Joshua 24 20

Joshua 24:20 kjv

If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good.

Joshua 24:20 nkjv

If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you, after He has done you good."

Joshua 24:20 niv

If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you."

Joshua 24:20 esv

If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good."

Joshua 24:20 nlt

If you abandon the LORD and serve other gods, he will turn against you and destroy you, even though he has been so good to you."

Joshua 24 verses

Joshua 24 20 Meaning

Joshua 24:20 serves as a stark warning to the Israelites. It declares that if they abandon the Lord and serve foreign gods, Yahweh, who has faithfully blessed them, will turn against them, bring disaster upon them, and utterly consume them. This statement underscores the severe consequences of covenant infidelity and the active nature of divine judgment when His chosen people deviate from their commitment to Him. It emphasizes that God's past benevolence does not preclude future judgment if the covenant terms are violated.

Joshua 24 20 Context

Joshua 24:20 is situated within Joshua's farewell address and the covenant renewal ceremony at Shechem (Josh 24:1-28). Joshua, recognizing the impending end of his life, gathers all the tribes of Israel, along with their elders, heads, judges, and officers, before the Lord. He recounts Israel's history from Abraham to their current conquest, emphasizing God's continuous faithfulness and deliverance (Josh 24:2-13). Following this historical review, Joshua challenges the people to choose whom they will serve: "Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve... But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Josh 24:15).

The people vehemently affirm their choice to serve Yahweh, declaring, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods" (Josh 24:16). However, Joshua immediately pushes back, stating, "You cannot serve the Lord, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgression or your sins" (Josh 24:19). This serves not as a statement that they cannot serve God, but rather a profound warning about the cost and demands of serving a holy God, specifically, the necessity of absolute fidelity and the dire consequences of disobedience. Verse 20 directly follows this caution, elaborating on what will happen if they indeed "forsake" God. It highlights the conditional nature of the covenant established at Sinai and reiterated here, stressing that continued blessing depends on continued obedience and exclusive worship of Yahweh. The historical context also includes the recent successful conquest of Canaan, leading to a period of peace, which often tempts people to grow complacent or incorporate pagan practices. Joshua's warning aims to pre-empt such spiritual backsliding.

Joshua 24 20 Word analysis

• If you abandon (כִּ֤י תַֽעַזְב֛וּ, ki ta'azvu): The Hebrew verb 'azav (עָזַב) means to forsake, abandon, leave, or desert. Here it implies a deliberate act of rejection or turning away from allegiance. It’s not a passive slipping away but an active choice to cease one’s relationship with God. In the context of a covenant, "abandoning" the suzerain is an act of rebellion.
• the LORD (יְהוָ֑ה, YHWH): The covenant name of God, indicating His personal and faithful nature, specifically to Israel. The warning implies betraying a personal relationship, not just a set of rules.
• and serve (וַעֲבַדְתֶּם, va'avadtem): The Hebrew verb 'avad (עָבַד) means to serve, work, or worship. This directly contrasts with "abandoning" Yahweh. To serve other gods is to actively place allegiance elsewhere, fulfilling the very action warned against in the First Commandment (Exod 20:3). It is about rendering loyalty and worship.
• foreign gods (אֱלֹהֵ֥י נֵכָר, 'elohey nekhar): Lit. "gods of foreignness" or "alien gods." These are deities belonging to other nations, associated with their customs and cultures, fundamentally different from Yahweh. Their worship involved practices forbidden to Israel, often immoral or oppressive. The very term "foreign" highlights their opposition to Israel's distinct covenant with Yahweh.
• He will turn and do evil to you (וְשָׁ֣ב וְהֵרַ֣ע לָכֶ֗ם, v'shav v'hera' lakhem): This is a powerful anthropomorphism. Shav (שׁוּב) means "turn" or "return," suggesting a reversal of His previous beneficent stance. Hera' (רָעָה) means "to do evil," "to bring disaster," or "to harm." This is not human malice but divine righteous judgment. God is described as actively bringing harm, directly linking their actions to His response, a principle common in Deuteronomic theology.
• and consume you (וְכִלָּה אֶתְכֶם, v'khillah 'etkhem): The verb kalah (כָּלָה) means "to complete," "finish," or "utterly destroy/annihilate." It conveys total devastation or cessation of their covenant standing or even existence as a people, an ominous warning of judgment that extends beyond mere hardship to utter destruction.
• after He has shown you favor (אַחֲרֵ֤י אֲשֶׁר־הֵטִיב֙ לָכֶ֔ם, 'akharey 'asher-heytiv lakhem): The phrase highlights the ingratitude and severity of Israel's potential sin. Heytiv (הֵטִיב) means "to do good," "to deal kindly," or "to bestow favor/blessings." God's past actions were not merely neutral but actively good and beneficent (e.g., deliverance from Egypt, land conquest, etc.). The judgment is severe precisely because it comes after profound grace and good deeds, making their betrayal all the more grievous. It underscores that God's justice is proportionate to the level of received kindness and the breaking of trust.

Joshua 24 20 Bonus section

The anthropomorphism "He will turn and do evil to you" should not be misunderstood as God being evil, but rather as God, in His righteousness, bringing forth consequences (disasters, judgment) that are perceived as "evil" or harmful from the human perspective. This demonstrates His active sovereignty in upholding His covenant. Joshua's warning prepares the ground for understanding the subsequent narrative of the Judges and Kings, which repeatedly shows Israel's pattern of abandoning God, suffering judgment, repenting, and receiving mercy. This verse provides the theological framework for that cyclical history. It underlines that covenant relationship is a two-way commitment. While God's faithfulness is unshakeable (He keeps His promises), the benefits of the covenant for Israel were conditional on their fidelity.

Joshua 24 20 Commentary

Joshua 24:20 encapsulates a pivotal truth about the God of Israel and His covenant with His people: He is both gracious and just, a God who blesses faithfulness and punishes apostasy. Joshua's warning is not a casual threat but a prophetic declaration of the inevitable consequence of choosing to forsake the exclusive relationship with YHWH. The people's previous affirmations of loyalty were enthusiastic, yet Joshua knew the historical tendency of Israel to waver. The verse directly links their actions—abandoning God and serving idols—to God's reciprocal action: turning from favor to bringing disaster and consuming them.

The emphasis on God consuming them "after He has shown you favor" highlights the gravity of their potential disobedience. God's past kindnesses, from the Exodus to the conquest, made their potential infidelity not just an act of rebellion but an act of profound ingratitude and betrayal. This warning served as a reminder of the conditional nature of the Mosaic covenant, where blessings flowed from obedience and curses from disobedience. It also showcased God's character as a holy and jealous God who demands exclusive worship and will not tolerate rivals, nor will He overlook deliberate sin. The severity of the consequence emphasizes that the stakes are spiritual life and death for the nation. This wasn't merely a risk of loss but of total devastation, demonstrating God's unwavering commitment to His own holiness and the covenant He established.