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.

JOSHUA 23:13KJV
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Joshua 23:13 (KJV)

What does Joshua 23:13 mean?

Joshua 23:13 warns the Israelites that if they turn away from God and mix with the remaining nations in the land, God will no longer help drive those nations out. Instead, these nations will become a source of trouble and pain for Israel, eventually leading to their loss of the land God gave them.

In this verse, Joshua is speaking to the leaders of Israel near the end of his life, reminding them of the consequences of disobedience. The language is vivid, describing the nations as snares, traps, scourges, and thorns—images that show the real dangers and suffering that will come if Israel does not remain faithful to God. This warning is part of Joshua’s farewell speech, urging the people to stay true to their covenant.

The Hebrew behind Joshua 23:13

  • "Snares" (מוֹקֵשִׁים, moqeshim) and "traps" (מֽוֹקְשִׁים, moqeshim): Both words refer to hidden dangers that can catch someone unexpectedly, emphasizing that the nations will be a constant threat if Israel does not obey.
  • "Scourges" (שֹׁטֵטִים, shoteṭim): This word means whips or lashes, painting a picture of ongoing pain and harassment, not just a one-time problem.
  • "Thorns" (צְנִינִים, tzeninim): The word for "thorns" in the eyes is a strong image of irritation and suffering, showing that the consequences will be both persistent and deeply felt.

Why Joshua 23:13 matters

  • Joshua 23:13 makes it clear that God’s promise to help Israel depended on their faithfulness, not just on their national identity or past victories.
  • The verse uses strong, physical images to show that disobedience would bring real, ongoing hardship, not just spiritual or symbolic consequences.
  • This warning ties directly to the rest of Joshua’s farewell speech, highlighting the seriousness of the covenant and the reality of the choices Israel faced as they settled in the land.

Where else these words appear

“thorns” Hebrew H6796 · used in 2 verses

  • Numbers 33:55 But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.

“snares” Hebrew H6341 · used in 25 verses

  • Exodus 39:3 And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, with cunning work.
  • Psalms 124:7 Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped.
  • Isaiah 24:17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.

“traps” Hebrew H4170 · used in 27 verses

  • Exodus 10:7 And Pharaoh's servants said unto him, How long shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?
  • Job 34:30 That the hypocrite reign not, lest the people be ensnared.
  • Proverbs 13:14 The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

“sides” Hebrew H6654 · used in 27 verses

  • Genesis 6:16 A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.
  • Joshua 3:16 That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.
  • 2 Samuel 13:34 But Absalom fled. And the young man that kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came much people by the way of the hill side behind him.