Joshua 24:19-28

19 Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the LORD. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins.
20 If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.”
21 But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the LORD.”
22 Then Joshua said, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the LORD.” “Yes, we are witnesses,” they replied.
23 “Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.”
24 And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the LORD our God and obey him.”
25 On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws.
26 And Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak near the holy place of the LORD.
27 “See!” he said to all the people. “This stone will be a witness against us. It has heard all the words the LORD has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue to your God.”
28 Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to their own inheritance.

Joshua 24:19-28 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.

Cross References 26

  • 1. S Leviticus 11:44; Leviticus 19:2; S Leviticus 20:26
  • 2. S Exodus 20:5
  • 3. S Exodus 34:7
  • 4. S Exodus 23:21
  • 5. 1 Chronicles 28:9,20; 2 Chronicles 24:18
  • 6. Acts 7:42
  • 7. 1 Samuel 12:25; Hosea 13:11
  • 8. Joshua 23:15
  • 9. ver 27; Ruth 4:10; Isaiah 8:2; Isaiah 43:10; Isaiah 44:8; Jeremiah 42:5; Malachi 2:14
  • 10. Psalms 119:30,173
  • 11. S Deuteronomy 25:9
  • 12. S ver 14
  • 13. 1 Kings 8:58; Psalms 119:36; Psalms 141:4; Jeremiah 31:33
  • 14. Exodus 19:8; Exodus 24:3,7; Deuteronomy 5:27; Jeremiah 42:6
  • 15. S Exodus 24:8
  • 16. S Joshua 17:7
  • 17. Exodus 15:25
  • 18. S Deuteronomy 17:18
  • 19. S Deuteronomy 28:61; S Deuteronomy 31:24
  • 20. S Genesis 28:18; S Deuteronomy 27:2
  • 21. S Genesis 12:6; S Judges 4:11
  • 22. S Genesis 28:18; Habakkuk 2:11
  • 23. S ver 22; S Genesis 21:30; S Joshua 22:27
  • 24. S Joshua 7:11
  • 25. S Numbers 11:20; S Proverbs 30:9
  • 26. Judges 21:23,24
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