Joshua 24:18

And the LORD drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites who lived in the land. We too will serve the LORD, because He is our God!”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Joshua addresses the assembled tribes of Israel at the conclusion of his covenant renewal speech, recounting Yahweh’s past deliverance to demand exclusive loyalty.

The words — The Hebrew verb וַיְגָרֵשׁ (wayyĕgāreš) translates literally as “he drove out,” denoting Yahweh’s forceful expulsion of the Amorites and other peoples from the territory.

The thread — This pattern of divine expulsion and covenantal service appears in Exodus 10:2, which commands recounting God’s judgments on Egypt, and Psalm 116:16, which affirms the psalmist’s binding servitude to Yahweh.

Why it lands — The text requires a practical reckoning: attribute national survival to Yahweh’s historical action and commit to exclusive obedience, recognizing that covenant service is a response to deliverance, not a precondition for it.

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

וַיְגָ֨רֶשׁva/y.Ga.reshand/ he drove out יְהוָ֜הYah.wehYahweh אֶת־'et-<obj.>כָּל־kol-all הָעַמִּ֗יםha./'a.Mimthe/ peoples וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>הָאֱמֹרִ֛יha./'e.mo.Rithe/ Amorite[s]יֹשֵׁ֥בyo.Shev[who] dwelt הָאָ֖רֶץha./'A.retzof the/ land מִפָּנֵ֑ינוּmi./pa.Nei./nufrom/ before/ us גַּם־gam-also אֲנַ֙חְנוּ֙'a.Nach.nuwe נַעֲבֹ֣דna.'a.Vodwe will serve אֶת־'et-<obj.>יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahweh כִּי־ki-for ה֖וּאhu'he אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃ ס'e.lo.Hei./nu[is] God/ our

King James Version

And the Lord drave out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land: therefore will we also serve the Lord; for he is our God.

Cross-references

Exodus 10:2 and that you may tell your children and grandchildren how severely I dealt with the Egyptians when I performed miraculous signs among them, so that all of you may know that I am the LORD.”
Psalms 116:16 Truly, O LORD, I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have broken my bonds.
Micah 4:2 And many nations will come and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
Zechariah 8:23 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue will tightly grasp the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”
Luke 1:73 the oath He swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
Exodus 15:2 The LORD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.