English Standard Version
Joshua 23:12
12For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations remaining among you and make marriages with them, so that you associate with them and they with you,
Joshua 23:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Else 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:
- New International Version (NIV)“But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them and associate with them,
- New King James Version (NKJV)Or else, if indeed you do go back, and cling to the remnant of these nations—these that remain among you—and make marriages with them, and go in to them and they to you,
- New Living Translation (NLT)“But if you turn away from him and cling to the customs of the survivors of these nations remaining among you, and if you intermarry with them,
Context of Joshua 23:12
10One man of you puts to flight a thousand, since it is the Lord your God who fights for you, just as he promised you. 11Be very careful, therefore, to love the Lord your God. For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations remaining among you and make marriages with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, 13know for certain that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you, but they shall be a snare and a trap for you, a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good ground that the Lord your God has given you. 14"And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed.
Read all of Joshua 23Joshua 23:12 word by word
כִּ֣י׀ אִם־שׁ֣וֹב תָּשׁ֗וּבוּ וּדְבַקְתֶּם֙ בְּיֶ֙תֶר֙ הַגּוֹיִ֣ם הָאֵ֔לֶּה הַנִּשְׁאָרִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה אִתְּכֶ֑ם וְהִֽתְחַתַּנְתֶּ֥ם בָּהֶ֛ם וּבָאתֶ֥ם בָּהֶ֖ם וְהֵ֥ם בָּכֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Else if ye do in any wiseשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
- and cleaveדָּבַקdâbaq · to cleaveH1692
- unto the remnantיֶ֫תֶרyether · remainderH3499
- of these nationsגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
- these that remainשָׁאַרshâ'ar · to remainH7604
- among you, and shall make marriagesחָתַןchâthan · make oneself a daughter’s husbandH2859
- with them, and go inבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): marryH935
Cross-references for Joshua 23:12
- Psalms 36:3The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit; he has ceased to act wisely and do good.
- Psalms 125:5But those who turn aside to their crooked ways the Lord will lead away with evildoers! Peace be upon Israel!
- Isaiah 1:4Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged.
- Ezekiel 18:24But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die.
- Zephaniah 1:6those who have turned back from following the Lord, who do not seek the Lord or inquire of him."
- Matthew 12:45Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation."
- John 6:66After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.
- Hebrews 10:38but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him."
- 2 Peter 2:18For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error.
- 1 John 2:9Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.
- Genesis 2:24Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
- Genesis 34:3And his soul was drawn to Dinah the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her.
- 1 Samuel 18:1As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
- 1 Kings 11:2from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the people of Israel, "You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods." Solomon clung to these in love.
- Romans 12:9Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.
- Exodus 34:12Take care, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which you go, lest it become a snare in your midst.
Commentaries on Joshua 23:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Else if ye do - go back - The soldier who draws back when going to meet the enemy, forfeits his life. These were the Lord's soldiers, and if they drew back they drew back unto perdition, their lives being forfeited by their infidelity.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-16Verses 11-16 Would we cleave to the Lord, we must always stand upon our guard, for many a soul is lost through carelessness. Love the Lord your God, and you will not leave him. Has God been thus true to you? Be not you false to him. He is faithful that has promised, He 10:23. The experience of every Christian witnesses the same truth. Conflicts may have been severe and long, trials great and many; but at the last he will acknowledge that goodness and…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12Joshua warned God's people not to marry their neighbors who worshiped many gods. Such close relationships could lead the Israelites to be unfaithful to God (Deuteronomy 7:3–4). However, people from Canaan who wanted to worship the Lord and join God's people were welcome (Joshua 6:25; Ruth 4:10). Race, language, and ethnic group did not affect God's rule against marrying non-Israelites. It was a matter of remaining loyal to the Lord (see 2 Corinthians…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212-13. Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations--As marriage connections with the idolatrous Canaanites would present many and strong temptations to transgress it, these were strictly prohibited (Ex 34:12-16; De 7:3). With his eye, as it were, upon those prohibitions, Joshua threatens them with the certain withdrawal of the divine aid in the further expulsion of the Canaanites (a threat founded Ex 23:33; Nu 33:55; De…Read the comment
Topics related to Joshua 23:12
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Joshua 23
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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