Bible Commentaries
Joshua 24

Verse 1

God. Hebrew ha-Elohim, the God. App-4 . Compare Joshua 22:34 .

Verse 2

Thus smith the LORD . A supplementary revelation by the Spirit of God, who knows all (Hebrew. Jehovah.

saith = hath said.

the LORD God. Hebrew. Jehovah Elohim . App-4 .

flood = the river Euphrates.

Verse 3

I took. Genesis 11:31 - Joshua 12:1 .

and gave . Genesis 21:1-3 .

Verse 4

Jacob and Esau. Compare Genesis 25:25 , Genesis 25:26 .

Esau. Compare Genesis 36:8 . Deuteronomy 2:5

but Jacob. Compare Genesis 46:6 .

children = sons.

Verse 5

I sent. Compare Exodus 3:10 ; Exodus 4:14-16 .

Verse 6

Egypt. After this word the Septuagint preserves a sentence omitted by Figure of speech Homoeoteleuton: "And they became there a great, populous, and mighty people, and were afflicted by Egypt"; the scribe's eye going back to this preceding word Egypt and continuing 2 from there. the Red sea. Compare Exodus 14:9 .

Verse 7

darkness. Hebrew. ophelah, thick and intense darkness. (Occurs only here.

and the . Note Figure of speech Ellipsis ( App-6 ) = "and [between] the".

have seen = saw. have

done = did.

Verse 8

they fought. Compare Numbers 2:21 , Numbers 2:32 .

Verse 9

sent. Compare Numbers 22:5 .Deuteronomy 23:4 .

Verse 11

men = lords or rulers. Hebrew. ba'al .

Verse 12

two kings. Promise began to be fulfilled here. See Exodus 23:28 . Deuteronomy 7:20 .

Verse 14

and in Egypt. So that they were idolaters there. Compare Ezekiel 23:8 . Three systems of idolatry referred to in verses: Joshua 24:14 , Joshua 24:15 , Chaldean, Egyptian, and Canaanite.

Verse 17

He . The italics not needed. There is a Figure of speech Homseoteleuton ( App-6 ), which the Septuagint supplies: "He (is God. He] brought us up", &c. The scribe's eye went back to the latter "He".

people = peoples.

Verse 18

God forbid = For be it from us.

Verse 19

Ye cannot serve. The Ellipsis must be supplied by adding from Joshua 24:14 . "Unless ye put away your idols". See App-6 .

holy. See note on Exodus 6:5 .

GOD. Hebrew. El. App-4 .

sins. App-44 .

Verse 20

then. Compare Joshua 23:15 .

Verse 23

strange gods = strangers' (or foreigners') gods.

Verse 25

made a covenant: i.e. by sacrifice. Compare Jeremiah 34:18 , Jeremiah 34:19 .

Verse 26

the Book of the Law. See note on Exodus 17:14 and App-47 .

an = the.

Verse 27

Behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6 .

it hath heard. Figure of speech Prosopopmia . App-6 .

Verse 28

every man. Hebrew. 'ish. App-14 .

Verse 29

died. In 1434, after living seventeen years in the Land. App-50 .

Verse 30

mount = the hill country.

Gaash. The Septuagint adds here: "And they placed with him in the tomb in which they buried him the knives of stone with which he circumcised the sons of Israel is Gilgal, when he brought them out of Egypt, as the Lord appointed them; and there they are until this day. "

Verse 31

all the days. The expression is not necessarily a long period. in Joshua 11:18 it-seven years; in Joshua 23:1 = within ten years; here it = three years. See App-50 .

works = work.

Verse 32

the bones of Joseph. Compare Genesis 50:25 .Hebrews 11:22 . Shechem. Where God first appeared to Abraham in Canaan (Genesis 12:6 ), and where he built his first altar (Genesis 12:6 , Genesis 12:7 ).

Jacob bought . Compare Genesis 33:19 . Not Acts 7:16 , nor Genesis 23:0 , which was quite a different transaction.

Verse 33

Eleazar. He dies and is succeeded by his son Phinehas. Compare Judges 20:28 . Phinehas had been acting as deputy High Priest as far back as 1444; ten or twelve years before his father died. Compare Joshua 22:13-32 .

Ephraim. The Septuagint adds here: "In that day the sons of Israel took the ark of God, and carried it about among them; and Phineee exercised the priest's office in the room of Eleazar his father, till he died, and he was buried in his own place Gabaar. But the sons of Israel departed every one to their place, and to their own city. And the sons of Israel worshipped Astarte (i.e. the Asherah; see App-42 ) and Astaroth, and the gods of the nations round about them; and the Lotto delivered them into the hands of Eglom king of Moab, and he ruled over them eighteen years".