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◄ Joshua 23:7►

New International Version
Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them.

New Living Translation
Make sure you do not associate with the other people still remaining in the land. Do not even mention the names of their gods, much less swear by them or serve them or worship them.

English Standard Version
that you may not mix with these nations remaining among you or make mention of the names of their gods or swear by them or serve them or bow down to them,

Berean Standard Bible
So you are not to associate with these nations that remain among you. You must not call on the names of their gods or swear by them, and you must not serve them or bow down to them.

King James Bible
That ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swearby them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them:

New King James Version
and lest you go among these nations, these who remain among you. You shall not make mention of the name of their gods, nor causeanyone to swearby them; you shall not serve them nor bow down to them,

New American Standard Bible
so that you will not associate with these nations, these which remain with you, or mention the name of their gods, or makeanyone swearby them, or serve them, or bow down to them.

NASB 1995
so that you will not associate with these nations, these which remain among you, or mention the name of their gods, or make anyone swear by them, or serve them, or bow down to them.

NASB 1977
in order that you may not associate with these nations, these which remain among you, or mention the name of their gods, or makeanyone swearby them, or serve them, or bow down to them.

Legacy Standard Bible
so that you will not goalong with these nations, these which remain among you, and you will not mention the name of their gods, and you will not makeanyone swearby them, and you will not serve them, and you will not bow down to them.

Amplified Bible
so that you do not associate with these nations which remain among you, or mention the name of their gods, or make anyone swear [an oath by them], or serve them, or bow down to them.

Christian Standard Bible
and so that you do not associate with these nations remaining among you. Do not call on the names of their gods or make an oath to them; do not serve them or bow in worship to them.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
and so that you do not associate with these nations remaining among you. Do not call on the names of their gods or make an oath to them; do not worship them or bow down to them.

American Standard Version
that ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow down yourselves unto them;

Contemporary English Version
Don't have anything to do with the nations that live around you. Don't worship their gods or pray to their idols or make promises in the names of their gods.

English Revised Version
that ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow down yourselves unto them:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Don't get mixed up with the nations left in your territory. Don't ever mention the names of their gods or swear an oath to them. Don't ever serve their gods or bow down to them.

Good News Translation
and then you will not associate with these peoples left among you or speak the names of their gods or use those names in taking vows or worship those gods or bow down to them.

International Standard Version
That way, you will not mingle with those nations that remain among you, nor mention the name of their gods, nor make oaths by them, nor serve them, nor worship them.

NET Bible
or associate with these nations that remain near you. You must not invoke or make solemn declarations by the names of their gods! You must not worship or bow down to them!

New Heart English Bible
that you not come among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow down yourselves to them;

Webster's Bible Translation
That ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves to them:

Majority Text Translations

Majority Standard Bible
So you are not to associate with these nations that remain among you. You must not call on the names of their gods or swear by them, and you must not serve them or bow down to them.

World English Bible
that you not come among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow down yourselves to them;

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
so as not to go in among these nations, these who are left with you; and you do not make mention of the name of their gods, nor do you swear, nor do you serve them, nor do you bow yourselves to them;

Young's Literal Translation
so as not to go in among these nations, these who are left with you; and of the name of their gods ye do not make mention, nor do ye swear, nor do ye serve them, nor do ye bow yourselves to them;

Smith's Literal Translation
So as not to come among these nations, these being left with you; and ye shall not make mention of the name of their gods, and ye shall not swear, and ye shall not serve them, and ye shall not worship to them:

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
Lest after that you are come in among the Gentiles, who will remain among you, you should swear by the name of their gods, and serve them, and adore them:

Catholic Public Domain Version
Otherwise, after you have entered to the Gentiles, who will be among you in the future, you might swear by the name of their gods, and serve them, and adore them.

New American Bible
or mingling with these nations that survive among you. You must not invoke their gods by name, or swear by them, or serve them, or bow down to them,

New Revised Standard Version
so that you may not be mixed with these nations left here among you, or make mention of the names of their gods, or swear by them, or serve them, or bow yourselves down to them,

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And you shall not mix with these nations that remain among you; neither make mention of the names of their gods, nor swear by them, neither serve them, nor worship them;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And you shall not mix among these Gentiles who are left among you, and the name of their gods you shall not call to mind, neither shall you swear by them, neither shall you serve them and you shall not bow to them

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
that ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor worship them;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
that ye go not in among these nations that are left; and the names of their gods shall not be named among you, neither shall ye serve them, neither shall ye bow down to them.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Joshua's Charge to Leaders
…6Be very strong, then, so that you can keep and obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, not turning aside from it to the right or to the left.7So you are not to associate with these nations that remain among you.You must not call on the names of their gods or swear by them,and you must not serve them or bow down to them.8Instead, you shall hold fast to the LORD your God, as you have done to this day.…

Berean Standard Bible ·Download

Cross References

Exodus 23:13
Pay close attention to everything I have said to you. You must not invoke the names of other gods; they must not be heard on your lips.

Deuteronomy 6:14
Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you.

Deuteronomy 7:2-4
and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you to defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy. / Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, / because they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods. Then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and He will swiftly destroy you.

Deuteronomy 12:30-31
be careful not to be ensnared by their ways after they have been destroyed before you. Do not inquire about their gods, asking, “How do these nations serve their gods? I will do likewise.” / You must not worship the LORD your God in this way, because they practice for their gods every abomination which the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.

Deuteronomy 18:9-14
When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. / Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery, / casts spells, consults a medium or spiritist, or inquires of the dead. ...

Judges 2:12-13
Thus they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they followed after various gods of the peoples around them. They bowed down to them and provoked the LORD to anger, / for they forsook Him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.

1 Kings 11:2-4
These women were from the nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, for surely they will turn your hearts after their gods.” Yet Solomon clung to these women in love. / He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines—and his wives turned his heart away. / For when Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and he was not wholeheartedly devoted to the LORD his God, as his father David had been.

2 Kings 17:35-38
For the LORD had made a covenant with the Israelites and commanded them, “Do not worship other gods or bow down to them; do not serve them or sacrifice to them. / Instead, worship the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm. You are to bow down to Him and offer sacrifices to Him. / And you must always be careful to observe the statutes, ordinances, laws, and commandments He wrote for you. Do not worship other gods. ...

Psalm 16:4
Sorrows will multiply to those who chase other gods. I will not pour out their libations of blood, or speak their names with my lips.

Jeremiah 10:2-5
This is what the LORD says: “Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by the signs in the heavens, though the nations themselves are terrified by them. / For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut down a tree from the forest; it is shaped with a chisel by the hands of a craftsman. / They adorn it with silver and gold and fasten it with hammer and nails, so that it will not totter. ...

Hosea 2:17
For I will remove from her lips the names of the Baals; no longer will their names be invoked.

Acts 14:15
“Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them.

Acts 15:20
Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood.

Romans 1:21-23
For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts. / Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, / and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

1 Corinthians 8:4-6
So about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God but one. / For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many so-called gods and lords), / yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we exist. And there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we exist.

Treasury of Scripture

That you come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves to them:

Joshua 23:12
Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations,even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you:

Exodus 23:33
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.

Deuteronomy 7:2,3
And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them,and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them: …

neither

Exodus 23:13
And in allthings that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.

Numbers 32:38
And Nebo, and Baalmeon, (their names being changed,) and Shibmah: and gave other names unto the cities which they builded.

Psalm 16:4
Their sorrows shall be multipliedthat hastenafter anothergod: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.

to swear

Jeremiah 5:7
How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn bythem that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses.

Zephaniah 1:5
And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worshipand that swear by the LORD, and that swear by Malcham;

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Joshua 23

1.Joshua's exhortation before his death
3.by former benefits
5.by promises
11.and by threatenings

Study Bible

Book ◦ Chapter

So you are not to associate with these nations that remain among you.
This phrase reflects the Israelites' situation after entering the Promised Land. Despite their victories, some Canaanite nations remained. The command not to associate with these nations is rooted in the concern for spiritual purity and the danger of adopting pagan practices. Historically, the Canaanites were known for idolatry and practices contrary to the worship of Yahweh. This directive is consistent with earlier commands inDeuteronomy 7:2-4, emphasizing the need to avoid intermarriage and cultural assimilation that could lead to idolatry.

You must not call on the names of their gods or swear by them,
Invoking the names of foreign gods was more than a verbal act; it signified allegiance and acknowledgment of their power. In ancient Near Eastern culture, names held significant power and calling upon a deity's name was an act of worship and submission. This prohibition is a safeguard against syncretism, ensuring that the Israelites' worship remains exclusive to Yahweh. The command echoes the first two commandments inExodus 20:3-7, which prohibit having other gods and misusing God's name.

and you must not serve them or bow down to them.
Service and bowing down are acts of worship and submission. In the ancient world, these actions were often part of religious rituals and ceremonies. The Israelites are warned against participating in such practices, which would signify a rejection of their covenant with Yahweh. This command is a reminder of the exclusive worship required by the covenant, as seen inDeuteronomy 6:13-15. The call to avoid idolatry is a recurring theme throughout the Old Testament, highlighting the constant temptation Israel faced and the need for vigilance in maintaining their distinct identity as God's chosen people.

Persons / Places / Events

1.Joshua
The leader of Israel after Moses, who is delivering his farewell address to the Israelites, urging them to remain faithful to God.

2.Israelites
The chosen people of God, who have settled in the Promised Land but are surrounded by pagan nations.

3.Canaanite Nations
The surrounding nations with whom the Israelites are warned not to associate, as they worship false gods.

4.Promised Land
The land of Canaan, which God promised to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

5.Pagan Gods
The false deities worshiped by the Canaanite nations, which the Israelites are warned against.

Teaching Points

Faithfulness to God
The Israelites are reminded to remain faithful to God alone, avoiding any form of idolatry or syncretism.

Separation from Worldly Influences
Just as the Israelites were to avoid pagan practices, Christians today are called to be in the world but not of it, maintaining spiritual purity.

The Power of Names
Invoking the names of other gods signifies allegiance; Christians are to call upon the name of the Lord alone.

Covenant Loyalty
The Israelites' relationship with God was based on a covenant that required exclusive worship, a principle that applies to the New Covenant in Christ.

Guarding Against Compromise
The warning against serving or bowing to other gods serves as a reminder to guard against compromising one's faith.

Bible Study Questions and Answers

1.What is the meaning of Joshua 23:7?

2.How can we avoid "associating with these nations" in our daily lives today?

3.What does Joshua 23:7 teach about the dangers of idolatry?

4.How does Joshua 23:7 connect with the First Commandment in Exodus 20:3?

5.In what ways can we "not invoke the names of their gods"?

6.How can we ensure our actions align with Joshua's warning in Joshua 23:7?

7.What does Joshua 23:7 mean by "do not invoke the names of their gods"?

8.How does Joshua 23:7 address the influence of surrounding cultures on Israel?

9.Why is it important to avoid swearing by other gods according to Joshua 23:7?

10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Joshua 23?

11.Does Joshua 23:7’s directive to avoid pagan nations conflict with biblical accounts of alliances Israel made in subsequent books?

12.If Joshua 23 emphasizes exclusive worship of Yahweh, why do historical records suggest continued syncretism and idolatry among the Israelites?

13.Joshua 1:10-11 - If the Israelites were so close to fulfilling God's promise of rest, why was there still so much warfare and conflict ahead?

14.Exodus 12:29 - How can a just and loving God sanction the killing of innocent firstborn children?

What Does Joshua 23:7 Mean

So you are not to associate with these nations that remain among you

“So you are not to associate with these nations that remain among you.” (Joshua 23:7a)

Joshua, now an elderly leader, is urging Israel to guard their relationships. God had given the land, yet some Canaanite peoples remained. The instruction is clear:

• Keep relational distance from the idol-practicing cultures around you (Exodus 34:12-16;Deuteronomy 7:2-4).

• The concern is spiritual contamination, not ethnic hostility; close alliances risked diluting wholehearted devotion to the LORD (1 Kings 11:1-4).

• For believers today, the principle echoes1 Corinthians 15:33 and2 Corinthians 6:14-17—choose companions who help, not hinder, faithfulness.

You must not call on the names of their gods or swear by them

“You must not call on the names of their gods or swear by them.” (Joshua 23:7b)

The second command drills deeper into speech:

• Israel was never to invoke a false deity in oaths or conversation (Exodus 23:13;Psalm 16:4).

• Names signify allegiance; to swear by a god is to acknowledge its authority (Zephaniah 1:5).

• Jesus later affirms truthful, God-honoring speech without oath-making formulas (Matthew 5:33-37). Our words reveal where our trust rests (James 3:9-12).

You must not serve them or bow down to them

“…and you must not serve them or bow down to them.” (Joshua 23:7c)

This final warning confronts worship directly:

• Service and bowing are acts reserved for the LORD alone (Exodus 20:3-5;Deuteronomy 6:13-14).

• Israel’s history proves the danger: every compromise led to oppression (Judges 2:11-15) and exile (2 Kings 17:35-41).

• New-covenant believers also face subtle idols—anything that claims ultimate loyalty (Colossians 3:5;1 John 5:21). God still demands exclusive worship.

summary

Joshua 23:7 calls God’s people to separation in relationships, purity in speech, and exclusivity in worship. While the cultural setting differs, the timeless lesson remains: wholehearted devotion to the one true God leaves no room for compromise with competing loyalties.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(7)Come not among these nations--i.e., do not mix with them; literally,do not go in unto them.(See onJoshua 13:2-7, for the rules to be observed in dealing with the nations.) It must always be remembered that, in proposing the extermination of the seven nations, Jehovah reserved to Himself the ordering of the details of the conquest and extermination. When the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee, thou shalt smite them and utterly destroy them." He did not propose to deliver them all to Israel at once, for reasons set forth in Judges 2, 3. Meantime, it was a trial of Israel's faith and obedience to live among idolaters without making any peace with them, or lending any countenance to their idolatry.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 7. -That ye come not among these nations (see note on ver. 4). We can here perceive that the Israelites, though living among these nations, held no intercourse with them.Neither make mention of the name of their gods. Cf.Psalm 16:4, which however is not a verbal quotation of this passage. The LXX. here has,καὶ τὰ ὀνόματατῶν θεῶν αὐτῶν οὐκ ὀνομασθήσεται ἐν ὐμῖν; the Vulgate simply, "ne juretis in nomine deorum earum." The Hebrew has the signification

(1) to bring to remembrance,

(2) to praise or celebrate.

The former is the better idea here, "let them not be named among you, as becometh saints," let them be quite forgotten, as though they had never been heard of; and this not with a purely theological, but with an ethical purpose, since "fornication and all uncleanness and greediness" (πλεουεξία; seeEphesians 5:3) were the first principles of their rites (see Introduction).Nor cause to swear by them. These words are found in connection with what follows inDeuteronomy 10:20. So with "serve" and "bow down" (seeExodus 20:5;Deuteronomy 4:19;Deuteronomy 5:9;Deuteronomy 8:19, etc.). Here again we have Joshua quoting Deuteronomy as the book of the Law of Moses. According to the "Deuteronomist" theory, the quotation is an audacious fiction, manufactured by the person who was at that moment forging the book from which he pretended to quote.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

So you are not
לְבִלְתִּי־(lə·ḇil·tî-)
Preposition-l
Strong's 1115:A failure of, not, except, without, unless, besides, because not, until

to associate
בוֹא֙(ḇō·w)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 935:To come in, come, go in, go

with these
הָאֵ֔לֶּה(hā·’êl·leh)
Article | Pronoun - common plural
Strong's 428:These, those

nations
בַּגּוֹיִ֣ם(bag·gō·w·yim)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1471:A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts

remaining
הַנִּשְׁאָרִ֥ים(han·niš·’ā·rîm)
Article | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 7604:To swell up, be, redundant

among you.
אִתְּכֶ֑ם(’it·tə·ḵem)
Preposition | second person masculine plural
Strong's 854:Nearness, near, with, by, at, among

Do not
לֹא־(lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808:Not, no

call on
תַזְכִּ֙ירוּ֙(ṯaz·kî·rū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 2142:To mark, to remember, to mention, to be male

the names
וּבְשֵׁ֨ם(ū·ḇə·šêm)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8034:A name

of their gods
אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֤ם(’ĕ·lō·hê·hem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 430:gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

or swear by them,
תַשְׁבִּ֔יעוּ(ṯaš·bî·‘ū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 7650:To seven oneself, swear

and you must not
וְלֹ֣א(wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808:Not, no

serve them
תַעַבְד֔וּם(ṯa·‘aḇ·ḏūm)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5647:To work, to serve, till, enslave

[or]
וְלֹ֥א(wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808:Not, no

bow down
תִֽשְׁתַּחֲו֖וּ(ṯiš·ta·ḥă·wū)
Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 7812:To depress, prostrate

to them.
לָהֶֽם׃(lā·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew

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OT History: Joshua 23:7 That you not come among these nations (Josh. Jos)