Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel.
Parallel translations
- WEB “Now therefore put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to Yahweh, the God of Israel.”
- BSB “Now, therefore,” he said, “get rid of the foreign gods among you and incline your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.”
- NKJV “Now therefore,” he said, “put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord God of Israel.”
- NASB “Now then, do away with the foreign gods which are in your midst, and incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.”
- NLT “All right then,” Joshua said, “destroy the idols among you, and turn your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Joshua commands them to put away the foreign gods among them and incline their hearts to Yahweh. It matters because true devotion requires removing rival idols and reorienting the heart to God.
Overview
Joshua's call implies that hidden idols still remained, so verbal commitment had to be matched by concrete repentance. Inclining the heart to Yahweh shows that obedience is inward as well as outward. This anticipates the gospel promise of a renewed heart, given by God so His people can truly love and serve Him (Ezekiel 36:26).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Josh 24:14Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.
- 2 Cor 6:16–18And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
- Judg 10:15–16And the children of Israel said unto the LORD, We have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this day.
- Gen 35:2–4Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:
- Heb 12:28–29Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
- Prov 2:2So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
- 1 Sam 7:3–4And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.
- Ps 119:36Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.
- 1 Kgs 8:58That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers.
- Ps 141:4Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.
- Hos 14:2–3Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.
- Exod 20:23Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.
- 1 Cor 10:19–21What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?
- Hos 14:8Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Joshua — the same name as Jesus, 'the LORD saves' — leads God's people into their inheritance, a shadow of the greater Joshua who brings us into the true rest and the promised land that remains.
How Joshua 24:23 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.