Joshua 23:3 kjv
And ye have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto all these nations because of you; for the LORD your God is he that hath fought for you.
Joshua 23:3 nkjv
You have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations because of you, for the LORD your God is He who has fought for you.
Joshua 23:3 niv
You yourselves have seen everything the LORD your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the LORD your God who fought for you.
Joshua 23:3 esv
And you have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations for your sake, for it is the LORD your God who has fought for you.
Joshua 23:3 nlt
You have seen everything the LORD your God has done for you during my lifetime. The LORD your God has fought for you against your enemies.
Joshua 23 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exo 14:14 | "The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." | God is the Divine Warrior. |
| Deut 1:30 | "The LORD your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you..." | God leads and fights for His people. |
| Deut 3:22 | "Do not fear them, for the LORD your God Himself will fight for you." | Reassurance of God's direct involvement. |
| Deut 9:4 | "...It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity..." | Victories are due to God's purpose, not merit. |
| Josh 10:14 | "For the LORD fought for Israel." | God's active battle for Israel confirmed. |
| Josh 21:44 | "And the LORD gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn..." | God's fulfillment of promises. |
| Josh 21:45 | "Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made...failed." | Divine faithfulness and reliability. |
| Judg 5:20 | "From the heavens the stars fought, from their courses they fought Sisera." | God uses all creation to fight. |
| 2 Sam 5:10 | "So David became greater and greater, for the LORD God of hosts was with him." | God grants success. |
| 2 Chr 20:29 | "And the fear of God came on all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel." | Nations recognized God's hand. |
| Neh 4:20 | "Our God will fight for us!" | Confident declaration of God's help. |
| Ps 3:8 | "Salvation belongs to the LORD; Your blessing be on Your people!" | Deliverance originates from God. |
| Ps 44:3 | "For not by their own sword did they win the land...but by Your right hand and Your arm and the light of Your face, because You delighted in them." | Reiterates victory is from God alone. |
| Ps 77:11 | "I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember Your wonders of old." | Remembering God's historical acts. |
| Isa 42:13 | "The LORD will go forth like a mighty man; He will stir up His zeal like a warrior." | God's powerful warrior imagery. |
| Isa 59:16 | "So His own arm brought salvation to Him, and His righteousness upheld Him." | God acts alone in saving His people. |
| Zech 4:6 | "...‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts." | God's Spirit is the source of victory. |
| Rom 8:31 | "If God is for us, who can be against us?" | New Testament echo of God fighting for His people. |
| 1 Cor 10:6 | "Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things..." | Lessons from Israel's history for believers. |
| Eph 6:10 | "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might." | Believer's strength derived from God. |
| Heb 13:6 | "So we can confidently say, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear...'" | God's unfailing help for believers. |
| Rev 19:11 | "And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war." | Ultimate Divine Warrior: Christ. |
Joshua 23 verses
Joshua 23 3 Meaning
Joshua 23:3 serves as a profound reminder to the Israelites that their successful conquest and possession of the promised land was not due to their own strength or military prowess, but entirely a result of the sovereign and direct intervention of the LORD their God. It emphasizes that God Himself was the Divine Warrior who fought their battles, delivering the nations into their hand, thus fulfilling His covenant promises to them.
Joshua 23 3 Context
Joshua 23 presents Joshua's solemn farewell address to all Israel, similar to Moses' final discourses in Deuteronomy. Joshua is old and near death, gathering the leaders of Israel to remind them of the LORD's faithfulness and to warn them against turning away from Him after his passing. The chapter is structured as a look back at God's past fidelity (vv. 1-5), a charge to remain faithful to the covenant (vv. 6-11), and a warning of the consequences of disobedience (vv. 12-16). Verse 3 specifically serves as the foundational premise for the entire discourse: Israel's blessings and security are entirely dependent on God's actions and presence among them, not their own strength. It reminds the audience that the land they inhabit was a gift, conquered not by their military prowess but by divine intervention against the pagan inhabitants, whom God expelled due to their iniquity. This highlights a clear polemic against the idea that Israel's success stemmed from the strength of human armies or the favor of local deities.
Joshua 23 3 Word analysis
- And you have seen (וְאַתֶּם רְאִיתֶם, wĕ'attem rə'îtem): The Hebrew verb rā'āh (to see) implies direct observation and personal experience. It's not just hearsay or abstract knowledge. This calls the Israelites to bear witness based on their own lived experience. The emphatic "you" (אַתֶּם, attem) reinforces the personal accountability in recognizing God's deeds.
- all that (אֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר, ʾēt kol-ʾăsher): Signifies completeness and comprehensiveness. There were no exceptions; every success and every enemy overcome was entirely God's doing.
- the LORD your God (יהוה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, YHWH ʾĕlōhêkhem): YHWH is the personal, covenant name of God, revealing His self-existent and faithful nature. ʾĔlōhîm (God) is the general term for deity, but "your God" specifies the exclusive, personal, and redemptive relationship with Israel established through the covenant. This emphasizes divine covenant fidelity and exclusivity over polytheism.
- has done (עָשָׂה, ʿāśāh): The verb implies active, effective, and decisive action. God is not passive but directly involved in history.
- to all these nations (לְכָל־הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה, ləḵol-haggôyim hāʾēlleh): "Nations" (gôyim) refers to the non-Israelite, often idolatrous peoples inhabiting Canaan. God's action against them was judgment on their wickedness and clearing the land for Israel, fulfilling promises to Abraham. "All these" indicates the specific peoples whom Israel dispossessed.
- because of you (מִפְּנֵיכֶם, mippənêkhem): Literally "from your face" or "for your sake." God acted on behalf of Israel, to secure their inheritance and fulfill His promises to them, rather than due to any inherent merit on Israel's part (Deut 9:4-6).
- for it is the LORD your God (כִּי יהוה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, kî YHWH ʾĕlōhêkhem): The particle kî introduces a causal explanation. This clause is a forceful reaffirmation, emphasizing the sole divine agency behind the victories. The repetition of "the LORD your God" underscores the central theological truth.
- who has fought for you (הוּא הַנִּלְחָם לָכֶם, hū hannilḥām lāḵem): Nālāḥam (to fight, wage war) is in the participle form, indicating continuous, active warring. "He" (הוּא, hūʾ) is an emphatic pronoun, stressing that it was specifically God and no one else who fought. This makes it a polemic against human boasting or dependence on any other power, human or divine.
Joshua 23 3 Bonus section
- The structure of Joshua's address in Chapter 23 closely parallels the structure of a covenant renewal ceremony found in the Ancient Near East. This verse, therefore, serves as a crucial historical preamble, recalling the benefactions of the covenant Lord as a basis for renewed obedience.
- The emphasis on "seeing" God's acts reinforces the experiential knowledge that Israel should possess, transforming historical facts into foundational beliefs for their identity.
- The divine name YHWH used with Eloheykhem ("your God") ties the specific, historical victories directly to the ongoing covenant relationship, making it deeply personal and relational. This distinguishes Israel's God from impersonal deities.
- The specific mention of "nations" and God fighting "for you" carries strong redemptive-historical weight. It points back to God's promise to Abraham to give his descendants the land and highlights God's justice against the wicked inhabitants while providing salvation for His chosen people.
Joshua 23 3 Commentary
Joshua 23:3 encapsulates a core theological truth vital for Israel's past and future: the LORD is their Divine Warrior. Joshua, in his twilight years, doesn't attribute Israel's land, peace, or survival to their military strength or cunning, but unequivocally to God's direct, personal, and relentless engagement on their behalf. This verse functions as both a celebration of past divine fidelity and a potent lesson for continued reliance. It firmly grounds Israel's existence and success in the faithfulness of their covenant-keeping God. By emphasizing that God "has fought for you," Joshua corrects any potential national pride or self-reliance, channeling all praise and future hope toward the one true Source of their strength. This message applies timelessly: believers are reminded that true battles, spiritual or otherwise, are ultimately won by God's power and not by human effort alone.