Joshua 23: Joshua's Farewell Charge
Old and near death, Joshua gathers Israel's leaders to remember God's faithfulness, cling to the Lord, and beware the snare of the surrounding nations.
Joshua 23 (WEB)
1 After many days, when Yahweh had given rest to Israel from their enemies all around, and Joshua was old and well advanced in years,
2 Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders and for their heads, and for their judges and for their officers, and said to them, “I am old and well advanced in years.
3 You have seen all that Yahweh your God has done to all these nations because of you; for it is Yahweh your God who has fought for you.
4 Behold, I have allotted to you these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from the Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even to the great sea toward the going down of the sun.
5 Yahweh your God will thrust them out from before you, and drive them from out of your sight. You shall possess their land, as Yahweh your God spoke to you.
6 “Therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that you not turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left;
7 that you not come among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow down yourselves to them;
8 but hold fast to Yahweh your God, as you have done to this day.
9 “For Yahweh has driven great and strong nations out from before you. But as for you, no man has stood before you to this day.
10 One man of you shall chase a thousand; for it is Yahweh your God who fights for you, as he spoke to you.
11 Take good heed therefore to yourselves, that you love Yahweh your God.
12 “But if you do at all go back, and hold fast to the remnant of these nations, even these who remain among you, and make marriages with them, and go in to them, and they to you;
13 know for a certainty that Yahweh your God will no longer drive these nations from out of your sight; but they shall be a snare and a trap to you, a scourge in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which Yahweh your God has given you.
14 “Behold, today I am going the way of all the earth. You know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which Yahweh your God spoke concerning you. All have happened to you. Not one thing has failed of it.
15 It shall happen that as all the good things have come on you of which Yahweh your God spoke to you, so Yahweh will bring on you all the evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land which Yahweh your God has given you,
16 when you disobey the covenant of Yahweh your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods, and bow down yourselves to them. Then Yahweh’s anger will be kindled against you, and you will perish quickly from off the good land which he has given to you.”
Joshua 23 (KJV)
1 And it came to pass a long time after that the Lord had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua waxed old and stricken in age.
2 And Joshua called for all Israel, and for their elders, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers, and said unto them, I am old and stricken in age:
3 And ye have seen all that the Lord your God hath done unto all these nations because of you; for the Lord your God is he that hath fought for you.
4 Behold, I have divided unto you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even unto the great sea westward.
5 And the Lord your God, he shall expel them from before you, and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess their land, as the Lord your God hath promised unto you.
6 Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;
7 That ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them:
8 But cleave unto the Lord your God, as ye have done unto this day.
9 For the Lord hath driven out from before you great nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath been able to stand before you unto this day.
10 One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the Lord your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you.
11 Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the Lord your God.
12 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:
13 Know 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.
14 And, 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.
15 Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all good things are come upon you, which the Lord your God promised you; so shall the Lord bring upon you all evil things, until he have destroyed you from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you.
16 When ye have transgressed the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to them; then shall the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which he hath given unto you.
Joshua 23 (ASV)
1 And it came to pass after many days, when Jehovah had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, and Joshua was old and well stricken in years;
2 that Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders and for their heads, and for their judges and for their officers, and said unto them, I am old and well stricken in years:
3 and ye have seen all that Jehovah your God hath done unto all these nations because of you; for Jehovah your God, he it is that hath fought for you.
4 Behold, I have allotted unto you these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from the Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun.
5 And Jehovah your God, he will thrust them out from before you, and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess their land, as Jehovah your God spake unto you.
6 Therefore be ye very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;
7 that ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow down yourselves unto them;
8 but cleave unto Jehovah your God, as ye have done unto this day.
9 For Jehovah hath driven out from before you great nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath stood before you unto this day.
10 One man of you shall chase a thousand; for Jehovah your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he spake unto you.
11 Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love Jehovah your God.
12 Else if ye do at all go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you;
13 know for a certainty that Jehovah your God will no more drive these nations from out of your sight; but they shall be a snare and a trap unto you, and a scourge in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which Jehovah your God hath given you.
14 And, 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 Jehovah your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, not one thing hath failed thereof.
15 And it shall come to pass, that as all the good things are come upon you of which Jehovah your God spake unto you, so will Jehovah bring upon you all the evil things, until he have destroyed you from off this good land which Jehovah your God hath given you.
16 When ye transgress the covenant of Jehovah your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods, and bow down yourselves to them; then will the anger of Jehovah be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which he hath given unto you.
Summary
Many years after the conquest, when Yahweh had given Israel rest from their enemies and Joshua himself is old and well advanced in years, he summons all Israel's elders, heads, judges, and officers for a farewell address. He reminds them of all they have seen: it is Yahweh their God who has fought for them and driven out the nations. He urges them to be very courageous to keep and do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, not turning aside to the right or the left. They must not mix with the remaining nations, mention their gods, swear by them, or bow to them, but must hold fast to Yahweh as they have done. Because the Lord fights for them, one of them can chase a thousand. Yet Joshua warns soberly that if they turn back and intermarry with these nations, the Lord will no longer drive them out, and those peoples will become a snare, a trap, a scourge, and thorns until Israel perishes from the good land. He declares that just as every good promise of God has come true, so the Lord will bring disaster if they break the covenant and serve other gods. His charge presses Israel to match God's proven faithfulness with wholehearted, exclusive devotion.
Main Characters
- Joshua — The aged leader who, near the end of his life, gathers Israel's leaders to remember God's faithfulness and charge them to remain wholly devoted to the Lord.
- The leaders of Israel — The elders, heads, judges, and officers gathered to hear Joshua's farewell exhortation on behalf of the nation.
- Yahweh (the LORD) — The God who has fought for Israel and kept every good promise, and who warns of judgment if the covenant is broken.
Key Verse
Joshua 23:14 (WEB)
“Behold, today I am going the way of all the earth. You know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which Yahweh your God spoke concerning you. All have happened to you. Not one thing has failed of it.
Lessons Learned
- Remembering God's past faithfulness fuels present obedience.
- It is the Lord who fights for his people; the victory is always his.
- Wholehearted devotion means holding fast to God and refusing other allegiances.
- The same God who keeps his promises of blessing also warns truly of the cost of unfaithfulness.
- Remember that God fights for you. “it is Yahweh your God who fights for you, as he spoke to you” (Joshua 23:10, WEB). Israel's strength was never their own.
- Hold fast to the Lord alone. Joshua charges them to “hold fast to Yahweh your God, as you have done to this day” (Joshua 23:8, WEB), without mixing in other gods.
- Love for God guards the heart. “Take good heed therefore to yourselves, that you love Yahweh your God” (Joshua 23:11, WEB). Devotion, not mere rule-keeping, is the safeguard.
- Every promise has proved true. “not one thing has failed of all the good things which Yahweh your God spoke” (Joshua 23:14, WEB), so his warnings are just as certain as his blessings.
- Why does Joshua begin his farewell by recalling what God has done for Israel?
- What does it mean that “Yahweh your God who fights for you” (23:10)?
- What dangers does Joshua warn about regarding the surrounding nations?
- How does Joshua use God's proven faithfulness to underline both blessing and warning?
- What “remaining nations”—influences you have not fully let go—threaten to become a snare in your own walk with God?
- Joshua grounds his charge in memory: they have seen all that Yahweh did, fighting for them and driving out the nations (23:3). Remembering God's faithfulness is the foundation for ongoing obedience, for a people who recall what God has done are moved to keep trusting and obeying him.
- It means the victories were God's doing, not Israel's might—“One man of you shall chase a thousand” because the Lord fights for them (23:10). This frees God's people from self-reliance and calls them to depend on him for every battle.
- Joshua warns against mingling with the nations, naming or swearing by their gods, intermarrying, and bowing to idols (23:7, 12). Such compromise would lead the Lord to stop driving them out, and the nations would become snares and thorns until Israel perished from the land.
- Joshua points out that every good promise God made came true (23:14), then reasons that the same faithful God will surely bring the warned-of judgment if they break the covenant (23:15-16). God's reliability cuts both ways: his word stands, for blessing and for warning.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to identify lingering influences or compromises they have not fully renounced, which could become snares over time. As leader, encourage honest reflection and the hope that holding fast to the Lord is both possible and life-giving.