Joshua Chapter 23 — Joshua's Farewell Charge
Joshua addresses Israel’s leaders in his old age, reminding them of God’s faithfulness and urging them to remain loyal to the Law of Moses.
1After many days, when the LORD had given rest to Israel from their enemies all around, and Joshua was old and well advanced in years,
2Joshua 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.
3You have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations because of you; for it is the LORD your God who has fought for you.
4Behold, 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.
5The LORD your God will thrust them out from before you, and drive them from out of your sight. You shall possess their land, as the LORD 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 away from it to the right hand or to the left;
7that 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;
8but hold fast to the LORD your God, as you have done to this day.
9“For the LORD has driven great and strong nations out from before you. But as for you, no man has stood before you to this day.
10One man of you shall chase a thousand; for it is the LORD your God who fights for you, as he spoke to you.
11Take good heed therefore to yourselves, that you love the LORD 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;
13know for a certainty that the LORD 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 the LORD 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 the LORD your God spoke concerning you. All have happened to you. Not one thing has failed of it.
15It shall happen that as all the good things have come on you of which the LORD your God spoke to you, so the LORD will bring on you all the evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land which the LORD your God has given you,
16when you disobey the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods, and bow down yourselves to them. Then the LORD’s anger will be kindled against you, and you will perish quickly from off the good land which he has given to you.”
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Joshua 23:8
“but hold fast to the LORD your God, as you have done to this day.”
This verse emphasizes personal devotion and the continuity of the people's relationship with God.
Joshua 23:10
“One man of you shall chase a thousand; for it is the LORD your God who fights for you, as he spoke to you.”
It highlights the supernatural nature of Israel's military success through divine intervention.
Joshua 23:14
“You know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spoke concerning you.”
This serves as a powerful testimony to God's reliability and the literal fulfillment of His promises.
Chapter Summary
In Joshua 23, the aging leader Joshua gathers the elders, heads, judges, and officers of Israel for a final exhortation. He reminds them that their success and possession of the land resulted from God fighting on their behalf, not their own strength alone. Joshua commands the people to be courageous in keeping the Law of Moses, avoiding any association with the remaining nations or their idols. He emphasizes that one man can chase a thousand because God is with them. However, Joshua also delivers a solemn warning: if they intermarry with the surrounding nations or turn away to serve other gods, God will cease to drive out their enemies. Instead, those nations will become snares and thorns until the Israelites perish from the good land. Joshua concludes by testifying that every promise God made has been fulfilled, and just as the good things came to pass, so too will the consequences of disobedience if they break the covenant.
Frequently Asked Questions
Joshua 23 is a farewell speech where Joshua urges Israel’s leaders to remain faithful to God and the Law of Moses. He reminds them that their past victories were due to God's help and warns that future prosperity depends on their continued obedience.
Joshua warns that intermarrying with the remaining nations would lead the Israelites into idolatry. He explains that these nations would become a snare, a trap, and a scourge if Israel did not remain separate and devoted to God.
Joshua declares that not one of God's promises has failed to come true. He uses this track record of faithfulness to emphasize that God will also follow through on his warnings of judgment if the people break the covenant.
Study Note
The structure of Joshua's address follows the pattern of ancient Near Eastern covenant treaties, including a historical prologue followed by stipulations and warnings.
Related Chapters
Deuteronomy 31
Both chapters feature a farewell address from a leader (Moses and Joshua) before their death.
Judges 2
This chapter records the historical fulfillment of Joshua's warnings regarding the Israelites' failure to remain faithful.
Joshua 24
This is the final chapter of the book where Joshua renews the covenant with all the tribes at Shechem.
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