Joshua 23 16

Joshua 23:16 kjv

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 23:16 nkjv

When you have transgressed the covenant of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed down to them, then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and you shall perish quickly from the good land which He has given you."

Joshua 23:16 niv

If you violate the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the LORD's anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you."

Joshua 23:16 esv

if you transgress the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them. Then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land that he has given to you."

Joshua 23:16 nlt

If you break the covenant of the LORD your God by worshiping and serving other gods, his anger will burn against you, and you will quickly vanish from the good land he has given you."

Joshua 23 verses

Joshua 23 16 Meaning

Joshua 23:16 serves as a severe warning to the Israelites, outlining the direct and inevitable consequences of covenant disobedience. If they transgress the covenant by serving and worshipping other gods, the righteous anger of the Lord will be kindled against them, leading to their swift destruction and expulsion from the good land that He graciously bestowed upon them. This verse underscores God's unwavering faithfulness to His word, His absolute claim to Israel's sole devotion, and the conditional nature of their dwelling in the Promised Land.

Joshua 23 16 Context

Joshua chapter 23 captures Joshua's final farewell address to the leaders and all Israel, reminiscent of Moses' parting words in Deuteronomy. Having led them into the Promised Land and secured it, Joshua urges the people to remain faithful to the Lord and His covenant. He recounts God's faithfulness in fulfilling His promises to give them the land and conquer their enemies. Following these recollections of God's blessings (vv. 1-15), Joshua delivers this stern warning (vv. 15-16). Verse 16, specifically, is a stark antithesis to the blessings promised for obedience in verse 15. It encapsulates the Deuteronomic theology where the conditional tenure in the land is directly tied to covenant faithfulness. Historically, this discourse marks a critical transition, preparing Israel for life in the land without Moses or Joshua as immediate leaders, placing the burden of responsibility on their adherence to the Law.

Joshua 23 16 Word analysis

• When you transgress: The Hebrew word ʻabar (עָבַר) means "to pass over, to cross over, to go beyond a boundary, to violate." Here, it signifies a deliberate violation or stepping outside the defined boundaries of God's covenant. It implies conscious rebellion against a clear standard.
• the covenant: The Hebrew berith (בְּרִית) denotes a solemn agreement, a bond, or a treaty, particularly referring to the specific and sacred relationship God established with Israel at Sinai. This covenant involved mutual obligations, where God promised blessing for obedience and curses for disobedience.
• of the Lord your God: This highlights the personal and unique relationship Israel had with Yahweh (YHWH), the covenant God who delivered them from slavery. "Your God" emphasizes the exclusive and intimate nature of this divine-human bond, making transgression against Him a profound betrayal.
• which he commanded you: Reinforces the divine origin and explicit nature of the covenant's stipulations. These were not human-made laws but divine precepts given directly by God, making any deviation an act of direct defiance against Him.
• and go and serve: The Hebrew ʻabad (עָבַד) means "to work for, to serve, to worship." This implies an active, willful dedication or devotion to. To "go and serve" means intentionally choosing to align oneself with and provide allegiance to another deity.
• other gods: The Hebrew ʾĕlōhîm ʾăḥērîm (אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים) refers to deities other than Yahweh, particularly the pagan idols and gods worshipped by the surrounding Canaanite nations (e.g., Baal, Asherah). This explicitly addresses polytheism and idolatry, the primary temptation for Israel in the land.
• and bow yourselves to them: The Hebrew shachah (שָׁחָה) means "to bow down, to prostrate oneself, to do obeisance." This signifies an act of worship, homage, or deep submission. It's an outward, physical demonstration of internal devotion and reverence, symbolizing a complete surrender of allegiance to these false deities.
• then the anger: The Hebrew ʾap̄ (אַף) literally means "nose" or "nostrils," and by extension, "anger," particularly a passionate or burning anger often characterized by flared nostrils or rapid breathing. It refers to God's holy and righteous indignation against sin, not an uncontrolled human emotion.
• of the Lord will be kindled against you: The Hebrew ḥarah (חָרָה) means "to burn, to be hot, to be kindled." It emphasizes the intensity and inevitability of God's holy wrath. Once kindled, it would consume and bring about the promised judgment.
• and you will perish quickly: The Hebrew ʾabad (אָבַד) means "to be destroyed, to be lost, to disappear," and mahēr (מָהֵר) means "quickly, swiftly." This emphasizes the totality and speed of the judgment—Israel's destruction and disappearance from the land would not be gradual but sudden and complete.
• from the good land: The Hebrew ʾerets ṭôḇâ (אֶרֶץ טוֹבָה) refers to the Promised Land, repeatedly described as "a land flowing with milk and honey." It was a gift of grace from God, central to Israel's identity and their blessings as His chosen people. Expulsion from this land was the ultimate temporal curse for covenant violation.
• which he has given you: This highlights God's initial gracious act. The land was not earned but freely given, making the act of rebellion against the Giver all the more severe and worthy of judgment.

Words-group analysis

• "When you transgress the covenant... and go and serve other gods and bow yourselves to them": This sequence of actions vividly depicts the progression of spiritual rebellion. It moves from an initial act of "transgressing" the divine relationship, to actively "serving" (laboring for/worshipping) foreign deities, and culminates in explicit acts of "bowing down" in reverence to them. It emphasizes the active and comprehensive nature of their apostasy, moving from internal deviation to external idolatrous practices.
• "then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and you will perish quickly": This phrase succinctly connects Israel's rebellion with God's immediate and potent judgment. It demonstrates the direct correlation between cause (covenant violation) and effect (divine wrath and destruction). "Kindled anger" denotes the intensity, while "perish quickly" underscores the swiftness and decisiveness of the coming calamity.
• "perish quickly from the good land which he has given you": This powerfully communicates the core consequence of their sin. The very gift of the land, symbolic of God's blessings and presence, would be revoked. It underscores the conditional nature of their inheritance and the profound irony: their sin against the Giver would result in losing the gift.

Joshua 23 16 Bonus section

This verse encapsulates the essence of the Deuteronomic theological framework, where the land is God's conditional gift. Israel's occupancy and prosperity are directly dependent on their obedience to the covenant. This conditional residency theme recurs throughout the historical books (Judges, Kings) and prophetic literature, which constantly explain Israel's cycles of apostasy, oppression, and ultimately, exile, as the fulfillment of such warnings. Joshua's final charge reflects a consistent biblical truth: God desires wholehearted devotion, and any compromise with other 'gods' (which could be anything we put before God) invokes divine discipline, ultimately separating us from His manifest blessings, though He remains faithful even in judgment. The tragedy of Israel's history is precisely that this crucial warning from Joshua, despite its clarity, was not heeded, leading to the very consequences so vividly described here.

Joshua 23 16 Commentary

Joshua 23:16 serves as a climactic warning, a final call to fidelity before Joshua's death. It presents a stark dichotomy: continued blessing through obedience or devastating curse through apostasy. This verse firmly establishes that God's justice is a natural outflow of His holy character and His covenant faithfulness. His "anger" is not a volatile human emotion but a righteous response to the violation of His holiness and the betrayal of His covenant love. The specific emphasis on serving "other gods" and "bowing down" directly confronts the prevalent paganism of the Canaanites, warning Israel against syncretism and polytheism, which threatened their unique identity as God's chosen people. The promised "quick perishing from the good land" tragically came to fruition multiple times in Israel's history, most notably in the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles, underscoring that God's word, both promise and warning, is certain to be fulfilled. This verse reminds believers today of the serious consequences of spiritual idolatry, emphasizing exclusive devotion to God alone.