1 And Joshua H3091 gathered H622 all the tribes H7626 of Israel H3478 to Shechem, H7927 and called H7121 for the elders H2205 of Israel, H3478 and for their heads, H7218 and for their judges, H8199 and for their officers; H7860 and they presented H3320 themselves before H6440 God. H430
And Joshua H3091 called H7121 for all Israel, H3478 and for their elders, H2205 and for their heads, H7218 and for their judges, H8199 and for their officers, H7860 and said H559 unto them, I am old H2204 and stricken H935 in age: H3117
And ye have this day H3117 rejected H3988 your God, H430 who himself saved H3467 you out of all your adversities H7451 and your tribulations; H6869 and ye have said H559 unto him, Nay, but set H7760 a king H4428 over us. Now therefore present H3320 yourselves before H6440 the LORD H3068 by your tribes, H7626 and by your thousands. H505
And Jacob H3290 came H935 to Shalem, H8004 a city H5892 of Shechem, H7927 which is in the land H776 of Canaan, H3667 when he came H935 from Padanaram; H6307 and pitched his tent H2583 before H6440 the city. H5892 And he bought H7069 a parcel H2513 of a field, H7704 where he had spread H5186 his tent, H168 at the hand H3027 of the children H1121 of Hamor, H2544 Shechem's H7927 father, H1 for an hundred H3967 pieces of money. H7192
And they gave H5414 unto Jacob H3290 all the strange H5236 gods H430 which were in their hand, H3027 and all their earrings H5141 which were in their ears; H241 and Jacob H3290 hid H2934 them under the oak H424 which was by Shechem. H7927
And Moses H4872 chose H977 able H2428 men H582 out of all Israel, H3478 and made H5414 them heads H7218 over the people, H5971 rulers H8269 of thousands, H505 rulers H8269 of hundreds, H3967 rulers H8269 of fifties, H2572 and rulers H8269 of tens. H6235 And they judged H8199 the people H5971 at all seasons: H6256 the hard H7186 causes H1697 they brought H935 unto Moses, H4872 but every small H6996 matter H1697 H1992 they judged H8199 themselves.
And Abimelech H40 the son H1121 of Jerubbaal H3378 went H3212 to Shechem H7927 unto his mother's H517 brethren, H251 and communed H1696 with them, and with all the family H4940 of the house H1004 of his mother's H517 father, H1 saying, H559 Speak, H1696 I pray you, in the ears H241 of all the men H1167 of Shechem, H7927 Whether is better H2896 for you, either that all the sons H1121 of Jerubbaal, H3378 which are threescore and ten H7657 persons, H376 reign H4910 over you, or that one H259 reign H4910 over you? remember H2142 also that I am your bone H6106 and your flesh. H1320 And his mother's H517 brethren H251 spake H1696 of him in the ears H241 of all the men H1167 of Shechem H7927 all these words: H1697 and their hearts H3820 inclined H5186 to follow H310 Abimelech; H40 for they said, H559 He is our brother. H251
And Rehoboam H7346 went H3212 to Shechem: H7927 for all Israel H3478 were come H935 to Shechem H7927 to make him king. H4427
Immediately G1824 therefore G3767 I sent G3992 to G4314 thee; G4571 and G5037 thou G4771 hast well G2573 done G4160 that thou art come. G3854 Now G3568 therefore G3767 are G3918 we G2249 all G3956 here present G3918 before G1799 God, G2316 to hear G191 all things G3956 that are commanded G4367 thee G4671 of G5259 God. G2316
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Joshua 24
Commentary on Joshua 24 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 24
This chapter concludes the life and reign of Joshua, in which we have,
Jos 24:1-14
Joshua thought he had taken his last farewell of Israel in the solemn charge he gave them in the foregoing chapter, when he said, I go the way of all the earth; but God graciously continuing his life longer than expected, and renewing his strength, he was desirous to improve it for the good of Israel. He did not say, "I have taken my leave of them once, and let that serve;' but, having yet a longer space given him, he summons them together again, that he might try what more he could do to engage them for God. Note, We must never think our work for God done till our life is done; and, if he lengthen out our days beyond what we thought, we must conclude it is because he has some further service for us to do.
The assembly is the same with that in the foregoing chapter, the elders, heads, judges, and officers of Israel, v. 1. But it is here made somewhat more solemn than it was there.
Jos 24:15-28
Never was any treaty carried on with better management, nor brought to a better issue, than this of Joshua with the people, to engage them to serve God. The manner of his dealing with them shows him to have been in earnest, and that his heart was much upon it, to leave them under all possible obligations to cleave to him, particularly the obligation of a choice and of a covenant.
The matter being thus settled, Joshua dismissed this assembly of the grandees of Israel (v. 28), and took his last leave of them, well satisfied in having done his part, by which he had delivered his soul; if they perished, their blood would be upon their own heads.
Jos 24:29-33
This book, which began with triumphs, here ends with funerals, by which all the glory of man is stained. We have here