Joshua 23:12 For if you turn away and cling to the rest of these nations that remain among you, and if you intermarry and associate with them,

◄ Joshua 23:12 ►

New International Version
“But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them and associate with them,

New Living Translation
“But if you turn away from him and cling to the customs of the survivors of these nations remaining among you, and if you intermarry with them,

English Standard Version
For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations remaining among you and make marriages with them, so that you associate with them and they with you,

Berean Standard Bible
For if you turn away and cling to the rest of these nations that remain among you, and if you intermarry and associate with them,

King James Bible
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:

New King James Version
Or else, if indeed you do go back, and cling to the remnant of these nations—these that remain among you—and make marriages with them, and go in to them and they to you,

New American Standard Bible
For if you ever go back and cling to the rest of these nations, these which remain with you, and intermarry with them, so that you associate with them and they with you,

NASB 1995
“For if you ever go back and cling to the rest of these nations, these which remain among you, and intermarry with them, so that you associate with them and they with you,

NASB 1977
“For if you ever go back and cling to the rest of these nations, these which remain among you, and intermarry with them, so that you associate with them and they with you,

Legacy Standard Bible
For if you ever turn back and cling to the rest of these nations, these which remain among you, and intermarry with them, so that you go along with them and they with you,

Amplified Bible
For if you ever turn back and cling to the rest of these nations, these that are left among you, and intermarry with them, so that you associate with them and they with you,

Christian Standard Bible
If you ever turn away and become loyal to the rest of these nations remaining among you, and if you intermarry or associate with them and they with you,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For if you turn away and cling to the rest of these nations remaining among you, and if you intermarry or associate with them and they with you,

American Standard Version
Else if ye do at all go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you;

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

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"But if you turn away and go along with the other nations within your [borders], if you intermarry with them or associate with them,

Good News Translation
If you are disloyal and join with the nations that are still left among you and intermarry with them,

International Standard Version
because if you ever turn back and cling to those who remain of these nations by intermarrying with them and associating one with another,

Majority Standard Bible
For if you turn away and cling to the rest of these nations that remain among you, and if you intermarry and associate with them,

NET Bible
But if you ever turn away and make alliances with these nations that remain near you, and intermarry with them and establish friendly relations with them,

New Heart English Bible
Else if you do at all go back, and hold fast to the remnant of these nations, even these who remain among you, and make marriages with them, and go in to them, and they to you;

Webster's Bible Translation
Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave to the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and associate with them, and they with you:

World English Bible
“But if you do at all go back, and hold fast to the remnant of these nations, even these who remain among you, and make marriages with them, and go in to them, and they to you;

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
But—if you turn back at all and have cleaved to the remnant of these nations, these who are left with you, and intermarried with them, and gone in to them, and they to you,

Young's Literal Translation
'But -- if ye at all turn back and have cleaved to the remnant of these nations, these who are left with you, and intermarried with them, and gone in to them, and they to you,

Smith's Literal Translation
For if turning back, ye shall turn back and cleave to the remainder of these nations, these being left with you, and marry with them, and go in to them, and they in to you,

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
But if you will embrace the errors of these nations that dwell among you, and make marriages with them, and join friendships:

Catholic Public Domain Version
But if you choose to cling to the errors of these nations that live among you, and to mix with them by marriage, and to join with them by friendship,

New American Bible
For if you ever turn away from him and join with the remnant of these nations that survive among you, by intermarrying and intermingling with them,

New Revised Standard Version
For if you turn back, and join the survivors of these nations left here among you, and intermarry with them, so that you marry their women and they yours,

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
For if you ever turn back and join the remnant of these nations that remain among you and make marriages with them and mix with them and they with you;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
But if you will return and you will cleave to the remainder of these nations who were left among you, and you shall be to them sonsinlaw, and you shall be joined to them and those among you

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For if ye shall turn aside and attach yourselves to these nations that are left with you, and make marriages with them, and become mingled with them and they with you,

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Joshua's Charge to Leaders
…11Therefore watch yourselves carefully, that you love the LORD your God. 12For if you turn away and cling to the rest of these nations that remain among you, and if you intermarry and associate with them, 13know for sure that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become for you a snare and a trap, a scourge in your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land that the LORD your God has given you.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Deuteronomy 7:3-4
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.

Judges 2:2-3
and you are not to make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall tear down their altars.’ Yet you have not obeyed My voice. What is this you have done? / So now I tell you that I will not drive out these people before you; they will be thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.”

Exodus 34:12-16
Be careful not to make a treaty with the inhabitants of the land you are entering, lest they become a snare in your midst. / Rather, you must tear down their altars, smash their sacred stones, and chop down their Asherah poles. / For you must not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. ...

1 Kings 11:2
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.

Deuteronomy 31:16
And the LORD said to Moses, “You will soon rest with your fathers, and these people will rise up and prostitute themselves with the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake Me and break the covenant I have made with them.

Numbers 33:55
But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides; they will harass you in the land where you settle.

1 Corinthians 15:33
Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

2 Corinthians 6:14-17
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? / What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? / What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.” ...

Psalm 106:34-36
They did not destroy the peoples as the LORD had commanded them, / but they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs. / They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them.

Ezra 9:12
Now, therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Never seek their peace or prosperity, so that you may be strong and may eat the good things of the land, leaving it as an inheritance to your sons forever.’

Nehemiah 13:25-27
I rebuked them and called down curses on them. I beat some of these men and pulled out their hair. Then I made them take an oath before God and said, “You must not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves! / Did not King Solomon of Israel sin in matters like this? There was not a king like him among many nations, and he was loved by his God, who made him king over all Israel—yet foreign women drew him into sin. / Must we now hear that you too are doing all this terrible evil and acting unfaithfully against our God by marrying foreign women?”

Hosea 4:17
Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone!

1 Corinthians 5:9-11
I wrote you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people. / I was not including the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. / But now I am writing you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a verbal abuser, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.

2 Peter 2:20-22
If indeed they have escaped the corruption of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, only to be entangled and overcome by it again, their final condition is worse than it was at first. / It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than to have known it and then to turn away from the holy commandment passed on to them. / Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.”

Revelation 18:4
Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “Come out of her, My people, so that you will not share in her sins or contract any of her plagues.

Treasury of Scripture

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

go back

Psalm 36:3
The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.

Psalm 125:5
As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel.

Isaiah 1:4
Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.

cleave

Genesis 2:24
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Genesis 34:3
And his soul clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spake kindly unto the damsel.

1 Samuel 18:1-3
And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul…

shall make

Exodus 34:12-16
Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee: …

Deuteronomy 7:3
Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.

1 Kings 11:4
For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.

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Joshua 23

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

Berean Study Bible

But if you ever turn away
This phrase serves as a solemn warning from Joshua to the Israelites. The Hebrew root for "turn away" is "שׁוּב" (shuv), which means to turn back or return. In the context of the covenant relationship with God, it implies a deliberate choice to abandon the path of obedience and faithfulness. Historically, Israel's identity and survival were deeply tied to their covenant with God, and turning away would mean forsaking their unique calling and protection.

and make a covenant
The word "covenant" in Hebrew is "בְּרִית" (berit), signifying a binding agreement or promise. In the ancient Near Eastern context, covenants were serious commitments often sealed with rituals. For Israel, making a covenant with other nations, especially those who worshipped other gods, was tantamount to spiritual adultery. It was a direct violation of their exclusive covenant with Yahweh, who had delivered them from Egypt and given them the Promised Land.

with the nations that remain among you
This phrase refers to the Canaanite nations that were still present in the land. Despite Israel's conquests, remnants of these nations persisted, posing a constant temptation to Israel. Historically, these nations practiced idolatry and immoral customs, which were in stark contrast to the laws given to Israel. The presence of these nations was a test of Israel's faithfulness to God and His commandments.

and intermarry with them
Intermarriage with the Canaanites was explicitly forbidden in the Mosaic Law (Deuteronomy 7:3-4) because it often led to the adoption of pagan practices and the dilution of Israel's distinct identity as God's chosen people. The Hebrew culture was deeply intertwined with their faith, and intermarriage threatened to compromise their religious purity and allegiance to Yahweh.

and you associate with them
The Hebrew word for "associate" is "דָּבַק" (dabaq), meaning to cling or adhere closely. This implies more than casual interaction; it suggests forming close bonds and alliances. Such associations could lead to the Israelites adopting the customs and religious practices of the surrounding nations, which would draw them away from their devotion to God. The historical context underscores the importance of maintaining spiritual and cultural boundaries to preserve the integrity of their faith.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(12,13) if ye . . . make marriages with them . . . the Lord your God will no more drive out.--The common-sense of this warning is manifest. The God of Israel cannot treat as His enemies those whom Israel has united with itself, unless He also makes war on Israel. It was a long time before Israel learned the lesson how to live in the world without being of the world. It was not learnt until after the Babylonish captivity, and when learnt, it soon developed into a Pharisaical exclusiveness, which produced the very opposite effect to that which the law was intended to have.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 12. - Go back. Literally, return. Cleave. A word (see ver. 8) signifying close and intimate relationship. And the intimacy of the relationship is indicated, as in ver. 8, by the use of the preposition בְּ. Make marriages with them. No closer or more intimate relationship is possible than this. Nothing, therefore, would be more certain to draw the Israelites away from their allegiance to God, and to seduce them and their children into the false and corrupt worship of the nations around them. "Unde deprecor vos qui fidelis estis, ut ita vitam vestram et conversationem servetis, ne in aliquo vel ipsi scandalum patiamini vel aliis scandalum faciatis; sit in vobis summi studii, summaeque cautelae, ne quis in hanc sanctam congregationem vestram pollutus introeat" (Orig., Hom. 21 on Joshua). Go in unto them. Rather, go among them. Spoken of the familiar intercourse of friendship. It is equivalent to our words "associate with them."

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

For
כִּ֣י ׀ (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

if
אִם־ (’im-)
Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

you turn away
שׁ֣וֹב (šō·wḇ)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

and cling
וּדְבַקְתֶּם֙ (ū·ḏə·ḇaq·tem)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 1692: To impinge, cling, adhere, to catch by pursuit

to the rest
בְּיֶ֙תֶר֙ (bə·ye·ṯer)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3499: An overhanging, an excess, superiority, remainder, a small rope

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

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

that remain
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

and if you intermarry
וְהִֽתְחַתַּנְתֶּ֥ם (wə·hiṯ·ḥat·tan·tem)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 2859: To give, away in marriage, to contract affinity by marriage

and associate
וּבָאתֶ֥ם (ū·ḇā·ṯem)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

with them,
וְהֵ֥ם (wə·hêm)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992: They

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OT History: Joshua 23:12 Else if you do at all go (Josh. Jos)