Joshua 24:19

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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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.
• 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.

Context of Joshua 24:19

17The Lord our God brought us and our ancestors out of slavery in Egypt. He did these spectacular signs right before our eyes. He guarded us wherever we went, especially as we passed through other nations. 18The Lord forced out all the people ahead of us, including the Amorites who lived in this land. We, too, will serve the Lord, because he is our God.” But Joshua answered the people, “Since the Lord is a holy God, you can’t possibly serve him. He is a God who does not tolerate rivals. He will not forgive your rebellious acts and sins. 20If you abandon the Lord and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you. He will destroy you, although he has been so good to you.” 21The people answered Joshua, “No! We will ⌞only⌟ serve the Lord!”

Joshua 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 24:23“Get rid of the foreign gods that are among you. Turn yourselves entirely over to the Lord God of Israel.”
• Ruth 1:15Naomi said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. Go back with your sister-in-law.”
• Matthew 6:24“No one can serve two masters. He will hate the first master and love the second, or he will be devoted to the first and despise the second. You cannot serve God and wealth.
• Luke 14:25Large crowds were traveling with Jesus. He turned to them and said,
• Leviticus 10:3Moses said to Aaron, “This is exactly what the Lord said: ‘I will show my holiness among those who come to me. I will show my glory to all the people.’ ” Aaron was speechless.
• Leviticus 19:2“Tell the whole congregation of Israel: Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.
• 1 Samuel 6:20The people of Beth Shemesh asked, “Who can stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to which people will he go when he leaves us?”
• Psalms 99:5Highly honor the Lord our God. Bow down at his footstool. He is holy!
• Isaiah 5:16The Lord of Armies will be honored when he judges. The holy God will show himself to be holy when he does what is right.
• Isaiah 6:3They called to each other and said, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory.”
• Isaiah 30:11Get out of our way! Stop blocking our path! Get the Holy One of Israel out of our sight.’ ”
• Habakkuk 1:12Didn’t you exist before time began, O Lord, my God, my Holy One? We will not die! O Lord, you have appointed the Babylonians to bring judgment. O Rock, you have destined them to correct us.
• Exodus 20:5Never worship them or serve them, because I, the Lord your God, am a God who does not tolerate rivals. I punish children for their parents’ sins to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.
• Exodus 34:14(Never worship any other god, because the Lord is a God who does not tolerate rivals. In fact, he is known for not tolerating rivals.)
• 1 Corinthians 10:20Hardly! What I am saying is that these sacrifices which people make are made to demons and not to God. I don’t want you to be partners with demons.
• Exodus 23:21Pay attention to him, and listen to him. Don’t defy him, because he will not forgive your disobedience. He is acting on my authority.

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

• Covenant
• Decision
• God Continued...
• Shechem

In the dictionaries

• God
• Joshua
• Atonement
• Serve
• Apostasy; Apostate
• Covenant, in the Old Testament
• Forgiveness
• Joshua, Book of
• Sanctification
• Elder

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