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Joshua 24:2

in Joshua 24

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

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt of old time beyond the River, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor: and they served other gods.

KJV

And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.

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This verse in Joshua 24

Commentary

12 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

On the other side of the flood - The river Euphrates. They served other gods - Probably Abraham as well as Terah his father was an idolater, till he received the call of God to leave that land. See on Gen 11:31 (note); Gen 12:1 (note).

This site's exposition

Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem

on Joshua 24:1-2

Shechem carries its history into this scene: Abram built his first altar there at Genesis 12:6-7, and Jacob bought ground there at Genesis 33:19. At Genesis 35:4 Jacob buried his household's foreign gods under the oak near Shechem, as Joshua deals with foreign gods and an oak here.

This site's exposition

Terah the father of Abraham

Genesis 11:31 has Terah leave Ur of the Chaldeans with Abram and settle at Haran. Laban, grandson of Nahor through Bethuel, kept the household idols that Rachel stole at Genesis 31:19. The other gods travelled with the family.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening5 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

Let them remember that rock out of which they were hewn, and not relapse into that sin from which their fathers by a miracle of free grace were delivered. "I took him," says God, "else he had never come out of that sinful state." Hence Abraham's justification is made by the apostle an instance of God's justifying the ungodly, Rom. iv.

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

): " Thus saith the Lord, Jehovah, the great God, and the God of Israel, your God in covenant, whom therefore you are bound to hear and give heed to." Note, The word of God is to be received by us as his, whoever is the messenger that brings it, whose greatness cannot add to it, nor his meanness diminish from it.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

proposed

They served - That is, Both Abraham and Nahor were no less idolaters than the rest of mankind. This is said to prevent their vain boasting in their worthy ancestors, and to assure them that whatsoever good was in, or had been done by their progenitors, was wholly from God's free grace, and not for their own merit or righteousness.

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

proposed

Before God - As in God's presence, to hear what Joshua was to speak to them in God's name, and to receive God's commands from his mouth. He had taken a solemn farewell before: but as God renewed his strength, he desired to improve it for their good. We must never think our work for God done, 'till our life is done.
And Joshua said unto all the people,.... Then present, or to all Israel by their representatives: thus saith the Lord God of Israel; he spoke to them in the name of the Lord, as the prophet did, being himself a prophet, and at this time under a divine impulse, and spirit of prophecy.
4 more voices on this verse

The Nineteenth Century4 voices

THIS passage, though audibly uttered by the mouth of Joshua, is to be regarded as the immediate voice of God. Joshua said unto all the people, "Thus says Jehovah, God of Israel." Jehovah reminded the tribes, their elders and judges, of all that He had done and of all that He had been to them—and from this He challenged their allegiance, requiring that they should henceforth be loyal unto their great Benefactor. Addressing them, Himself, His argument became all the more impressive.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

Joshua said unto all the people--His address briefly recapitulated the principal proofs of the divine goodness to Israel from the call of Abraham to their happy establishment in the land of promise; it showed them that they were indebted for their national existence as well as their peculiar privileges, not to any merits of their own, but to the free grace of God.

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

On the other side of the flood - The river Euphrates. They served other gods - Probably Abraham as well as Terah his father was an idolater, till he received the call of God to leave that land. See on Gen 11:31 (note); Gen 12:1 (note).
The other side of the flood - Better “On the other side of the river,” i. e. the Euphrates. See the marginal reference. They served other gods - Possibly the “images,” or teraphim, which we find their ancestor Laban calling “his gods” (see the marginal reference); and of which it would seem that there were, as Joshua spoke, some secret devotees among the people Jos 24:14, Jos 24:25. It is not stated that Abraham himself was an idolater, though his fathers were. Jewish tradition asserts that Abraham while in Ur of the Chaldees was persecuted for his abhorrence of idolatry, and hence, was called away by God from his native land. The reference in the text to the original state of those who were the forefathers of the nation, is made to show that they were no better than others: God chose them not for their excellences but of His own mere motion.

The words behind it

23 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said

    vaiyomerH559 →5305 times

  • יְהוֹשֻׁ֜עַJoshua

    yehoshua'H3091 →218 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • כָּל־all

    kol-H3605 →5413 times

  • הָעָ֗םthe people

    haamH5971 →1873 times

  • כֹּֽה־thus

    koh-H3541 →577 times

  • אָמַ֣רhe says

    ʾamarH559 →5305 times

  • יְהוָה֮Yahweh

    yahwehH3068 →6520 times

  • אֱלֹהֵ֣י[the] God of

    ʾeloheiH430 →2601 times

  • יִשְׂרָאֵל֒Israel

    yisraelH3478 →2507 times

  • בְּעֵ֣בֶרon [the] other side of

    beeverH5676 →90 times

  • הַנָּהָ֗רthe river

    hanaharH5104 →119 times

  • יָשְׁב֤וּthey dwelt

    yashevuH3427 →1079 times

  • אֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶם֙ancestors your

    ʾavoteikhemH1 →1212 times

  • מֵֽעוֹלָ֔םfrom long ago

    meolamH5769 →438 times

  • תֶּ֛רַחTerah

    terachH8646 →

  • אֲבִ֥י[the] father of

    ʾaviH1 →1212 times

  • אַבְרָהָ֖םAbraham

    ʾavrahamH85 →

  • וַאֲבִ֣יand [the] father of

    vaaviH1 →1212 times

  • נָח֑וֹרNahor

    nachorH5152 →

  • וַיַּעַבְד֖וּand they served

    vaiyaavduH5647 →288 times

  • אֱלֹהִ֥יםgods

    ʾelohimH430 →2601 times

  • אֲחֵרִֽים׃other

    ʾacherimH312 →166 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

18 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Joshua 24:15But 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!”6 worksGenesis 11:26When Terah was 70 years old, he became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.5 worksGalatians 4:8Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.5 worksGenesis 31:30Now you have gone off because you long for your father’s house. But why have you stolen my gods?”4 worksEzekiel 16:3and tell her that this is what the Lord GOD says to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth were in the land of the Canaanites. Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.4 worksLuke 3:34the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,4 works
The other 12 cross-references, with their words ▾
Ezekiel 16:4On the day of your birth your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water for cleansing. You were not rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths.4 worksGenesis 31:53May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.4 worksGenesis 35:4So they gave Jacob all their foreign gods and all their earrings, and Jacob buried them under the oak near Shechem.3 worksDeuteronomy 26:5and you are to declare before the LORD your God, “My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down to Egypt few in number and lived there and became a great nation, mighty and numerous.3 worksIsaiah 51:2Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who gave you birth. When I called him, he was but one; then I blessed him and multiplied him.3 worksGenesis 31:32If you find your gods with anyone here, he shall not live! In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself if anything is yours, and take it back.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the idols.3 worksGenesis 31:19Now while Laban was out shearing his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols.3 works1 Chronicles 1:27and Abram (that is, Abraham).3 worksJoshua 24:14Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; cast aside the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.3 worksGenesis 11:22When Serug was 30 years old, he became the father of Nahor.2 worksGenesis 35:2So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods that are among you. Purify yourselves and change your garments.2 worksActs 7:2And Stephen declared: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Joshua 24:15

    But 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…

    it leads to

    • 1 Kings 18:21

      Then 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…

    • John 6:67–68

      So Jesus asked the Twelve, “Do you want to leave too?”

    • Ruth 1:15–16

      “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; follow her back home.”

    • Deuteronomy 29:18

      Make 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…

    • Ezekiel 20:39

      And as for you, O house of Israel, this is what the Lord GOD says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you. But afterward, you will surely listen to Me, and you…

  • Through

    Ezekiel 16:3

    and tell her that this is what the Lord GOD says to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth were in the land of the Canaanites. Your father was an Amorite and your mother a…

    it leads to

    • Ezekiel 16:45

      You are the daughter of your mother, who despised her husband and children. You are the sister of your sisters, who despised their husbands and children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father…

    • Isaiah 51:1–2

      “Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were cut, and to the quarry from which you were hewn.

    • Deuteronomy 20:17

      For you must devote them to complete destruction—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you,

Where this verse is studied

About Joshua

Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still upon Gibeon, John Martin, 1816, National Gallery of Art. Public domain.
Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still upon Gibeon, John Martin, 1816, National Gallery of Art. Public domain.
Joshua: the study guide →Read Joshua 24 →
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 1718: “Certain Singular Subjects” (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; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Joshua 24 →