Joshua 23

1 And when much time was passed after that the Lord had given peace to Israel, and when all nations about were subjected (and when all the nations about were made subject to them); and when Joshua was now of long life, and of full eld age,

2 Joshua called all Israel, and the greater men in birth, and the princes, and dukes, and masters, and he said to them, I have elded, and I am of full great age; (he called all Israel, and the men of great age, that is, the elders, and the leaders, and the judges, and the officers, and he said to them, I have now grown old, and I am of a very great age;)

3 and ye behold all things which your Lord God hath done to all nations about, how he hath fought for you. (and ye see all the things which the Lord your God hath done to all the nations about, yea, how he hath fought for you.)

4 And now for he hath parted to you by lot all the land, from the east part of (the) Jordan unto the great sea, and many nations be left yet, (And now, for I have divided up for you by lot, all the land of the nations that I have destroyed, as well as those that still be left, from the Jordan River in the east, unto the Mediterranean Sea in the west,

5 your Lord God shall destroy them (and the Lord your God shall destroy all those who remain), and he shall take them away from your face; and ye shall wield their land, as he promised to you.

6 Only be ye comforted, and be ye busy, that ye keep all things that be written in the book of Moses? law, and bow ye not away from those things, neither to the right side, neither to the left side, (So be ye strengthened/So be ye encouraged, and be ye busy, that ye obey all the things that be written in the Book of the Law by Moses, and turn ye not away from those things, neither to the right, nor to the left,)

7 lest after that ye have entered to the heathen men, that shall be among you, ye swear in the name of their gods, and serve those gods, and worship them. (lest that ye be mixed, or mingled, with the heathen, who be among you, and ye swear in the name of their gods, and serve those gods, and worship them.)

8 But cleave ye to your Lord God (So cleave ye only to the Lord your God), the which thing ye have done unto this day;

9 and then the Lord God shall do away in your sight great folks, and strongest; and none shall be able to against-stand you. (for the Lord God hath done away from before you great and strong nations, and none hath been able to stand against you.)

10 One of you shall pursue a thousand men of enemies, for your Lord God shall fight for you, as he hath promised. (Yea, one of you can pursue a thousand of the enemies, for the Lord your God fighteth for you, as he promised you that he would.)

11 Be ye ware before most diligently of this thing only, that ye love your Lord God. (But be ye ware, that ye do this thing most diligently, that ye love the Lord your God.)

12 That if ye will cleave to the errors of these folks that dwell among you, and will meddle marriages with them, and couple friendships, (But if ye cleave to the errors of these people who live among you, and will mix marriages with them, and couple friendships,)

13 know ye right now, that the Lord your God shall not do away them before your face, but they shall be to you into a ditch, and into a snare, and into hurting of your side, and into stakes in your eyes, till your Lord God take away you, and destroy you from this best land, which he gave to you. (then know ye right now, that the Lord your God shall not do them away from before your face, but they shall be for you a ditch, and a snare, and a hurting to your side, and stakes in your eyes, until the Lord your God shall take you away, and destroy you from off this best land, which he gave to you.)

14 Lo! I enter today into the way of all (the) earth, for soon I shall die, as each man shall; and ye shall know with all (your) soul, that of all [the] words which the Lord promised himself to give to you, not one passed (away) in vain. (Lo! I go today the way of all people upon the earth, for soon I shall die, as each person shall; and ye know with all your soul, that of all the things which the Lord promised to give you, not one thing hath been left void, or undone.

15 Therefore as he [ful]filled in work that, that he promised, and all things befelled by prosperity, so he shall bring on you whatever thing of evils he menaced, till he take away you, and destroy (you) from this best land, which he gave to you. (And so as he hath fulfilled with deeds what he promised, and all things have befallen with prosperity, so he shall also bring upon you whatever evil things that he threatened, until he shall take you away, and destroy you from off this best land, which he gave to you.)

16 For ye brake the covenant of your Lord God, which he made with you, and served alien gods, and worshipped them, soon and swiftly the strong vengeance of the Lord shall rise onto you; and ye shall be taken away from this best land, which he gave to you. (For if ye break the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and serve foreign, or other, gods, and worship them, then the strong vengeance of the Lord shall soon rise up against you; and ye shall swiftly be taken away from off this best land, which he gave to you.)

Joshua 23 Commentary

Chapter 23

Joshua's exhortation before his death. (1-10) Joshua warns the people of idolatry. (11-16)

Verses 1-10 Joshua was old and dying, let them observe what he said now. He put them in mind of the great things God had done for them in his days. He exhorted them to be very courageous. Keep with care, do with diligence, and regard with sincerity what is written. Also, very cautiously to endeavour that the heathen idolatry may be forgotten, so that it may never be revived. It is sad that among Christians the names of the heathen gods are so commonly used, and made so familiar as they are. Joshua exhorts them to be very constant. There might be many things amiss among them, but they had not forsaken the Lord their God; the way to make people better, is to make the best of them.

Verses 11-16 Would we cleave to the Lord, we must always stand upon our guard, for many a soul is lost through carelessness. Love the Lord your God, and you will not leave him. Has God been thus true to you? Be not you false to him. He is faithful that has promised, ( Hebrews 10:23 ) . The experience of every Christian witnesses the same truth. Conflicts may have been severe and long, trials great and many; but at the last he will acknowledge that goodness and mercy followed him all the days of his life. Joshua states the fatal consequences of going back; know for a certainty it will be your ruin. The first step would be, friendship with idolaters; the next would be, marrying with them; the end of that would be, serving their gods. Thus the way of sin is down-hill, and those who have fellowship with sinners, cannot avoid having fellowship with sin. He describes the destruction he warns them of. The goodness of the heavenly Canaan, and the free and sure grant God has made of it, will add to the misery of those who shall for ever be shut out from it. Nothing will make them see how wretched they are, so much, as to see how happy they might have been. Let us watch and pray against temptation. Let us trust in God's faithfulness, love, and power; let us plead his promises, and cleave to his commandments, then we shall be happy in life, in death, and for ever.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 23

Joshua being old, convenes the states of Israel a little before his death, Jos 23:1,2; and in his address to them observes what God had done for them, and would do, Jos 23:3-5; and exhorts them to keep the commandments of God, and cleave to him, and not to mix with the Gentiles, and join with them in idolatrous practices, and then it would be well with them, Jos 23:6-11; but otherwise should they join with them, and depart from the Lord, who had so faithfully and punctually performed every good thing he had promised them, they might expect all evils and calamities, utter ruin and destruction, to befall them, Jos 23:12-16.