What is the meaning of Joshua 23:7?

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 echoes 1 Corinthians 15:33 and 2 Corinthians 6:14-17—choose companions who help, not hinder, faithfulness.

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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).

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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.

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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.