Joshua 24:22

22 And so Joshua addressed the people: "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen God for yourselves - to worship him." And they said, "We are witnesses."

Joshua 24:22 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 24:22

And Joshua said unto the people
In reply to their answer and resolution:

ye [are] witnesses against yourselves, that ye have chosen you the
Lord God to serve him;
that is, should they, after this choice of him, which they had so publicly declared, desert his service, and go into idolatry, their testimony would rise up against them, and they would, be self-condemned:

and they said, [we are] witnesses;
should we ever apostatize from the Lord and his worship, we are content to have this our witness produced against us.

Joshua 24:22 In-Context

20 When you leave God and take up the worship of foreign gods, he'll turn right around and come down on you hard. He'll put an end to you - and after all the good he has done for you!"
21 But the people told Joshua: "No! No! We worship God!"
22 And so Joshua addressed the people: "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen God for yourselves - to worship him." And they said, "We are witnesses."
23 Joshua said, "Now get rid of all the foreign gods you have with you. Say an unqualified Yes to God, the God of Israel."
24 The people answered Joshua, "We will worship God. What he says, we'll do."
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.