Joshua 24:15
in Joshua 24But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And if it seem evil unto you to serve Jehovah, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah.
KJV
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
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This verse in Joshua 24
Commentary
11 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Choose - Service of God in sincerity and truth can only result from a free and willing allegiance of the heart. This accordingly is what Joshua invites, as Moses had done before him (Deu 30:15 ff).
This site's exposition
Now, therefore, fear the LORD
on Joshua 24:14-15
The order to cast aside the gods their fathers served shows idols still in the camp after all that verses 2 to 13 recite. Joshua's choice lies between the gods beyond the Euphrates and those of the Amorites, so serving nothing at all is absent from the options.
This site's exposition
choose for yourselves this day
Choose is the verb of Deuteronomy 30:19, where Moses told Israel to choose life. Elijah set the same choice on Mount Carmel at 1 Kings 18:21, and there the people did not answer a word. At Shechem the people answer at once.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Therefore, what Joshua said to the people when he settled them in the holy land, the Scripture might also say now to us. The text reads as follows, "Now fear the Lord and worship him in sincerity and righteousness."
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
He will - But know this, if you should all be so base and brutish, as to prefer senseless and impotent idols, before the true and living God, it is my firm purpose, that I will, and my children, and servants (as far as I can influence them) shall be constant and faithful to the Lord.
And if it seem evil to you to serve the Lord,....
Note, The service of God is nothing below the greatest of men; it is so far from being a diminution and disparagement to princes and those of the first rank to be religious that it is their greatest honour, and adds the brightest crown of glory to them. Observe how positive he is: "I will serve God." It is no abridgment of our liberty to bind ourselves with a bond to God.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
JOSHUA knew that the people who surrounded him, while ostensibly serving Jehovah, were, many of them, secretly worshipping the ancient idols of their Mesopotamian fathers—those seraphim which were once hidden in Rachel's tent and were never quite purged from Jacob's family. Some of them, also, harbored the Egyptian emblems. And some had even fallen into the worship of the gods of the people whom they had displaced and were setting up the images of Baalim in their homes. The people were nominally worshippers of Jehovah, but in reality, many of them had turned aside unto strange gods.
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth--After having enumerated so many grounds for national gratitude, Joshua calls on them to declare, in a public and solemn manner, whether they will be faithful and obedient to the God of Israel.
JOSHUA knew that the people who surrounded him, while ostensibly serving Jehovah, were, many of them, secretly worshipping the ancient idols of their Mesopotamian fathers—those seraphim which were once hidden in Rachel's tent and were never quite purged from Jacob's family. Some of them, also, harbored the Egyptian emblems. And some had even fallen into the worship of the gods of the people whom they had displaced and were setting up the images of Baalim in their homes. The people were nominally worshippers of Jehovah, but in reality, many of them had turned aside unto strange gods. Never in their best days had the children of Israel been quite divorced from idols, for, as Stephen said of them, even in the wilderness they took up the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of their god Remphan, figures which they made, to worship. Now, being a thorough-going, decided, down-right man, Joshua could not endure double-mindedness and, therefore, he pushed the people to decision, urging them to serve the Lord with sincerity and, if they did so, to put away, altogether, all their graven images. He demanded from them a determination for one thing or the other, and cried, "If it seems evil unto you to serve Jehovah, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites among whom you dwell." He shut them up to a present choice between the true God and the idols and gave them no rest in their half-heartedness. Anticipating the cry of Elijah upon Carmel, he demanded, in effect, "How long halt you between two opinions? If God is God, serve Him, but if Baal is God, serve him." He demanded a decision and rightly so. Can either earth or Heaven be quiet while such a matter is in suspense? To compel them to assert their decision, he declared his own.
Choose you this day whom ye will serve - Joshua well knew that all service that was not free and voluntary could be only deceit and hypocrisy, and that God loveth a cheerful giver. He therefore calls upon the people to make their choice, for God himself would not force them - they must serve him with all their heart if they served him at all. As for himself and family, he shows them that their choice was already fixed, for they had taken Jehovah for their portion.
The words behind it
34 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאִם֩ | veim | and if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| רַ֨ע | ra' | is displeasing | H7489 → | |
| בְּֽעֵינֵיכֶ֜ם | beeineikhem | in view your | H5869 → | 887 times |
| לַעֲבֹ֣ד | laavod | to serve | H5647 → | 288 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְהוָ֗ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| בַּחֲר֨וּ | bacharu | choose | H977 → | 171 times |
| לָכֶ֣ם | lakhem | for <the> yourselves | ||
| הַיּוֹם֮ | haiyom | this day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מִ֣י | mi | whom? | H4310 → | |
| תַעֲבֹדוּן֒ | taavodun | will you serve ! | H5647 → | 288 times |
| אִ֣ם | ʾim | whether | H518 → | 1069 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֞ים | ʾelohim | [the] gods | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עָבְד֣וּ | ʾavedu | they served | H5647 → | 288 times |
| אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֗ם | ʾavoteikhem | ancestors your | H1 → | 1212 times |
| אֲשֶׁר֙ | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| מֵעֵ֣בֶר | meever | [were] from [the] other side of | H5676 → | 90 times |
| הַנָּהָ֔ר | hanahar | the river | H5104 → | 119 times |
| וְאִם֙ | veim | and or | H518 → | 1069 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֱלֹהֵ֣י | ʾelohei | [the] gods of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| הָאֱמֹרִ֔י | haemori | the Amorite[s] | H567 → | 87 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אַתֶּ֖ם | ʾatem | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| יֹשְׁבִ֣ים | yoshevim | [are] dwelling | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| בְּאַרְצָ֑ם | beartzam | in land their | H776 → | 2504 times |
| וְאָנֹכִ֣י | veanokhi | and I | H595 → | 359 times |
| וּבֵיתִ֔י | uveiti | and household my | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| נַעֲבֹ֖ד | naavod | we will serve | H5647 → | 288 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ פ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
וְאִם֩and if
veimH518 →1069 times
רַ֨עis displeasing
ra'H7489 →
בְּֽעֵינֵיכֶ֜םin view your
beeineikhemH5869 →887 times
לַעֲבֹ֣דto serve
laavodH5647 →288 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יְהוָ֗הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
בַּחֲר֨וּchoose
bacharuH977 →171 times
לָכֶ֣םfor <the> yourselves
lakhem
הַיּוֹם֮this day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מִ֣יwhom?
miH4310 →
תַעֲבֹדוּן֒will you serve !
taavodunH5647 →288 times
אִ֣םwhether
ʾimH518 →1069 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֱלֹהִ֞ים[the] gods
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
עָבְד֣וּthey served
ʾaveduH5647 →288 times
אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֗םancestors your
ʾavoteikhemH1 →1212 times
אֲשֶׁר֙who
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
מֵעֵ֣בֶר[were] from [the] other side of
meeverH5676 →90 times
הַנָּהָ֔רthe river
hanaharH5104 →119 times
וְאִם֙and or
veimH518 →1069 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֱלֹהֵ֣י[the] gods of
ʾeloheiH430 →2601 times
הָאֱמֹרִ֔יthe Amorite[s]
haemoriH567 →87 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhom
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
אַתֶּ֖םyou
ʾatemH859 →1094 times
יֹשְׁבִ֣ים[are] dwelling
yoshevimH3427 →1079 times
בְּאַרְצָ֑םin land their
beartzamH776 →2504 times
וְאָנֹכִ֣יand I
veanokhiH595 →359 times
וּבֵיתִ֔יand household my
uveitiH1004 →2046 times
נַעֲבֹ֖דwe will serve
naavodH5647 →288 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יְהוָֽה׃ פYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Kings 18:21Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people did…
it leads to
- Matthew 6:24
No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and…
- 1 Corinthians 10:21–22
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot partake in the table of the Lord and the table of demons too.
- 2 Corinthians 6:14–16
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?
- 1 Samuel 7:3
Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and Ashtoreths among you, prepare your hearts…
- 2 Kings 17:41
So these nations worshiped the LORD but also served their idols, and to this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their fathers did.
- Matthew 6:24
Through
Deuteronomy 29:18Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the LORD our God to go and worship the gods of those nations. Make sure…
it leads to
- Hebrews 12:15
See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God, and that no root of bitterness springs up to cause trouble and defile many.
- Deuteronomy 11:16–17
But be careful that you are not enticed to turn aside to worship and bow down to other gods,
- Jeremiah 9:15
Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Behold, I will feed this people wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink.
- Hebrews 12:15
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies11
On this chapter
About Joshua
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 1229: “Decision—Illustrated by the Case of Joshua” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Origen of Alexandria, EXHORTATION TO MARTYRDOM 17.