Joshua 23:16

If you transgress the covenant of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from this good land He has given you.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Joshua addresses the tribes of Israel at the close of his leadership, following his summary of God’s fulfilled promises and impending judgment in the preceding verse.

The words — The Hebrew phrase בְּעָבְרְכֶם (be-'a.ve.re-khem) literally renders “when you transgress,” directly introducing בְּרִית (be.Rit), “the covenant.”

The thread — This conditional warning parallels the corruption threat in Deuteronomy 4:25 and corresponds to the historical banishment recorded in 2 Kings 24:20.

Why it lands — The passage states that idolatry and covenant breach provoke the LORD’s anger and swift removal from the land, requiring strict obedience to His commands.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

בְּ֠עָבְרְכֶםBe./'a.ve.re./khemwhen/ transgress/ you אֶת־'et-<obj.>בְּרִ֨יתbe.Rit[the] covenant of יְהוָ֥הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹהֵיכֶם֮'e.lo.hei./KhemGod/ your אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.Sherwhich צִוָּ֣הtzi.Vahhe commanded אֶתְכֶם֒'et./Khem<obj.>/ you וַהֲלַכְתֶּ֗םva./ha.lakh.Temand/ you will go וַעֲבַדְתֶּם֙va./'a.vad.Temand/ you will serve אֱלֹהִ֣ים'E.lo.Himgods אֲחֵרִ֔ים'a.che.Rimother וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתֶ֖םve./hish.ta.cha.vi.Temand/ you will bow downלָהֶ֑םla./Hemto <the>/ themוְחָרָ֤הve./cha.Rahand/ it will burn אַף־'af-[the] anger of יְהוָה֙Yah.wehYahwehבָּכֶ֔םba./Khemon <the>/ youוַאֲבַדְתֶּ֣םva./'a.vad.Temand/ you will perish מְהֵרָ֔הme.he.Rahquickly מֵעַל֙me./'Alfrom/ on הָאָ֣רֶץha./'A.retzthe/ land הַטּוֹבָ֔הha./to.Vah<the>/ good אֲשֶׁ֖ר'a.Sherwhich נָתַ֥ןna.Tanhe has givenלָכֶֽם׃ פla./Khemto <the>/ you

King James Version

When ye have transgressed the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to them; then shall the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which he hath given unto you.

Cross-references

Deuteronomy 4:25 After you have children and grandchildren and you have been in the land a long time, if you then act corruptly and make an idol of any form—doing evil in the sight of the LORD your God and provoking Him to anger—
2 Kings 24:20 For because of the anger of the LORD, all this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, until He finally banished them from His presence. And Zedekiah also rebelled against the king of Babylon.