Joshua 24:21 (ASV)

Passage

And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve Jehovah.

Nearby Context

Joshua 24:19 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve Jehovah; for he is a holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgression nor your sins.

Joshua 24:20 If ye forsake Jehovah, and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you evil, and consume you, after that he hath done you good.

Joshua 24:21 And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve Jehovah.

Joshua 24:22 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you Jehovah, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses.

Joshua 24:23 Now therefore put away, [said he], the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto Jehovah, the God of Israel.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "people", "said", "joshua", "serve", and "jehovah". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "people" and "said", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "If ye forsake Jehovah and serve foreign..." into verse 22's "And Joshua said unto the people Ye...", so "people" and "said" belong inside that flow. In Joshua context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "people" and "said" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.