Joshua 24:23

23 "Then get rid of those foreign gods that you have," he demanded, "and pledge your loyalty to the Lord, the God of Israel."

Joshua 24:23 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 24:23

Now therefore put away, [said he]
Which last words are rightly supplied, for they are the words of Joshua:

the strange gods which [are] among you;
not their private notions and secret sentiments that some of them had imbibed in favour of idols, and the worship of them, as Ben Gersom thinks; but, as the Targum expresses it,

``the idols of the Gentiles;''

either such as they had brought out of Egypt, or had found among the plunder of the Canaanites, and had secretly retained; or, as others think, their "penates", or household gods, they had privately kept and worshipped, such as those that were in Jacob's family, which he caused to be delivered to him, and which he hid under an oak in this place where Israel were now assembled, ( Genesis 35:2 Genesis 35:4 ) ; and which Joshua by a prophetic discerning spirit perceived were now among them:

and incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel;
to love, fear, and serve him; that is, pray that your hearts may be inclined thereunto, and make use of all means that may tend to direct your hearts to him, and his service; so the Targum,

``to the worship of the Lord God of Israel.''

Joshua 24:23 In-Context

21 The people said to Joshua, "No! We will serve the Lord."

22 Joshua told them, "You are your own witnesses to the fact that you have chosen to serve the Lord." "Yes," they said, "we are witnesses."

23 "Then get rid of those foreign gods that you have," he demanded, "and pledge your loyalty to the Lord, the God of Israel."

24 The people then said to Joshua, "We will serve the Lord our God. We will obey his commands."

25 So Joshua made a covenant for the people that day, and there at Shechem he gave them laws and rules to follow.