God’s Word Translation
Joshua 23:12
12“But if you turn away and go along with the other nations within your ⌞borders⌟, if you intermarry with them or associate with them,
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,
- English Standard Version (ESV)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,
- 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,
Context of Joshua 23:12
10One of you used to chase a thousand. That was because the Lord your God was fighting for you, as he had promised you. 11Be very careful to love the Lord your God. “But if you turn away and go along with the other nations within your ⌞borders⌟, if you intermarry with them or associate with them, 13then you should know that the Lord your God will never again force these people out of your way. Instead, they will be a snare and a trap for you, a whip laid to your sides, and thorns in your eyes until none of you are left in this good land that the Lord your God has given you. 14“Pay attention, because I will soon die like everyone else. You know with all your heart and soul that not one single promise which the Lord your God has given you has ever failed to come true. Every single word has come true.
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 from his mouth are ⌞nothing but⌟ trouble and deception. He has stopped doing what is wise and good.
- Psalms 125:5But when people become crooked, the Lord will lead them away with troublemakers. Let there be peace in Israel!
- Isaiah 1:4“How horrible it will be for a nation that sins. ⌞Its⌟ people are loaded down with guilt. They are descendants of evildoers and destructive children. They have abandoned the Lord. They have despised the Holy One of Israel. They have turned their backs on him.
- Ezekiel 18:24“But suppose a righteous person turns away from doing right and he does evil things. He does all the disgusting things that the wicked person did. Will he live? All the right things that he has done will not be remembered because of his unfaithfulness and because of his sin. He will die because of them.
- Zephaniah 1:6I will remove those who have turned away from following the Lord and those who no longer seek the Lord or ask him for help.”
- Matthew 12:45Then it goes and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself. They enter and take up permanent residence there. In the end the condition of that person is worse than it was before. That is what will happen to the evil people of this day.”
- John 6:66Jesus’ speech made many of his disciples go back to the lives they had led before they followed Jesus.
- Hebrews 10:38The person who has God’s approval will live by faith. But if he turns back, I will not be pleased with him.”
- 2 Peter 2:18They arrogantly use nonsense to seduce people by appealing to their sexual desires, especially to sexual freedom. They seduce people who have just escaped from those who live in error.
- 1 John 2:9Those who say that they are in the light but hate other believers are still in the dark.
- Genesis 2:24That is why a man will leave his father and mother and will be united with his wife, and they will become one flesh.
- Genesis 34:3He became very fond of Jacob’s daughter Dinah. He loved the girl and spoke tenderly to her.
- 1 Samuel 18:1David finished talking to Saul. After that, Jonathan became David’s closest friend. He loved David as much as ⌞he loved⌟ himself.
- 1 Kings 11:2They came from the nations about which the Lord had said to the people of Israel, “Never intermarry with them. They will surely tempt you to follow their gods.” But Solomon was obsessed with their love.
- Romans 12:9Love sincerely. Hate evil. Hold on to what is good.
- Exodus 34:12Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land where you’re going. This will prove to be a trap to you.
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries