Joshua 24:25 kjv
So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.
Joshua 24:25 nkjv
So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.
Joshua 24:25 niv
On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws.
Joshua 24:25 esv
So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and put in place statutes and rules for them at Shechem.
Joshua 24:25 nlt
So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day at Shechem, committing them to follow the decrees and regulations of the LORD.
Joshua 24 25 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 12:6-7 | Abram passed through the land... and the Lord appeared to Abram and said... | Shechem as a place of early covenant promise |
| Exod 19:5-8 | "If you will indeed obey my voice... you shall be my treasured possession." | Original Sinai Covenant formation |
| Exod 24:7-8 | Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing... | Moses ratifies the covenant |
| Deut 29:10-13 | "You are standing today, all of you, before the LORD your God..." | Covenant renewal before entering Canaan |
| Deut 30:19 | "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set..." | The solemn choice presented to Israel |
| Josh 8:30-35 | Then Joshua built an altar to the LORD... in Mount Ebal. | Earlier covenant confirmation at Shechem |
| 1 Sam 7:3 | Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, "If you are returning..." | National repentance and renewal |
| 2 Kgs 23:3 | And the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD... | King Josiah's covenant renewal |
| Neh 9:38 | "Because of all this we make a firm covenant and write it, and our princes | Post-exilic covenant recommitment |
| Ps 119:106 | "I have sworn and confirmed, that I will keep your righteous rules." | Personal commitment to God's law |
| Matt 4:10 | Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship' | Worship of God alone |
| Matt 6:24 | "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love..." | Cannot serve God and idols |
| Acts 7:44 | "Our fathers had the tent of witness in the wilderness, just as he who..." | Continuity of God's covenant with Israel |
| Rom 12:1-2 | "present your bodies as a living sacrifice... by the renewal of your mind" | Believer's spiritual covenant commitment |
| Eph 2:12 | remember that you were at that time separated from Christ... alien to the | Covenant context for gentile believers |
| Heb 8:6-13 | But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more... | Christ mediates a new, better covenant |
| Heb 9:18-22 | Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood. | Covenant requiring a ratifying sacrifice |
| Jas 1:22-25 | "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." | Importance of obeying the law |
| 1 Jn 2:3-6 | "And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his..." | Knowing God by obeying His commands |
| Jer 31:31-34 | "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new..." | Promise of an internal covenant |
Joshua 24 verses
Joshua 24 25 Meaning
Joshua 24:25 marks the formal ratification and renewal of the Mosaic Covenant between God and the nation of Israel, mediated by Joshua, at a critical juncture in their history. Following the people's declaration to serve the Lord alone, this verse details Joshua's immediate act of solidifying their commitment by establishing specific statutes and ordinances. It underscores Israel's identity as a covenant people, binding them to God's law as they settled in the promised land.
Joshua 24 25 Context
Joshua 24 records Joshua's final address to Israel, often likened to an ancient Near Eastern covenant renewal ceremony. This gathering at Shechem brought together all the tribes of Israel, highlighting national unity and a collective choice. Joshua recounts God's faithfulness from Abraham to their present settlement in the land, urging the people to choose whom they will serve (vv. 14-15). When the people explicitly declare their intent to serve the LORD and reject foreign gods (vv. 16-24), verse 25 details Joshua's immediate action to formally establish this renewed commitment. This event served as a foundational act, solidifying Israel's spiritual and legal framework as a settled nation, acting as a successor to the covenant made at Sinai and reaffirmed at Moab before entering the land.
Joshua 24 25 Word analysis
So: (Heb. וַיִּכְרֹת, vayyikrōt - linked directly to "made a covenant") – Indicates the direct consequence or conclusion of the people's affirmed choice in the preceding verses. It signifies immediate action following their declaration.
Joshua: (Heb. יְהוֹשׁוּעַ, Yehoshu‘a) – "The LORD is salvation." As Moses' successor, Joshua acts in a prophetic and judicial capacity, mediating the covenant renewal, demonstrating his continuing leadership and divine authority.
made a covenant: (Heb. כָּרַת בְּרִית, karat berit) – Literally, "cut a covenant." This idiom points to the ancient practice of slaying animals and passing between the cut pieces (cf. Gen 15:9-17), symbolizing the solemnity and self-curse associated with violating the agreement. Here, it denotes the formal establishment of a binding agreement between God and Israel, mediated by Joshua.
with the people: (Heb. עִם הָעָם, im ha‘am) – Emphasizes the entire Israelite community's collective participation and corporate responsibility in this renewal.
that day: (Heb. הַיּוֹם הַהוּא, *hayyôm hahû’) – Stresses the specificity and historical significance of the event. It was a definite, momentous point in Israel's history.
and set for them: (Heb. וַיָּשֶׂם לָהֶם, vayyāśem lāhem) – "And he placed for them," "appointed for them." Joshua, acting as God's representative, formally establishes the legal and moral obligations stemming from the renewed covenant. This isn't Joshua inventing new laws, but applying and solidifying the existing Mosaic Law.
a statute: (Heb. חֹק, choq) – Refers to a fixed decree, an appointed rule, a boundary, or a prescribed custom. It implies a firm and unchanging legal principle or obligation.
and an ordinance: (Heb. מִשְׁפָּט, mishpat) – Signifies a judgment, a custom, a right ruling, or an ethical standard based on justice. Often refers to the implementation of justice or the principles by which disputes are decided. Together with choq, it denotes the comprehensive body of divine law and its righteous application.
in Shechem: (Heb. בִּשְׁכֶם, bishechem) – A geographically and historically significant location:
- It was where Abraham first built an altar to the Lord in Canaan (Gen 12:6-7).
- Jacob settled here (Gen 33:18-20).
- Near Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, where Moses commanded blessings and curses of the Law to be read (Deut 27; Josh 8:30-35). This reinforces the connection to past covenantal acts and solemn declarations.
"made a covenant...and set for them a statute and an ordinance": This phrase highlights Joshua's mediatory role. He wasn't making a new covenant independent of God, but formally processing and codifying the people's reaffirmed commitment to God's existing covenant, underscoring their accountability and the practical implications of their choice.
Joshua 24 25 Bonus section
The structure of Joshua 24 closely parallels the form of ancient Near Eastern suzerainty treaties, where a great king (suzerain) dictates terms to his lesser king or vassal.
- Preamble: Identifies the suzerain (Yahweh, v. 2a).
- Historical Prologue: Recounts past benevolence of the suzerain (God's acts for Israel, vv. 2b-13).
- Stipulations: Laws and obligations (Israel's choice to serve Yahweh, vv. 14-24).
- Deposit of the Treaty: The setting up of a great stone (v. 26).
- Witnesses: Often deities; here, the "great stone" functions as a witness (v. 27).
- Blessings and Curses: Implied by the Shechem location, recalling Deut 27 and Josh 8, though not explicitly listed again here.This structured approach underscores the seriousness and binding nature of Israel's commitment to God. Despite this solemn renewal, the book of Judges records Israel's subsequent cycles of apostasy, demonstrating that mere formal assent to a covenant requires ongoing, heartfelt obedience and divine grace.
Joshua 24 25 Commentary
Joshua 24:25 seals Israel's solemn pledge to serve the Lord alone. It's not God imposing a new covenant, but Israel, under Joshua's faithful leadership, freely re-committing to the one established at Sinai. Joshua's act of setting "statute and ordinance" formally defines the legal and ethical framework of their renewed allegiance, rooted deeply in the Mosaic Law. The choice of Shechem is crucial, connecting this momentous event to the patriarchal promises and the public reading of the Law at Ebal and Gerizim. This formal act transformed their verbal pledge into a binding national covenant, underscoring the serious, life-or-death implications of choosing allegiance to God amidst a pagan world. It solidified their identity as God's treasured possession, setting the stage for their future within the Promised Land.