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Joshua 23:6 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

6 Be ye therefore very H3966 courageous H2388 to keep H8104 and to do H6213 all that is written H3789 in the book H5612 of the law H8451 of Moses, H4872 that ye turn H5493 not aside therefrom to the right hand H3225 or to the left; H8040

Cross Reference

Ephesians 6:10-19 STRONG

Finally, G3063 my G3450 brethren, G80 be strong G1743 in G1722 the Lord, G2962 and G2532 in G1722 the power G2904 of his G846 might. G2479 Put on G1746 the whole armour G3833 of God, G2316 that G4314 ye G5209 may be able G1410 to stand G2476 against G4314 the wiles G3180 of the devil. G1228 For G3754 we G2254 wrestle G3823 not G3756 against G2076 G4314 flesh G4561 and G2532 blood, G129 but G235 against G4314 principalities, G746 against G4314 powers, G1849 against G4314 the rulers G2888 of the darkness G4655 of this G5127 world, G165 against G4314 spiritual G4152 wickedness G4189 in G1722 high G2032 places. Wherefore G1223 G5124 take unto you G353 the whole armour G3833 of God, G2316 that G2443 ye may be able G1410 to withstand G436 in G1722 the evil G4190 day, G2250 and G2532 having done G2716 all, G537 to stand. G2476 Stand G2476 therefore, G3767 having G4024 your G5216 loins G3751 girt about G4024 with G1722 truth, G225 and G2532 having on G1746 the breastplate G2382 of righteousness; G1343 And G2532 your feet G4228 shod G5265 with G1722 the preparation G2091 of the gospel G2098 of peace; G1515 Above G1909 all, G3956 taking G353 the shield G2375 of faith, G4102 wherewith G1722 G3739 ye shall be able G1410 to quench G4570 all G3956 the fiery G4448 darts G956 of the wicked. G4190 And G2532 take G1209 the helmet G4030 of salvation, G4992 and G2532 the sword G3162 of the Spirit, G4151 which is G3603 the word G4487 of God: G2316 Praying G4336 always G1722 G2540 G3956 with G1223 all G3956 prayer G4335 and G2532 supplication G1162 in G1722 the Spirit, G4151 and G2532 watching G69 thereunto G1519 G5124 G846 with G1722 all G3956 perseverance G4343 and G2532 supplication G1162 for G4012 all G3956 saints; G40 And G2532 for G5228 me, G1700 that G2443 utterance G3056 may be given G1325 unto me, G3427 that I may open G1722 G457 my G3450 mouth G4750 boldly, G1722 G3954 to make known G1107 the mystery G3466 of the gospel, G2098

Joshua 1:7-9 STRONG

Only be thou strong H2388 and very H3966 courageous, H553 that thou mayest observe H8104 to do H6213 according to all the law, H8451 which Moses H4872 my servant H5650 commanded H6680 thee: turn H5493 not from it to the right hand H3225 or to the left, H8040 that thou mayest prosper H7919 whithersoever thou goest. H3212 This book H5612 of the law H8451 shall not depart H4185 out of thy mouth; H6310 but thou shalt meditate H1897 therein day H3119 and night, H3915 that thou mayest observe H8104 to do H6213 according to all that is written H3789 therein: for then thou shalt make H6743 thy way H1870 prosperous, H6743 and then thou shalt have good success. H7919 Have not I commanded H6680 thee? Be strong H2388 and of a good courage; H553 be not afraid, H6206 neither be thou dismayed: H2865 for the LORD H3068 thy God H430 is with thee whithersoever thou goest. H3212

Proverbs 4:26-27 STRONG

Ponder H6424 the path H4570 of thy feet, H7272 and let all thy ways H1870 be established. H3559 Turn H5186 not to the right hand H3225 nor to the left: H8040 remove H5493 thy foot H7272 from evil. H7451

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Joshua 23

Commentary on Joshua 23 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary


Introduction

Joshua's Farewell and Death - Joshua 23-24

After the division of the land among the tribes, Joshua had withdrawn to Timnath-serah , on the mountains of Ephraim (Joshua 19:50), to spend the last days of his life there in the quiet enjoyment of his own inheritance. But when the time of his departure from the earth was drawing near, remembering the call which he had received from the Lord (Joshua 1:6-8), he felt constrained to gather the people together once more in the persons of their representatives, to warn them most earnestly of the dangers of apostasy from the Lord, and point out the evils that would follow (Josh 23); and then after that, in a solemn assembly of the nation at Shechem, to review the abundant mercies which the Lord had conferred upon Israel from the calling of Abraham to that day, that he might call upon them to remain stedfast and faithful in the worship of their God, and then solemnly renew the covenant with the Lord.

(Note: “The pious solicitude of Joshua furnishes an example worthy of imitation by all who have the charge of others. For just as a father would not be regarded as sufficiently careful it he merely thought of the interests of his children up to the time of his own death, and did not extend his thoughtfulness on their behalf still further, and as far as was in his power endeavour to provide for their welfare when he himself should be dead; so good rulers ought to look forward that they may not only leave behind them a well-organized state, but may also strengthen and secure its existence for a long time to come.” - Calvin (with special reference to 2 Peter 1:13-15).)


Verse 1

Exhortation to the Tribes of Israel to Remain Faithful to their Calling. - Joshua 23:1, Joshua 23:2. The introduction to the discourse which follows is attached in its first part to Joshua 22:3-4, and thus also to Joshua 21:43-44, whilst in the second part it points back to Joshua 13:1. The Lord had given the people rest from all their enemies round about, after the land had been subdued and divided by lot (Joshua 21:43-44). Joshua was already an old man at the termination of the war (Joshua 13:1); but since then he had advanced still further in age, so that he may have noticed the signs of the near approach of death. He therefore called together the representatives of the people, either to Timnath-serah where he dwelt (Joshua 19:50), or to Shiloh to the tabernacle, the central sanctuary of the whole nation, as the most suitable place for his purpose. “ All Israel ” is still further defined by the apposition, “ its elders, and its heads, and its judges, and its officers .” This is not to be understood, however, as referring to four different classes of rulers; but the term elders is the general term used to denote all the representatives of the people, who were divided into heads, judges, and officers. And the heads , again, were those who stood at the head of the tribes, families, and fathers' houses, and out of whose number the most suitable persons were chosen as judges and officers (Deuteronomy 1:15; see my Bibl. Arch. ii.


Verses 2-13

Joshua commenced his address by reminding them of the greatest manifestations of grace which they had received from the Lord, namely, by referring to what the Lord had done to all these nations (the Canaanites) before them, when He fought for Israel, as Moses had promised them (Deuteronomy 1:30 and Deuteronomy 3:22).

Joshua 23:3

Before you ,” sc., smiting and driving them away.

Joshua 23:4

He (Joshua) had now divided by lot among the tribes of Israel as their inheritance these still remaining (Canaanitish) nations, as the Lord had commanded (Joshua 13:6-7), “ from Jordan and further all the nations, which I have exterminated (i.e., which Joshua had destroyed when Canaan was taken), and the great sea (for 'to the great sea') in the west .” The breadth of the land of Canaan is here given in a peculiar manner, the terminus a quo being mentioned in the first clause, and the terminus ad quem (though without the preposition עד ) in the second; and through the parallelism which exists between the clauses, each clause is left to be completed from the other. So that the whole sentence would read thus: “ All these nations which remain ... from Jordan to the great sea, also all the nations which I have cut off from Jordan, and to the great sea westward .”

Joshua 23:5

For the Lord would drive all these still remaining nations before the Israelites, and cut them off, and give the Israelites their land for a possession, as He had promised (Joshua 13:6; cf. Exodus 23:23.). הדף , as in Deuteronomy 6:19; Deuteronomy 9:4; and the form יהדּפם , with Chateph-kametz , on account of the weakness of the ה , as in Numbers 35:20. ירשׁתּם , as in Joshua 1:15.

Joshua 23:6-8

Only let them be strong, i.e., be brave, to keep the law of Moses without fail (cf. Joshua 1:7), to enter into no fellowship with these remaining nations ( בּוא , to enter into close intimacy with a person; see Joshua 23:12), and not to pay reverence to their gods in any way, but to adhere stedfastly to the Lord their God as they had hitherto done. To make mention of the names of the idols (Exodus 23:13), to swear by them, to serve them (by sacrifices), and to bow down to them (to invoke them in prayer), are the four outward forms of divine worship (see Deuteronomy 6:13; Deuteronomy 10:20). The concluding words, “ as ye have done unto this day ,” which express a reason for persevering in the attachment they had hitherto shown to Jehovah, “do not affirm that the Israelites had hitherto done all these things fully and perfectly; for who does not know how few mortals there are who devote themselves to God with all the piety and love which He justly demands? But because the nation as a whole had kept the laws delivered to them by Moses, during the time that the government had been in the hands of Joshua, the sins of individual men were left out of sight on this occasion” ( Masius ).

Joshua 23:9-13

For this reason the Lord had driven out great and strong nations before the Israelites, so that no one was able to stand before them. The first hemistich points to the fulfilment of Deuteronomy 4:38; Deuteronomy 7:1; Deuteronomy 9:1; Deuteronomy 11:23; the second to that of Deuteronomy 7:24; Deuteronomy 11:25. ואתּם is placed at the beginning absolutely. - In Joshua 23:10 , the blessing of fidelity to the law which Israel had hitherto experienced, is described, as in Deuteronomy 32:30, upon the basis of the promise in Leviticus 26:7-8, and Deuteronomy 28:7, and in Joshua 23:10 the thought of Joshua 23:3 is repeated. To this there is attached, in Joshua 23:11-13, the admonition to take heed for the sake of their souls (cf. Deuteronomy 4:15), to love the Lord their God (on the love of God as the sum of the fulfilment of the law, see Deuteronomy 6:5; Deuteronomy 10:12; Deuteronomy 11:13). For if they turned, i.e., gave up the faithfulness they had hitherto displayed towards Jehovah, and attached themselves to the remnant of these nations, made marriages with them, and entered into fellowship with them, which the Lord had expressly forbidden (Exodus 34:12-15; Deuteronomy 7:3), let them know that the Lord their God would not cut off these nations before them any more, but that they would be a snare and destruction to them. This threat is founded upon such passages of the law as Exodus 23:33; Deuteronomy 7:16, and more especially Numbers 33:55. The figure of a trap, which is employed here (see Exodus 10:7), is still further strengthened by פּח , a snare (cf. Isaiah 8:14-15). Shotet , a whip or scourge , an emphatic form of the word derived from the poel of שׁוּט , only occurs here. “ Scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes ” (see Numbers 33:55). Joshua crowds his figures together to depict the misery and oppression which would be sure to result from fellowship with the Canaanites, because, from his knowledge of the fickleness of the people, and the wickedness of the human heart in its natural state, he could foresee that the apostasy of the nation from the Lord, which Moses had foretold, would take place but too quickly; as it actually did, according to Judges 2:3., in the very next generation. The words “ until ye perish ,” etc., resume the threat held out by Moses in Deuteronomy 11:17 (cf. Josh Deuteronomy 28:21.).


Verses 14-16

In the second part of his address, Joshua sums up briefly and concisely the leading thoughts of the first part, giving greater prominence, however, to the curse which would follow apostasy from the Lord.

Joshua 23:14-16

Now that Joshua was going the way of all the earth (all the inhabitants of the earth), i.e., going to die (1 Kings 2:2), the Israelites knew with all the heart and all the soul, i.e., were fully convinced, that of all the good words (gracious promises) of God not one had failed, but all had come to pass (vid., Joshua 21:45). But it was just as certain that the Lord would bring upon them every evil word that He spake through Moses (Lev 26:14-33; Deut 28:15-68, and Deuteronomy 29:14-28), if they transgressed His covenant. “ The evil word ” is the curse of rejection (Deuteronomy 30:1, Deuteronomy 30:15). “ Until He have destroyed: ” see Deuteronomy 7:24, and Deuteronomy 28:48. The other words as in Joshua 23:13 . If they went after other gods and served them, the wrath of the Lord would burn against them, and they would be quickly destroyed from the good land which He had given them (vid., Deuteronomy 11:17).