבֶּ֜רhe spoke
diberH1696 →1141 times
יְהוָ֤הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם֙God your
ʾeloheikhemH430 →2601 times
עֲלֵיכֶ֔םon you
ʾaleikhemH5921 →5755 times
הַכֹּל֙<the> everything
hakolH3605 →5413 times
בָּ֣אוּthey have come
bauH935 →2568 times
לָכֶ֔םto <the> you
lakhem
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
נָפַ֥לit has fallen
nafalH5307 →435 times
מִמֶּ֖נּוּof it
mimenuH4480 →1188 times
דָּבָ֥רa word
davarH1697 →1440 times
אֶחָֽד׃one
ʾechadH259 →971 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Ecclesiastes 9:10Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, for in Sheol, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.
it leads to
- Colossians 3:23
Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men,
- Ephesians 5:16
redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
- Romans 12:11
Do not let your zeal subside; keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
- Psalms 6:5
For there is no mention of You in death; who can praise You from Sheol?
- Ecclesiastes 11:6
Sow your seed in the morning, and do not rest your hands in the evening, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or if both will equally prosper.
- Colossians 3:23
Through
Luke 21:33Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.
it leads to
- Isaiah 40:8
The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”
- Mark 13:31
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.
- Matthew 24:35
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.
- Isaiah 40:8
About Joshua
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.