Joshua 24:31 kjv
And Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the LORD, that he had done for Israel.
Joshua 24:31 nkjv
Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had known all the works of the LORD which He had done for Israel.
Joshua 24:31 niv
Israel served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced everything the LORD had done for Israel.
Joshua 24:31 esv
Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua and had known all the work that the LORD did for Israel.
Joshua 24:31 nlt
The people of Israel served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him ? those who had personally experienced all that the LORD had done for Israel.
Joshua 24 31 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Josh 24:14-15 | "Now therefore fear the Lord... choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve..." | Joshua's charge to serve the Lord alone, providing context for the nation's choice. |
| Deut 6:6-7 | "And these words...shall be on your heart... teach them diligently to your children..." | Command to transmit God's commands and deeds to subsequent generations, contrasting with the eventual failure. |
| Deut 6:10-12 | "...you have eaten and are full, then beware lest you forget the Lord..." | Warning against forgetting God after prosperity, a danger relevant to the next generation. |
| Deut 11:18-19 | "You shall therefore impress these words on your heart... teach them to your children..." | Reinforcement of teaching God's commands and deeds to prevent spiritual drift. |
| Judg 2:7 | "So the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders..." | Direct echoing and confirmation of Joshua 24:31, leading immediately into the period of decline. |
| Judg 2:10 | "And also all that generation were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord..." | The critical turning point and contrast, explaining why the next generation fell away. |
| 1 Sam 7:3-4 | "...return to the Lord with all your hearts... served the Lord alone." | An later instance where Israel returns to serving the Lord after a period of unfaithfulness. |
| Ps 78:1-8 | "We will not conceal them from our children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord..." | Emphasis on the responsibility of each generation to recount God's mighty acts to the next. |
| Ps 105:5-6 | "Remember the wonders He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He pronounced..." | Calls to remember God's historical acts, linking knowing His work with present faithfulness. |
| Isa 5:12 | "...and do not regard the works of the Lord, Nor the operation of His hands." | A lament over Israel's spiritual blindness and disregard for God's actions. |
| Jer 2:31-32 | "Has Israel been a wilderness to Me... My people have forgotten Me days without number." | God's sorrow over Israel forgetting Him and His mighty acts, despite past experience. |
| Hos 4:6 | "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge..." | Directly connects lack of knowledge about God with spiritual devastation. |
| Heb 3:7-11 | "As the Holy Spirit says: 'Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion...'" | Warnings against hardening hearts and failing to enter rest due to unbelief, applicable to those who "knew" God's works. |
| Heb 11:7 | "By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverent fear constructed an ark..." | Examples of faithfulness born of faith and understanding of God's will. |
| 1 John 2:3 | "Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments." | Connects knowing God experientially with obedience to His commands. |
| Matt 7:21 | "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom... but he who does the will of My Father..." | Emphasizes active obedience over mere verbal affirmation. |
| John 14:15 | "If you love Me, keep My commandments." | Links love for God with practical obedience, akin to serving Him. |
| John 17:3 | "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." | Defines knowing God not merely as intellectual assent but relational life, reflecting "known" in Josh 24:31. |
| Rom 1:19-21 | "...what may be known of God is manifest in them... because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him..." | Universal human accountability based on knowledge of God, contrasting with those who knew but suppressed it. |
| Col 1:9-10 | "...filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord..." | Knowledge leading to a life worthy of God, paralleling Israel's service. |
| Phil 3:10 | "That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection..." | The Apostle Paul's pursuit of a deep, experiential knowledge of Christ. |
Joshua 24 verses
Joshua 24 31 Meaning
Joshua 24:31 records that the people of Israel served the Lord throughout the entire period of Joshua's leadership and continued to do so during the lifetime of the elders who outlived him. Their obedience and devotion were rooted in their direct, personal experience and knowledge of the great works the Lord had performed for Israel, particularly during the Exodus, wilderness journey, and the conquest of Canaan. This verse encapsulates a time of unique spiritual fidelity driven by clear evidence of divine intervention and covenant faithfulness.
Joshua 24 31 Context
Joshua chapter 24 records Joshua's final address to the entire nation of Israel, convened at Shechem. This chapter serves as a theological summation of God's covenant faithfulness and Israel's responsibility. Joshua recounts God's provident care from Abraham to their entry into the Promised Land, detailing a history of divine promise, deliverance, and fulfillment. He then issues a potent challenge: to choose whom they will serve—either the gods of their ancestors or the true God, YHWH. The people affirm their commitment to serve the Lord. Within this setting, Joshua 24:31 acts as a postscript or concluding epitaph for this period, confirming that Israel largely kept their commitment and served the Lord throughout Joshua's leadership and under the generation of elders who had personally witnessed God's mighty acts. This verse immediately precedes the record of Joshua's death and burial, effectively marking the end of a pivotal era of unified national faithfulness before the fragmented and often disobedient period depicted in the book of Judges.
Joshua 24 31 Word analysis
- And Israel served (וַיַּעֲבֹד יִשְׂרָאֵל - vayyaʿăḇoḏ yišrāʾēl):
- served (ʿăḇoḏ from עָבַד - 'avad): This verb means "to serve," "to work," "to worship," or "to minister." Here, it signifies the nation's spiritual devotion and practical obedience to God. It's an active, ongoing relationship characterized by adherence to His commands, particularly those reiterated by Joshua in the covenant renewal at Shechem (Josh 24:14-15, 23). Their service implies abandoning other gods and dedicating themselves solely to YHWH. This wasn't passive acceptance but active fulfillment of their covenant responsibilities.
- the Lord (יְהוָה - YHWH):
- Lord (YHWH): The personal, covenantal name of God. It emphasizes God's unique identity as the deliverer, covenant-maker, and keeper of promises to Israel. The phrase "served the Lord" signifies that their allegiance was specifically directed toward the God of Israel, distinct from all other pagan deities. This highlights a period of monotheistic fidelity within the nascent nation.
- all the days of Joshua (כֹּל יְמֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ - kol yĕmê yĕhôšūaʿ):
- all the days (kol yĕmê): This phrase emphasizes the entirety and continuous duration of Joshua's leadership. It points to a sustained period of national faithfulness, suggesting that Joshua's influence was a key factor in Israel's steadfastness. It wasn't intermittent but a constant posture of obedience.
- Joshua (yĕhôšūaʿ): Meaning "YHWH is salvation" or "YHweh saves." He was Moses' successor, a man filled with the Spirit of wisdom (Deut 34:9), who faithfully led Israel in conquest and settlement. His strong, faithful leadership was instrumental in guiding the people to remain loyal to God, teaching and modeling obedience to the Law.
- and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua (וְכֹל יְמֵי הַזְּקֵנִים אֲשֶׁר הֶאֱרִיכוּ יָמִים אַחֲרֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ - wəḵol yĕmê hazzeqenîm 'ăšer he'ĕrîḵû yāmîm 'aḥărê yĕhôšūaʿ):
- the elders (hazzeqenîm): These were the tribal heads and community leaders who formed the generation that experienced the Exodus, wilderness wanderings, and conquest. Their collective memory and spiritual authority played a crucial role in maintaining national spiritual integrity after Joshua's death. They were likely the recipients of Joshua's final charges (Josh 23-24).
- who outlived Joshua ('ăšer he'ĕrîḵû yāmîm 'aḥărê yĕhôšūaʿ): Lit. "who extended days after Joshua." This indicates that there was a transitional period following Joshua's death where these direct eyewitnesses maintained the spiritual leadership and continued to guide the people in serving the Lord. Their longevity ensured that the firsthand experience of God's mighty acts was still actively shaping the national consciousness.
- and had known all the work of the Lord (וַאֲשֶׁר יָדְעוּ אֵת כָּל־מַעֲשֵׂה יְהוָה - wa'ăšer yāḏ'û 'ēt kol-ma'ăśēh YHWH):
- had known (yāḏ'û from יָדַע - yada'): This Hebrew word means more than mere intellectual understanding or head knowledge. It implies a deep, experiential, and relational knowledge—to know something intimately through direct personal experience. For this generation, "knowing" God's work meant witnessing it with their own eyes and experiencing its effects in their lives. This personal acquaintance with God's power fueled their service.
- all the work of the Lord (kol-ma'ăśēh YHWH): Refers to the totality of God's saving and covenant-keeping acts, specifically the miracles of the Exodus, the provision in the wilderness, the giving of the Law at Sinai, the driving out of the Canaanites, and the miraculous conquest and distribution of the land. These were concrete, observable deeds of God, leaving no doubt as to His reality and power.
- which He had done for Israel (אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל - 'ăšer 'āśâ lĕyiśrāʾēl):
- for Israel (lĕyiśrāʾēl): This specifies that God's great "work" was particularly manifest for the benefit of His chosen covenant people. It reinforces the theme of God's unique relationship with Israel, grounding their obligation to serve Him in His specific acts of faithfulness on their behalf.
Joshua 24 31 Bonus section
The Hebrew word 'yada' (יָדַע) for "known" is exceptionally rich. It describes a comprehensive knowledge gained through interaction, relationship, and personal encounter, akin to the intimate knowledge between a husband and wife. It's not abstract but profoundly personal. This depth of "knowing" God's works directly fueled the fidelity of Joshua's generation and the elders, illustrating that intellectual assent alone is insufficient for sustained spiritual service. This deep knowing compelled them to respond with their whole lives, serving the God who had demonstrated His power and faithfulness so tangibly for them.
Joshua 24 31 Commentary
Joshua 24:31 functions as an optimistic, yet ultimately bittersweet, summary of Israel's spiritual state following the successful conquest of Canaan under Joshua. It highlights a period of widespread national faithfulness rooted in a profound, experiential knowledge of God's actions. The emphasis on "all the days of Joshua" and "all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua" underscores the vital role of godly leadership and personal, firsthand witness. Joshua, as Moses' spiritual heir, provided unwavering guidance based on direct obedience to God. The surviving elders, having also personally lived through the Exodus, the wilderness wanderings, and the dramatic victories in Canaan, carried the vibrant memory of God's miraculous intervention. Their "knowledge" was not just learned doctrine but lived reality; they had seen God's power with their own eyes, fostering genuine worship and obedience. This verse stands in stark contrast to the very next narrative shift found in Judges 2:10, which tragically notes the rise of "another generation who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel." This stark juxtaposition underscores the critical importance of intentionally passing on faith and the recounting of God's mighty deeds to subsequent generations. Without personal experience or the deliberate teaching of history and its divine interpretation, spiritual decline becomes almost inevitable. This serves as a timeless warning and a call for diligent discipleship and intergenerational spiritual mentorship within the Body of Christ.