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Joshua 23

KJV · Chapter 23/24

1And it came to pass a long time after that the Lord had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua waxed old and stricken in age.

2And Joshua called for all Israel, and for their elders, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers, and said unto them, I am old and stricken in age:

3And ye have seen all that the Lord your God hath done unto all these nations because of you; for the Lord your God is he that hath fought for you.

4Behold, I have divided unto you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even unto the great sea westward.

5And the Lord your God, he shall expel them from before you, and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess their land, as the Lord your God hath promised unto you.

6Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;

7That ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them:

8But cleave unto the Lord your God, as ye have done unto this day.

9For the Lord hath driven out from before you great nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath been able to stand before you unto this day.

10One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the Lord your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you.

11Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the Lord your God.

12Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you:

13Know for a certainty that the Lord your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you.

14And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.

15Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all good things are come upon you, which the Lord your God promised you; so shall the Lord bring upon you all evil things, until he have destroyed you from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you.

16When ye have transgressed the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to them; then shall the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which he hath given unto you.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Now very old, Joshua gathers the leaders of Israel for his farewell speech, urging them to remain faithful to God and not mix with the remaining nations.

Explanation

Joshua uses his final authority to leave a clear warning: the remaining presence of Canaanite nations in the land, even though subdued, posed a real spiritual risk that Israel would adopt their gods through marriages and alliances. He recalls that 'one man of you shall chase a thousand,' reinforcing that the victories came from the Lord, not from Israel's own strength - and that the same God who fulfilled the promises of blessing would also fulfill the warnings of judgment if there was unfaithfulness. It is a farewell speech centered not on past conquests, but on the ongoing faithfulness required in the future.

Fun facts

  • This speech strongly echoes the tone and final words of Moses in Deuteronomy, showing Joshua consciously following the leadership pattern of his mentor.
  • The expression 'snare and trap' used to describe the influence of the remaining nations (v. 13) is the same image used later in Judges to describe exactly what happened to Israel.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Joshua 23:1Joshua, now old, gathers the whole people for a farewell speech, in the same pattern Moses uses in Deuteronomy before his death: an aging leader recalls what God has done and leaves final instructions before stepping off the stage. It was a common way, in the ancient world, to close out someone's leadership without leaving any doubt about what comes next.
  2. Joshua 23:2Now old, Joshua gathers the leaders of all Israel for a farewell speech.
  3. Joshua 23:3He reminds them that the people themselves witnessed everything God did to the conquered nations, making it clear that it was God who fought for them.
  4. Joshua 23:4Joshua recalls that he has already distributed all this land by lot, including territory not yet fully conquered.
  5. Joshua 23:5He assures them that God will keep driving out the remaining peoples, allowing Israel to fully take possession of the promised land.
  6. Joshua 23:6The main counsel is to stay faithful to the law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left.
  7. Joshua 23:7Joshua asks the people not even to mention the names of the gods of the neighboring nations. It's not just about avoiding worship of them — it's about avoiding any familiarity with them at all, like cutting off a temptation at the root before it can take hold.
  8. Joshua 23:8The instruction is to keep clinging to God, just as they have done up to that day.
  9. Joshua 23:9Joshua recalls that God has already driven out great and powerful nations, and that no one has been able to stand against Israel so far.
  10. Joshua 23:10He stresses that Israel's strength in battle never came from the people themselves, but from God fighting for them.
  11. Joshua 23:11That's why the main warning is to watch over their own souls in order to keep loving God.
  12. Joshua 23:12Joshua warns of the danger of mixing with the peoples still left in the land, forming ties through marriages and alliances.
  13. Joshua 23:13If that happens, he warns, God will stop driving out these peoples, who will become a constant trap for Israel.
  14. Joshua 23:14Joshua states that not one of God's good promises has failed up to that moment. The same logic will repeat in the verses that follow, but in reverse: if the people break the covenant, the bad things promised will come true with the same certainty.
  15. Joshua 23:15Joshua draws a direct parallel: just as all of God's good promises came true, the promises of punishment will also come true if the people disobey.
  16. Joshua 23:16The final warning concerns the risk of breaking the covenant with God and following other gods, which would bring divine wrath and expulsion from the conquered land.

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