Joshua 24:21 (YLT)

Passage

And the people saith unto Joshua, `No, but Jehovah we do serve.'

Nearby Context

Joshua 24:19 And Joshua saith unto the people, `Ye are not able to serve Jehovah, for a God most holy He <FI>is<Fi> ; a zealous God He <FI>is<Fi> ; He doth not bear with your transgression and with your sins.

Joshua 24:20 When ye forsake Jehovah, and have served gods of a stranger, then He hath turned back and done evil to you, and consumed you, after that He hath done good to you.'

Joshua 24:21 And the people saith unto Joshua, `No, but Jehovah we do serve.'

Joshua 24:22 And Joshua saith unto the people, `Witnesses ye are against yourselves, that ye have chosen for you Jehovah to serve Him (and they say, `Witnesses!')

Joshua 24:23 and, now, turn aside the gods of the stranger which <FI>are<Fi> in your midst, and incline your heart unto Jehovah, God of Israel.'

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "When ye forsake Jehovah and have served..." into verse 22's "And Joshua saith unto the people Witnesses...", so "people" and "saith" 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 "saith" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.