English Standard Version
Joshua 24:19
19But Joshua said to the people, "You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins.
Joshua 24:19 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the Lord: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.
- New International Version (NIV)Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins.
- New King James Version (NKJV)But Joshua said to the people, “You cannot serve the Lord, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Then Joshua warned the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy and jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins.
Context of Joshua 24:19
17for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed. 18And the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God." But Joshua said to the people, "You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. 20If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good." 21And the people said to Joshua, "No, but we will serve the Lord."
Read all of Joshua 24Joshua 24:19 word by word
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוֹשֻׁ֜עַ אֶל־הָעָ֗ם לֹ֤א תֽוּכְלוּ֙ לַעֲבֹ֣ד אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה כִּֽי־אֱלֹהִ֥ים קְדֹשִׁ֖ים ה֑וּא אֵֽל־קַנּ֣וֹא ה֔וּא לֹֽא־יִשָּׂ֥א לְפִשְׁעֲכֶ֖ם וּלְחַטֹּאותֵיכֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Joshuaיְהוֹשׁוּעַyehôshûa‛ yehôshûa‛ · JoshuaH3091
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- Ye cannotיָכֹלyâkôl yâkôl · be ableH3201
- serveעָבַד‛âbad · to serve: ministerH5647
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- an holyקָדוֹשׁqâdôsh qâdôsh · holyH6918
- Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- a jealousקַנּוֹאqannô' · jealousH7072
- Godאֵל'êl · GodH410
- he will not forgiveנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: forgiveH5375
- your transgressionsפֶּ֫שַׁעpesha‛ · transgressionH6588
- nor your sinsחַטָּאתchaţţâ'âh chaţţâ'th · sinH2403
Cross-references for Joshua 24:19
- Joshua 24:23He said, "Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord, the God of Israel."
- Ruth 1:15And she said, "See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law."
- Matthew 6:24"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
- Luke 14:25Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them,
- Leviticus 10:3Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the Lord has said: 'Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.'" And Aaron held his peace.
- Leviticus 19:2"Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.
- 1 Samuel 6:20Then the men of Beth-shemesh said, "Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom shall he go up away from us?"
- Psalms 99:5Exalt the Lord our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he!
- Isaiah 5:16But the Lord of hosts is exalted in justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.
- Isaiah 6:3And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!"
- Isaiah 30:11leave the way, turn aside from the path, let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel."
- Habakkuk 1:12Are you not from everlasting, O Lord my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O Lord, you have ordained them as a judgment, and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof.
- Exodus 20:5You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me,
- Exodus 34:14(for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God),
- 1 Corinthians 10:20No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons.
- Exodus 23:21Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him.
Commentaries on Joshua 24:19
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19Ye cannot serve the Lord: for he is a holy God - If we are to take this literally, we cannot blame the Israelites for their defection from the worship of the true God; for if it was impossible for them to serve God, they could not but come short of his kingdom: but surely this was not the case. Instead of תוכלו לא lo thuchelu, ye Cannot serve, etc., some eminent critics read תכלו לא lo thechallu, ye shall not Cease to serve, etc. This is a very ingenious…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-28Verses 15-28 It is essential that the service of God's people be performed with a willing mind. For LOVE is the only genuine principle whence all acceptable service of God can spring. The Father seeks only such to worship him, as worship him in spirit and in truth. The carnal mind of man is enmity against God, therefore, is not capable of such spiritual worship. Hence the necessity of being born again. But numbers rest in mere forms, as tasks imposed upon…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19He is a holy God: See “God’s Absolute Holiness” Theme Note. He is a jealous God: He created every human to have a relationship with him.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 14-2814-28. Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth--After having enumerated so many grounds for national gratitude, Joshua calls on them to declare, in a public and solemn manner, whether they will be faithful and obedient to the God of Israel. He avowed this to be his own unalterable resolution, and urged them, if they were sincere in making a similar avowal, "to put away the strange gods that were among them"--a requirement…Read the comment
Topics related to Joshua 24:19
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Joshua 24
- 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
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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