Yehoshua 24:16

16 And the people answered and said, Chalilah lanu (far be it from us) that we should forsake Hashem, to serve elohim acharim;

Yehoshua 24:16 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 24:16

And the people answered and said
To Joshua, upon his proposal to them, the option he gave them to serve the Lord or idols, and which was only done to try them:

God forbid that we should forsake the Lord, to serve other gods;
they speak with the utmost abhorrence of idolatry, as a thing far from their hearts and thoughts, as the most abominable and execrable that could be thought or spoken of; to forsake the word, and worship, and ordinances of God, and serve the idols of the Gentiles, strange gods, whether more ancient or more recent, such as their fathers worshipped in former times, or the inhabitants of the land they now dwelt in, for which they were spewed out of it.

Yehoshua 24:16 In-Context

14 Now therefore fear Hashem, serve Him batamim (completely) and in emes; put away the elohim which Avoteichem served on the other side of the [Euphrates] River, and in Mitzrayim; and serve ye Hashem.

15 And if it seem rah unto you to serve Hashem, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the elohim which Avoteichem served that were on the other side of the River, or the elohei HaEmori, in whose land ye dwell; but as for me and my bais, we will serve Hashem.

16 And the people answered and said, Chalilah lanu (far be it from us) that we should forsake Hashem, to serve elohim acharim;

17 For Hashem Eloheinu, He it is that brought us up and Avoteinu out of Eretz Mitzrayim, from the bais avadim, and which did those haotot hagedolot in our sight, and was shomer over us in kol HaDerech in which we went, and among Kol HaAmim through whom we passed;

18 And Hashem drove out from before us Kol HaAmim, even HaEmori which dwelt in HaAretz; therefore will we also serve Hashem; for He is Eloheinu.