Joshua 24:15

Joshua 24:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
• New International Version (NIV)But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Context of Joshua 24:15

13I gave you land you had not worked on, and I gave you towns you did not build—the towns where you are now living. I gave you vineyards and olive groves for food, though you did not plant them. 14“So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” 16The people replied, “We would never abandon the Lord and serve other gods. 17For the Lord our God is the one who rescued us and our ancestors from slavery in the land of Egypt. He performed mighty miracles before our very eyes. As we traveled through the wilderness among our enemies, he preserved us.

Joshua 24:15 word by word

וְאִם֩ רַ֨ע בְּֽעֵינֵיכֶ֜ם לַעֲבֹ֣ד אֶת־יְהוָ֗ה בַּחֲר֨וּ לָכֶ֣ם הַיּוֹם֮ אֶת־מִ֣י תַעֲבֹדוּן֒ אִ֣ם אֶת־אֱלֹהִ֞ים אֲשֶׁר־עָבְד֣וּ אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֗ם אֲשֶׁר֙ מֵעֵ֣בֶר הַנָּהָ֔ר וְאִם֙ אֶת־אֱלֹהֵ֣י הָאֱמֹרִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתֶּ֖ם יֹשְׁבִ֣ים בְּאַרְצָ֑ם וְאָנֹכִ֣י וּבֵיתִ֔י נַעֲבֹ֖ד אֶת־יְהוָֽה׃ פRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And if it seem evilרָעַעrâ‛a‛ · be evilH7489
• unto youמִיmîy · who?H4310
• to serveעָבַד‛âbad · to serve: ministerH5647
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• chooseבָּחַרbâchar · to chooseH977
• you this dayיוֹםyôm · day: todayH3117
• whomעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: appearanceH5869
• whether the godsאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• which your fathersאָב'âb · fatherH1
• on the other sideעֵ֫בֶר‛êber · side: beyondH5676
• of the floodנָהָרnâhâr · RiverH5104
• of the Amoritesאֱמֹרִי'ĕmôrîy · AmoriteH567
• in whose landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• ye dwellיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• but as for me and my houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004

Cross-references for Joshua 24:15

• Ruth 1:15“Look,” Naomi said to her, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. You should do the same.”
• 1 Kings 18:21Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!” But the people were completely silent.
• Ezekiel 20:39“As for you, O people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Go right ahead and worship your idols, but sooner or later you will obey me and will stop bringing shame on my holy name by worshiping idols.
• John 6:67Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?”
• Joshua 24:14“So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone.
• Exodus 23:24You must not worship the gods of these nations or serve them in any way or imitate their evil practices. Instead, you must utterly destroy them and smash their sacred pillars.
• Exodus 34:15“You must not make a treaty of any kind with the people living in the land. They lust after their gods, offering sacrifices to them. They will invite you to join them in their sacrificial meals, and you will go with them.
• Deuteronomy 13:7They might suggest that you worship the gods of peoples who live nearby or who come from the ends of the earth.
• Deuteronomy 29:18I am making this covenant with you so that no one among you—no man, woman, clan, or tribe—will turn away from the Lord our God to worship these gods of other nations, and so that no root among you bears bitter and poisonous fruit.
• Judges 6:10I told you, ‘I am the Lord your God. You must not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you now live.’ But you have not listened to me.”
• Genesis 18:19I have singled him out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. Then I will do for Abraham all that I have promised.”
• Psalms 101:2I will be careful to live a blameless life— when will you come to help me? I will lead a life of integrity in my own home.
• Psalms 119:106I’ve promised it once, and I’ll promise it again: I will obey your righteous regulations.
• John 6:68Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life.
• Acts 11:23When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord.

Commentaries on Joshua 24:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Choose you this day whom ye will serve - Joshua well knew that all service that was not free and voluntary could be only deceit and hypocrisy, and that God loveth a cheerful giver. He therefore calls upon the people to make their choice, for God himself would not force them - they must serve him with all their heart if they served him at all. As for himself and family, he shows them that their choice was already fixed, for they had taken Jehovah for their…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15Choose - Service of God in sincerity and truth can only result from a free and willing allegiance of the heart. This accordingly is what Joshua invites, as Moses had done before him (Deuteronomy 30:15 ff).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. 15Joshua used his influential leadership and achievements to support his declaration to serve the Lord.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 24:15

• Choice
• Contingencies
• Decision
• Family
• Good and Evil
• Obedience
• Shechem
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Flood
• Joshua
• Serve
• Shechem
• Apostasy; Apostate
• Catechist; Catechumen
• Choose; Chosen
• Covenant, in the Old Testament
• Israel, Religion of
• Joshua, Book of

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