Joshua 24:21 (KJV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

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

Joshua 24:20 If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good.

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

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

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

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "people", "said", "joshua", "serve", and "lord". 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 the LORD and serve..." 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.