Joshua 24 · Verse 15

Joshua 24:15

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
Joshua 24:15, King James Version

Joshua 24:15 in other translations

BSBBut if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!”
WEBIf it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose today whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
ASVAnd if it seem evil unto you to serve Jehovah, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah.
YLTand if wrong in your eyes to serve Jehovah--choose for you to-day whom ye do serve; --whether the gods whom your fathers served, which are beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorite in whose land ye are dwelling; and I and my house--we serve Jehovah.'
DARBYAnd if it seem evil unto you to serve Jehovah, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether thegods whom your fathers that were on the other side of the river served, or thegods of the Amorite, in whose land ye dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah.
BBEAnd if it seems evil to you to be the servants of the Lord, make the decision this day whose servants you will be: of the gods whose servants your fathers were across the River, or of the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living: but I and my house will be the servants of the Lord.
WebsterAnd if it seemeth evil to you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

What does Joshua 24:15 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Joshua 24:14-28

14-28. Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth--After having enumerated so many grounds for national gratitude, Joshua calls on them to declare, in a public and solemn manner, whether they will be faithful and obedient to the God of Israel. He avowed this to be his own unalterable resolution, and urged them, if they were sincere in making a similar avowal, "to put away the strange gods…

Read the full comment on Joshua 24:14-28 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 15 Choose you this day whom ye will serve - Joshua well knew that all service that was not free and voluntary could be only deceit and hypocrisy, and that God loveth a cheerful giver. He therefore calls upon the people to make their choice, for God himself would not force them - they must serve him with all their heart if they served him at all. As for himself and family, he shows them that their choice was already fixed, for they had taken Jehovah for their portion.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Joshua 24:15-28
It is essential that the service of God's people be performed with a willing mind. For LOVE is the only genuine principle whence all acceptable service of God can spring. The Father seeks only such to worship him, as worship him in spirit and in truth. The carnal mind of man is enmity against God, therefore, is not capable of such spiritual worship. Hence the necessity of being born again. But numbers rest in mere forms, as tasks imposed upon them. Joshua puts them to their choice; but not as if it were indifferent whether they served God or not. Choose you whom ye will serve, now the matter is laid plainly before you. He resolves to do this, whatever others did. Those that are bound for heaven, must be willing to swim against the stream. They must not do as the most do, but as the best do. And no one can behave himself as he ought in any station, who does not deeply consider his religious duties in family relations. The Israelites agree with Joshua, being influenced by the example of a man who had been so great a blessing to them; We also will serve the Lord. See how much good great men do, by their influence, if zealous in religion. Joshua brings them to express full purpose of heart to cleave to the Lord. They must come off from all confidence in their own sufficiency, else their purposes would be in vain. The service of God being made their deliberate choice, Joshua binds them to it by a solemn covenant. He set up a monument of it. In this affecting manner Joshua took his last leave of them; if they perished, their blood would be upon their own heads. Though the house of God, the Lord's table, and even the walls and trees before which we have uttered our solemn purposes of serving him, would bear witness against us if we deny him, yet we may trust in him, that he will put his fear into our hearts, that we shall not depart from him. God alone can give grace, yet he blesses our endeavours to engage men to his service.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Joshua 24:15 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְאִם֩ve.'Imand ifH518
רַ֨עra'is displeasingH7489
בְּֽעֵינֵיכֶ֜םbe.'ei.nei.Khemin view yourH5869
לַעֲבֹ֣דla.'a.Vodto serveH5647
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
יְהוָ֗הYah.wehYahwehH3068
בַּחֲר֨וּba.cha.RuchooseH977
לָכֶ֣םla.Khemfor <the> yourselves
הַיּוֹם֮hai.yOmthis dayH3117
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
מִ֣יmiwhom?H4310
תַעֲבֹדוּן֒ta.'a.vo.Dunwill you serve !H5647
אִ֣ם'imwhetherH518
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
אֱלֹהִ֞ים'E.lo.Him[the] godsH430
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-whichH834
עָבְד֣וּ'a.ve.Duthey servedH5647
אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֗ם'a.vo.tei.Khemancestors yourH1
אֲשֶׁר֙'a.SherwhoH834
מֵעֵ֣בֶרme.'e.ver[were] from [the] other side ofH5676
הַנָּהָ֔רha.na.Harthe riverH5104
וְאִם֙ve.'Imand orH518
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
אֱלֹהֵ֣י'e.lo.Hei[the] gods ofH430
הָאֱמֹרִ֔יha.'e.mo.Rithe Amorite[s]H567
אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherwhomH834
אַתֶּ֖ם'a.TemyouH859
יֹשְׁבִ֣יםyo.she.Vim[are] dwellingH3427
בְּאַרְצָ֑םbe.'ar.Tzamin land theirH776
וְאָנֹכִ֣יve.'a.no.Khiand IH595
וּבֵיתִ֔יu.vei.Tiand household myH1004
נַעֲבֹ֖דna.'a.Vodwe will serveH5647
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
יְהוָֽה\׃\ \פYah.wehYahwehH3068

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Joshua 24:15

  • 1 Kings 18:21

    And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.

  • John 6:67-68

    Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

  • Ruth 1:15-16

    And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law. And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:

  • Deuteronomy 29:18

    Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood;

  • Ezekiel 20:39

    As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me: but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols.

  • Exodus 23:32-33

    Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee.

  • Acts 11:23

    Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.

  • Judges 6:10

    And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.

  • Exodus 23:24

    Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.

  • Genesis 18:19

    For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

  • Psalms 119:111-112

    Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart. I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes alway, even unto the end.

  • Psalms 119:106

    I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
choose.
Ru 1:15,16; 1Ki 18:21; Eze 20:39; Joh 6:67
whether the gods.
14
or the gods.
Ex 23:24,32,33; 34:15; De 13:7; 29:18; Jud 6:10
as for me.
Ge 18:19; Ps 101:2; 119:106,111,112; Joh 6:68; Ac 11:23

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Joshua 24:14

    Now 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.

  • Joshua 24:15

    And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

  • Joshua 24:16

    And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the Lord, to serve other gods;

Read all of Joshua 24

Joshua 24:15 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y si mal os parece servir á Jehová, escogeos hoy á quién sirváis; si á los dioses á quienes sirvieron vuestros padres, cuando estuvieron de esotra parte del río, ó á los dioses de los Amorrheos en cuya tierra habitáis: que yo y mi casa serviremos á Jehová.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et s’il est mauvais à vos yeux de servir l’ Éternel, choisissez aujourd’hui qui vous voulez servir, soit les dieux que vos pères qui étaient de l’autre côté du fleuve ont servis, soit les dieux de l’Amoréen, dans le pays duquel vous habitez. Mais moi et ma maison, nous servirons l’ Éternel.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und wenn es übel ist in euren Augen, Jehova zu dienen, so erwählet euch heute, wem ihr dienen wollt, ob den Göttern, welchen eure Väter gedient haben, die jenseit des Stromes wohnten, oder den Göttern der Amoriter, in deren Land ihr wohnet. Ich aber und mein Haus, wir wollen Jehova dienen!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Sin autem malum vobis videtur ut Domino serviatis, optio vobis datur: eligite hodie quod placet, cui servire potissimum debeatis: utrum diis, quibus servierunt patres vestri in Mesopotamia, an diis Amorrhæorum, in quorum terra habitatis: ego autem et domus mea serviemus Domino.