Joshua 24:23

23 "Now then," said Joshua, "throw away the gods that are among you. People from other lands serve those gods. Give yourselves completely 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 But the people spoke to Joshua. They said, "No! We will serve the Lord."

22 Then Joshua said, "You are witnesses against yourselves. You have said that you have chosen to serve the Lord." "Yes. We are witnesses," they replied.

23 "Now then," said Joshua, "throw away the gods that are among you. People from other lands serve those gods. Give yourselves completely to the Lord, the God of Israel."

24 Then the people spoke to Joshua. They said, "We will serve the LORD our God. We will obey him."

25 On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people. There at Shechem he wrote down rules and laws for them.