Joshua
Chapter 24
Renewal of the Covenant
Joshua summoned all the tribes of Israel in Shechem and assembled the elders, leaders, judges, and secretaries. And together, they presented themselves before God.
Addressing the people, Joshua said to them: “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands me to say to you: Your ancestors lived beyond the Euphrates River—Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor—serving other gods.
But I brought Abraham your father from beyond the Euphrates and led him through the whole land of Canaan. Then I gave him a son, Isaac, who might have numerous descendants.
And to Isaac, I gave two sons: Esau and Jacob. Esau received the mountains of Seir as his inheritance, while Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt.
Then I sent Moses and Aaron to punish Egypt in the way that you know that you might leave.
Then I brought your ancestors out of Egypt, and you came to the sea. The Egyptians pursued you with chariots and horses as far as the Red Sea.
Then you cried to the Lord, and he put immense darkness between you and the Egyptians. He made the sea go back on them, and they were drowned. You have witnessed everything he did in Egypt, and then you lived in the desert for a long time.
Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites who were on the east of the Jordan. You fought them, but I gave them into your hand; you destroyed them and seized their lands.
Balak, the son of Zippor, king of Moab, declared war on Israel and commanded Balaam, son of Beor, to curse you.
But I would not listen to him, so Balaam blessed you, and I saved you from the hands of Balak.
Then you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. And the landlords of Jericho fought against you: the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites declared war on you, but I gave them to you.
The two Amorite kings fled from you because of the swarm of hornets that attacked them and not because of your sword and bow.
gave you lands, which you have not tilled, cities, which you did not build but in which you now live. I gave you vineyards and olive groves, which you did not plant but from which you now eat.
So fear the Lord and be sincere and faithful in serving him. Set aside those gods your ancestors worshiped in Mesopotamia and Egypt. Serve only the Lord.
But if you do not want to serve the Lord, make known this very day whom you shall serve—whether they be the gods your ancestors served in Mesopotamia or the gods of the Amorites who formerly occupied the land where you now live. As for me, I and my household will serve the Lord.”
The people answered: “May God not permit that we ever abandon the Lord to serve other gods!
For it was he who brought us and our ancestors out of Egypt, the house of slavery. He did those great wonders that we have seen; he protected us on the way and through all the land where we passed,
driving away all the nations, especially the Amorites who lived there. So we shall also serve the Lord: he is our God!”
Joshua asked the people: “Will you be able to serve the Lord? He is a holy, jealous God who does not tolerate wickedness or faults.
If you abandon the Lord to serve other gods, he will turn against you, and just as he has done you so much good, so shall he punish you and destroy you.”
The people replied: “No, may it not be as you say. We will serve the Lord.”
Joshua said: “You yourselves are witnesses that you have chosen the Lord to serve him.” They answered: “We are witnesses.”
Joshua then said: “Remove now from your midst any other gods and serve the Lord, the God of Israel, with all your heart.”
The people answered: “We will serve the Lord, our God, and obey his commands.”
On that day at Shechem, Joshua made a Covenant with the people and fixed laws and ordinances.
He also wrote down everything expressed in the book of the law of God; he chose a great stone and put it under the oak tree in the sacred place of the Lord.
Then Joshua said to the people: “This stone shall be a witness to all that the Lord said to us, for it heard all these words. It shall be a witness against you, lest you deal falsely with the Lord.”
Joshua immediately sent the people away, and everyone returned to their own land.
Death of Joshua
After all these deeds, Joshua, son of Nun and servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten.
They buried him in his land at Timnath-Serah, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.
Israel served the Lord throughout the whole life of Joshua and of the elders who outlived Joshua and who had witnessed all the wonders the Lord did for Israel.
The Israelites brought Joseph’s bones from Egypt. They buried them at Shechem in the field, which Jacob bought from the children of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for a hundred pieces of silver. This became the possession of Joseph’s children.
Eleazar, Aaron’s son, also died, and they buried him on the hill given to his son Phinehas in the mountains of Ephraim.
Commentaries
Renewal of the Covenant – Death of Joshua.
The remarkable journey to Shechem, mentioned in chapter 24, is not only the most significant event in the entire book but also one of the most pivotal moments in biblical history: the birth of Israel as a nation. The gathering at Shechem, led by Joshua, aims to establish a covenant between the Israelite tribes and the Lord. It appears there are two groups of tribes present at the assembly: those represented by Joshua, who declare their faith in the Lord, and others who still worship different gods. The assembly at Shechem resulted in all the tribes committing to worship only the Lord, and this decision was confirmed through a covenant. The alliance operates in two ways: vertically, with all the clans and tribes vowing to serve the Lord alone; and horizontally, as the shared faith promotes unity and community among the tribes. The repeated use of the word “serve,” which appears fourteen times in total—seven times in the first two verses (14f)—is noteworthy. “To serve” in the biblical sense means loyalty to the faith, worship, and a positive response to the demands of the commandments.