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The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

Joshua 24:19-21

JOSHUA—NOTE ON Joshua 24:19 You are not able to serve the LORD. Joshua is not saying that it is impossible to truly serve the Lord. Rather, he is saying it cannot be done casually or without divine assistance. It is troubling that the people simply reassert their claim—No, but we will serve the LORD—rather than ask for further instruction or prayer. Joshua’s warning that he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins is not to suggest that God is unforgiving but that he cannot allow unfaithfulness to go uncorrected.

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See also Joshua 24:19-21 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Joshua 24:19. _YE 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...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    THE SECOND ADDRESS CHAPTER 24:1-28 _ 1. The gathering at Shechem (Joshua 24:1)_ 2. Historic retrospect and exhortations (Joshua 24:2) 3. The answer given by Israel (Joshua 24:16) 4. Joshua's answ...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    YE CANNOT SERVE. The Ellipsis must be supplied by adding from Joshua 24:14. "Unless ye put away your idols". See App-6. HOLY. See note on Exodus 6:5. GOD. Hebrew. _El._ App-4. SINS. App-44....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Reply of the People to Joshua's Address 16. _And the people answered and said_ Struck by the solemn earnestness of the address of their leader, the entire people, with one voice, responded to his cal...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _Ye cannot serve the Lord_ Joshua checks their hasty impulsiveness and confident protestation of fidelity, by reminding them of the difficulty involved in serving Jehovah aright; and he specially woul...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    _VER._ 19. _AND JOSHUA SAID UNTO THE PEOPLE, YE CANNOT SERVE THE LORD,_ &C.— These words may he understood two ways. 1. They may signify, "you will not serve the Lord; I foresee that ye will not keep...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    _A Reminder of God's Blessings Joshua 24:1-25_ And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their of...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _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 AMORITE...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    JOSHUA'S SECOND AND FINAL FAREWELL This discourse (Joshua 24:1), with Israel's response (Joshua 24:16), and consequent renewal of the Covenant (Joshua 24:25), occupies the bulk of the chapter. The boo...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    YE CANNOT SERVE THE LORD: FOR HE _is_ AN HOLY GOD] an extreme statement meant to startle them into a sense of the awful responsibility of intercourse with One who has revealed Himself to be All-Holy:...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    COME IN, AND RECEIVE GOD’S PROMISES! JOSHUA _BRIAN ROWLANDS_ Maps to help you to study this book are on the Internet at www.easyenglish.info. CHAPTER 24 JOSHUA SAYS ‘GOODBYE’ TO THE PEOPLE – JO...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    AND JOSHUA SAID... YE CANNOT SERVE THE LORD: FOR HE IS... JEALOUS... — Jehovah will not consent to be served as one God among many: the very thing which Israel was doing at the moment, which they mean...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ יֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹושֻׁ֜עַ אֶל ־הָ עָ֗ם לֹ֤א

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER XXXII. JOSHUA'S LAST APPEAL. Joshua 24:1. IT was at Shechem that Joshua's last meeting with the people took place. The Septuagint makes it Shiloh in one verse (Joshua 24:1), but Shechem in a...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    JOSHUA'S LAST SERVICE TO HIS PEOPLE Joshua 24:16 Joshua did well to discourage their proud vauntings, and to show that the people could not in their own might realize God's ideal, Psalms 105:4. The...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Here we have the record of the final address of Joshua. In it he first concisely and comprehensively traced the Hebrews' history from the call of Abraham and did so in the form of the speech of Jehova...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    On the basis of all God had done for them, Joshua urged the people to serve God and renounce all the gods their fathers had once served beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt. That they had a choice is cle...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    You will not be able to serve the Lord, &c. This was not said by way of discouraging them; but rather to make them more earnest and resolute, by setting before them the greatness of the undertaking, a...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    If (as some read those words) we read this passage according to the original in the plural number: He is the holy Gods, meaning He, Jehovah existing in a threefold character of persons, the Holy Gods;...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    In the wars of Jehovah it was not always a question of hostile power. Indeed this is not the most serious evil which the people of God have to encounter in this world. The very same principle which wa...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    19._And Joshua said unto the people, _etc Here Joshua seems to act altogether absurdly in crushing the prompt and alert zeal of the people, by suggesting ground of alarm. For to what end does he insis...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 12 THROUGH 24. Chapter 12 is only a summary of their conquests. The Holy Ghost not only gives us the victory over our enemies, but makes us understand and kno...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND JOSHUA SAID UNTO THE PEOPLE,.... To their heads and representatives now assembled together, and who had returned to him the preceding answer: YE CANNOT SERVE THE LORD; which he said not to discou...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    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. Ver. 19. _Ye cannot serve the Lord._]...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Ye cannot_ He speaks not of an absolute impossibility, (for then both his resolution to serve God himself, and his exhortation to them, had been vain,) but of a moral impossibility, or a very great d...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 Ioshua assembleth the tribes at Shechem. 2 A briefe historie of Gods benefits from Terah. 14 He reneweth a couenant betweene them and God. 26 A stone the witnesse of the couenant. 29 Ioshuas age...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And Joshua said unto the people, in testing the sincerity of their position, YE CANNOT SERVE THE LORD, that is, not without His assistance, for He it is who must work both to will and to do; FOR HE IS...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE EXACTION OF THE PROMISE TO BE FAITHFUL...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    JOSHUA'S SUMMARY OF ISRAEL'S HISTORY (vs.1-13) For the second time, as Joshua neared the end of his life, he called Israel together, primarily the elders, heads, judges and officers (v.1), but includ...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    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...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    YE CANNOT SERVE THE LORD: he speaks not of an absolute impossibility, (for then both his resolution to serve God himself, and his exhortation to them to do so, had been vain and ridiculous,) but of a...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Joshua 24:19 Joshua H3091 said H559 (H8799) people H5971 cannot H3201 (H8799) serve H5647 (H8800) LORD...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘ And Joshua said to the people, “You cannot serve YHWH, for he is a holy God, he is a jealous God, he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. If you forsake YHWH and serve foreign gods, t...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Joshua 24:19 We find here that Joshua offers a repulse to men who wish to avow themselves on the side of God. There is every ground for believing that he was under Divine direction, and as there was...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Last charge of Joshua and his death. Eleazar's death. CHARACTERS: God, Joshua, Eleazar. CONCLUSION: Joshua 24:15. It is the will of God that all should make religion their serious and deli...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Joshua 24:1. _Shechem._ Some think this was the Sychar where our Saviour talked with the woman. John 4:5. This place became far famed on account of the renewal of the covenant before Joshua's death. H...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Ye cannot serve the Lord: for He is an holy God._ THE COVENANT RENEWED I. The difficulty of serving God. “Ye cannot serve the Lord.” It was a staggering admonition. It embodied what theologians have...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve Him._ THE LAST DAYS OF JOSHUA I. The reasonableness of serving God (verses 14, 15). To serve God, to obey Him, to love Him, to submit heart and life to His con...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem._ JOSHUA’S LAST FAREWELL I. God’s threefold mercies. 1. Israel’s enlargement (verses 2-4). 2. Israel’s exodus (verses 5-7). 3. Israel’s entran...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— Joshua 24:19. Ye cannot serve Jehovah] Joshua here bids the people count the cost of the decision expressed in Joshua 24:16. They could not serve Jehovah in the indifferent spirit of...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION THE LAST RENEWAL OF THE COVENANT.— JOSHUA 24:1 TO SHECHEM. The LXX. and the Arabic version read _Shiloh _here, and as the words "they presented themselves (literally, _took up their stati...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Chapter twenty-four, Joshua is continuing this final charge to the children of Israel. Picture now this old man he was. He was faithful to the Lord. He has done a good job, but now he is bent over wit...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Corinthians 10:20; 1 Samuel 3:14; 1 Samuel 6:20; 2 Chronicles 36:16;...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    THE CONSECRATION OF THE PEOPLE Joshua 24:13 INTRODUCTORY WORDS The time comes sooner, or later, when we must all lay down the yoke which we have been wearing for God. We cannot always serve, no mat...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Ye cannot — He speaks not of an absolute impossibility, (for then both his resolution to serve God himself, and his exhortation to them had been vain) but of a moral impossibility, or a very great dif...

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