Joshua 23:9
in Joshua 23The LORD has driven out great and powerful nations before you, and to this day no one can stand against you.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For Jehovah hath driven out from before you great nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath stood before you unto this day.
KJV
For the Lord hath driven out from before you great nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath been able to stand before you unto this day.
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This verse in Joshua 23
Commentary
4 notes on this verseIn every battle they carried the day, and in every siege they carried the city; their loss before Ai was upon a particular occasion, was inconsiderable, and only served to show them on what terms they stood with God; but, otherwise, never was army crowned with such a constant uninterrupted series of successes as the armies of Israel were in the wars of Canaan.
This site's exposition
The LORD has driven out great and powerful nations
on Joshua 23:9-11
No one standing against Israel is the second half of 21:44, with one exception at 7:12 after Achan. One putting a thousand to flight raises Leviticus 26:8, where five pursue a hundred, and Deuteronomy 32:30, "How could one man pursue a thousand"; Judges 2:14 turns it around. Clarke reads verse 11 as watching your souls, the Hebrew word covering the whole person.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
For the Lord hath driven out before you great nations and strong,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the Lord your God, he shall expel them from before you, as the Lord your God hath promised you, &c.--The actual possessions which God had given were a pledge of the complete fulfilment of His promise in giving them the parts of the country still unconquered.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיּ֤וֹרֶשׁ | vaiyoresh | and he has dispossessed | H3423 → | 231 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| מִפְּנֵיכֶ֔ם | mipeneikhem | from before you | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| גּוֹיִ֖ם | goyim | nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
| גְּדֹלִ֣ים | gedolim | great | H1419 → | 526 times |
| וַעֲצוּמִ֑ים | vaatzumim | and mighty | H6099 → | |
| וְאַתֶּ֗ם | veatem | and you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| עָ֤מַד | ʾamad | he has stood | H5975 → | 521 times |
| אִישׁ֙ | ʾish | anyone | H376 → | 1663 times |
| בִּפְנֵיכֶ֔ם | bifneikhem | in faces your | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| עַ֖ד | ʾad | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| הַיּ֥וֹם | haiyom | the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַזֶּֽה׃ | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
וַיּ֤וֹרֶשׁand he has dispossessed
vaiyoreshH3423 →231 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
מִפְּנֵיכֶ֔םfrom before you
mipeneikhemH6440 →2123 times
גּוֹיִ֖םnations
goyimH1471 →561 times
גְּדֹלִ֣יםgreat
gedolimH1419 →526 times
וַעֲצוּמִ֑יםand mighty
vaatzumimH6099 →
וְאַתֶּ֗םand you
veatemH859 →1094 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
עָ֤מַדhe has stood
ʾamadH5975 →521 times
אִישׁ֙anyone
ʾishH376 →1663 times
בִּפְנֵיכֶ֔םin faces your
bifneikhemH6440 →2123 times
עַ֖דuntil
ʾadH5704 →1261 times
הַיּ֥וֹםthe day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַזֶּֽה׃<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 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
Joshua 1:5No one shall stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so will I be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
it leads to
- Romans 8:31
What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
- Deuteronomy 31:6–8
Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or terrified of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”
- Matthew 28:20
and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
- Isaiah 41:10–14
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand…
- Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
- Romans 8:31
Through
Deuteronomy 11:23then the LORD will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations greater and stronger than you.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 4:38
to drive out before you nations greater and mightier than you, and to bring you into their land and give it to you for your inheritance, as it is this day.
- Deuteronomy 9:1
Hear, O Israel: Today you are about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities fortified to the heavens.
- Deuteronomy 4:38
Through
Joshua 23:5The LORD your God will push them out of your way and drive them out before you, so that you can take possession of their land, as the LORD your God promised you.
it leads to
- Joshua 13:6
All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim—all the Sidonians—I Myself will drive out before the Israelites. Be sure to divide it by lot as an inheritance to Israel, as I…
- Joshua 13:6
About Joshua
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.