Bible Commentaries

And Joshua gathered all the ^a tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before ^b God.

(a) That is, the nine tribes and the half.

(b) Before the ark which was brought to Shechem, when they went to bury Joseph's bones.

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

(c) Euphrates in Mesopotamia, (Genesis 11:26).

And when they cried unto the LORD, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and covered them; and your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt: and ye dwelt in the wilderness a ^d long season.

(d) Even forty years.

And ye went over Jordan, and came unto Jericho: and the ^e men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I delivered them into your hand.

(e) Because it was the chief city, under it he contains all the country: else they of the city fought not.

Now therefore ^f fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.

(f) This is the true use of God's benefits, to learn by it to fear and serve him with an upright conscience.

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that [were] on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: ^g but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

(g) This teaches us that if all the world would go from God, yet every one of us particularly is bound to cleave to him.

And the LORD drave out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land: [therefore] will we also serve the LORD; ^h for he [is] our God.

(h) How much more are we bound to serve God in Christ, by whom we have received the redemption of our souls.

And Joshua said unto the people, Ye [are] witnesses ⁱ against yourselves that ye have chosen you the LORD, to serve him. And they said, [We are] witnesses.

(i) If you do the contrary, your own mouths will condemn you.

Now therefore put away, [said he], the strange ^k gods which [are] among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel.

(k) Out of your hearts and otherwise.

So Joshua ^l made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.

(l) By joining God and the people together: also he repeated the promises and threatenings out of the Law.

And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it ^m hath heard all the words of the LORD which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God.

(m) So that man's deception should not go unpunished, the dumb creatures will cry for vengeance.

And Israel ⁿ 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.

(n) Such are the people commonly as their rulers are.