Joshua 24:31
in Joshua 24Israel had served the LORD throughout the days of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced all the works that the LORD had done for Israel.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Israel served Jehovah all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, and had known all the work of Jehovah, that he had wrought for Israel.
KJV
And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the Lord, that he had done for Israel.
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This verse in Joshua 24
Commentary
6 notes on this verseAnd Israel served the Lord, etc. - Though there was private idolatry among them, for they had strange gods, yet there was no public idolatry all the days of Joshua and of the elders that overlived Joshua; most of whom must have been advanced in years at the death of this great man. Hence Calmet supposes that the whole of this time might amount to about fifteen years. It has already been noted that this verse is placed by the Septuagint after Jos 24:28.
This site's exposition
Israel served the Lord all
The verse carries its own limit inside the sentence, that Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua. The ground it gives is knowledge, that those elders had known all the works of the Lord which he did for Israel. Judges 2:10 supplies the other half, another generation which knew not the Lord nor yet his works, so one generation is the whole distance between this verse and the collapse.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
While Joshua lived, religion was kept up among them under his care and influence; but soon after he and his contemporaries died it went to decay, so much oftentimes does one head hold up: how well is it for the gospel church that Christ, our Joshua, is still with it, by his Spirit, and will be always, even unto the end of the world!
And the children of Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua,....
Note, We must never think our work for God done till our life is done; and, if he lengthen out our days beyond what we thought, we must conclude it is because he has some further service for us to do. The assembly is the same with that in the foregoing chapter, the elders, heads, judges, and officers of Israel,
Modern Voices1 voice
A commentator
Robert HendersonApostolic Leader Says We Must Be Ready to Raise the Dead (Charisma News) (2022)
proposed
In Joshua 24:31, we are told that succeeding generations failed to follow the Lord because they knew nothing of His power. It is only the power of God mixed with good doctrine that holds us sufficiently.
The words behind it
24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּעֲבֹ֤ד | vaiyaavod | and it served | H5647 → | 288 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| כֹּ֖ל | kol | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| יְמֵ֣י | yemei | [the] days of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| יְהוֹשֻׁ֑עַ | yehoshua' | Joshua | H3091 → | 218 times |
| וְכֹ֣ל׀ | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| יְמֵ֣י | yemei | [the] days of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַזְּקֵנִ֗ים | hazekenim | the old [men] | H2205 → | 178 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הֶאֱרִ֤יכוּ | heerikhu | they made long | H748 → | |
| יָמִים֙ | yamim | days | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| אַחֲרֵ֣י | ʾacharei | after | H310 → | 715 times |
| יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַ | yehoshua' | Joshua | H3091 → | 218 times |
| וַאֲשֶׁ֣ר | vaasher | and who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יָדְע֗וּ | yadeu | they knew | H3045 → | 945 times |
| אֵ֚ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה | maaseh | [the] work of | H4639 → | |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עָשָׂ֖ה | ʾasah | he had done | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| לְיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ | leyisrael | for Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
וַיַּעֲבֹ֤דand it served
vaiyaavodH5647 →288 times
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יְהוָ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
כֹּ֖לall
kolH3605 →5413 times
יְמֵ֣י[the] days of
yemeiH3117 →2304 times
יְהוֹשֻׁ֑עַJoshua
yehoshua'H3091 →218 times
וְכֹ֣ל׀and all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
יְמֵ֣י[the] days of
yemeiH3117 →2304 times
הַזְּקֵנִ֗יםthe old [men]
hazekenimH2205 →178 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
הֶאֱרִ֤יכוּthey made long
heerikhuH748 →
יָמִים֙days
yamimH3117 →2304 times
אַחֲרֵ֣יafter
ʾachareiH310 →715 times
יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַJoshua
yehoshua'H3091 →218 times
וַאֲשֶׁ֣רand who
vaasherH834 →5497 times
יָדְע֗וּthey knew
yadeuH3045 →945 times
אֵ֚ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה[the] work of
maasehH4639 →
יְהוָ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
עָשָׂ֖הhe had done
ʾasahH6213 →2628 times
לְיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃for Israel
leyisraelH3478 →2507 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
Deuteronomy 31:29For I know that after my death you will become utterly corrupt and turn from the path I have commanded you. And in the days to come, disaster will befall you because you will…
it leads to
- Judges 2:19
But when the judge died, the Israelites became even more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods to serve them and bow down to them. They would not give up their evil practices…
- Deuteronomy 32:5
His people have acted corruptly toward Him; the spot on them is not that of His children, but of a perverse and crooked generation.
- Isaiah 1:4
Alas, O sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children of depravity! They have forsaken the LORD; they have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on…
- Luke 21:24
They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations. And Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
- Luke 19:42–44
and said, “If only you had known on this day what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes.
- Judges 2:19
Through
Deuteronomy 31:13Then their children who do not know the law will listen and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as you live in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 11:2
Know this day that it is not your children who have known and seen the discipline of the LORD your God: His greatness, His mighty hand, and His outstretched arm;
- Deuteronomy 11:2
Through
Judges 2:7And the people served the LORD throughout the days of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him, who had seen all the great works that the LORD had done for Israel.
it leads to
- Philippians 2:12
Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
- 2 Kings 12:2
And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the days he was instructed by Jehoiada the priest.
- Philippians 2:12
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Joshua

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Robert Henderson, Apostolic Leader Says We Must Be Ready to Raise the Dead (Charisma News).
