Joshua 24:1-7

The Covenant Renewed at Shechem

1 Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges and officials of Israel, and they presented themselves before God.

2 Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods.

3 But I took your father Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him throughout Canaan and gave him many descendants. I gave him Isaac,

4 and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I assigned the hill country of Seir to Esau, but Jacob and his family went down to Egypt.

5 “ ‘Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I afflicted the Egyptians by what I did there, and I brought you out.

6 When I brought your people out of Egypt, you came to the sea, and the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen^[a] as far as the Red Sea.^[b]

7 But they cried to the LORD for help, and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians; he brought the sea over them and covered them. You saw with your own eyes what I did to the Egyptians. Then you lived in the wilderness for a long time.

Joshua 24:1-7 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

• 1. Genesis 49:2
• 2. S Genesis 12:6
• 3. 1 Samuel 12:7; 1 Kings 8:14
• 4. Joshua 7:6
• 5. Joshua 23:2
• 6. Genesis 11:26
• 7. Genesis 11:32
• 8. S Genesis 12:1
• 9. S Genesis 1:28; S Genesis 12:2; Genesis 15:5
• 10. S Genesis 21:3
• 11. S Genesis 25:26
• 12. S Genesis 14:6; S Numbers 24:18; Deuteronomy 2:5
• 13. Genesis 46:5-6
• 14. S Exodus 3:10
• 15. Exodus 12:51
• 16. S Exodus 14:22
• 17. S Exodus 14:9
• 18. Exodus 14:23
• 19. S Exodus 14:10
• 20. Exodus 14:20
• 21. S Exodus 14:28
• 22. S Exodus 19:4
• 23. Deuteronomy 1:46

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "charioteers"
• [b]. Or "the Sea of Reeds"