King James Version
Joshua 23:12
12Else 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:
Joshua 23:12 in other versions
- 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,
- 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 shall chase a thousand: for the Lord your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you. 11Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the Lord your God. 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: 13Know for a certainty that the Lord your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you. 14And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.
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
- 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 iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.
- Psalms 125:5As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel.
- Isaiah 1:4Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.
- Ezekiel 18:24But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.
- Zephaniah 1:6And them that are turned back from the Lord; and those that have not sought the Lord, nor enquired for him.
- Matthew 12:45Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
- John 6:66From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
- Hebrews 10:38Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
- 2 Peter 2:18For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
- 1 John 2:9He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
- Genesis 2:24Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
- Genesis 34:3And his soul clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spake kindly unto the damsel.
- 1 Samuel 18:1And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
- 1 Kings 11:2Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.
- Romans 12:9Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
- Exodus 34:12Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee:
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
King James Version — Public Domain except in the United Kingdom (Crown rights)
Commentaries