Joshua 24:1-13

Joshua Recounts Their History

1 And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem; he summoned the elders of Israel, their heads, their judges, and their officials, and they presented themselves before God.

2 And Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says Yahweh the God of Israel: '{Long ago} your ancestors--Terah the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor--lived beyond the river, and they served other gods.

3 I took your ancestor Abraham from beyond the river and led him through all the land of Canaan, and I increased his offspring; I gave him Isaac,

4 and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I gave the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down [to] Egypt.

5 And I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with what I did in its midst; and afterward I brought you out.

6 When I brought out your ancestors from Egypt, you came to the sea, and the Egyptians pursued after your ancestors with chariots and horsemen to the {Red Sea}.

7 They cried out to Yahweh, and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and he brought the sea over them and covered them; your own eyes saw what I did in Egypt. Then you lived in the wilderness for many days.

8 And I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived beyond the Jordan; they fought you, and I gave them into your hand; you took possession of their land, and I destroyed them {before you}.

9 Then Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, set out and fought against Israel, and he sent and summoned Balaam son of Beor to curse you,

10 but I was not willing to listen to Balaam, and he richly blessed you. So I rescued you from his hand,

11 and you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. And the citizens of Jericho, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, fought against you, and I gave them into your hand.

12 I sent before you [the] hornet and they drove out before you two kings of the Amorites; [but] not by your sword or bow.

13 I gave to you a land that you have not labored on, and cities that you have not built, and you live in them; you eat [from] vineyards and olive groves that you have not planted.'

Joshua 24:1-13 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 24

This chapter gives us an account of another summons of the tribes of Israel by Joshua, who obeyed it, and presented themselves before the Lord at Shechem, Jos 24:1; when Joshua in the name of the Lord rehearsed to them the many great and good things the Lord had done for them, from the time of their ancestor Abraham to that day, Jos 24:2-13; and then exhorted them to fear and serve the Lord, and reject idols, Jos 24:14; and put them upon making their choice, whether they would serve the true God, or the gods of the Canaanites; and they choosing the former, he advised them to abide by their choice, Jos 24:15-24; and made a covenant with them to that purpose, and then dismissed them, Jos 24:25-28; and the chapter is concluded with an account of the death and burial of Joshua and Eleazar, and of the interment of the bones of Joseph, Jos 24:29-33.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "from ancient"
• [b]. Or "fathers"
• [c]. That is, the Euphrates
• [d]. Or "father"
• [e]. That is, the Euphrates
• [f]. Or "fathers"
• [g]. Or "fathers"
• [h]. Hebrew "chariot"
• [i]. Literally "sea of reed"
• [j]. That is, the Egyptians
• [k]. Hebrew "Amorite"
• [l]. Literally "in your presence"
• [m]. Hebrew "Amorite"
• [n]. Hebrew "Perizzite"
• [o]. Hebrew "Canaanite"
• [p]. Hebrew "Hittite"
• [q]. Hebrew "Girgashite"
• [r]. Hebrew "Hivite"
• [s]. Hebrew "Jebusite"
• [t]. Hebrew "Amorite"
• [u]. Or "dwell"