Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge, by R.A. Torrey, [ca. 1880], at sacred-texts.com
Overview
Jos 24:1, Joshua assembles the tribes at Shechem; Jos 24:2, A brief history of God's benefits, from Terah; Jos 24:14, He renews the covenant between them and God; Jos 24:26, A stone the witness of the covenant; Jos 24:29, Joshua's age, death, and burial; Jos 24:32, Joseph's bones are buried; Jos 24:33, Eleazar dies.
Joshua: This must have been a different assembly from that mentioned in the preceding chapter, though probably held not long after the former.
Shechem: As it is immediately added, that "they presented themselves before God," which is supposed to mean at the tabernacle; some are of opinion that Joshua caused it to be conveyed from Shiloh to Shechem on this occasion, to give the greater solemnity to his last meeting with the people. The Vatican and Alexandrian copies of the Septuagint, however, read Σηλω, both here and in Jos 24:25; which many suppose to have been the original reading. Dr. Shuckford supposes that the covenant was made at Shechem, and that the people went to Shiloh to confirm it. But the most probable opinion seems to be that of Dr. Kennicott, that when all the tribes were assembled as Shechem, Joshua called the chiefs to him on that mount, which had before been consecrated by the law, and by the altar which he had erected. Gen 12:6, Gen 33:18, Gen 33:19, Gen 35:4; Jdg 9:1-3; Kg1 12:1
called: Jos 23:2; Exo 18:25, Exo 18:26
presented: Sa1 10:19; Act 10:33
Your fathers: Gen 11:26, Gen 11:31, Gen 12:1, Gen 31:53; Deu 26:5; Isa 51:2; Eze 16:3
served other gods: In the case of Abraham this was probably the case, till he was called to the knowledge of God, when above 70 years old. Jos 24:15; Gen 31:19, Gen 31:30, Gen 31:32, Gen 31:53, Gen 35:4
I took: Gen 12:1-4; Neh 9:7, Neh 9:8; Act 7:2, Act 7:3
gave: Gen 21:2, Gen 21:3; Psa 127:3
unto Isaac: Gen 25:24-26
unto Esau: Gen 32:3, Gen 36:8; Deu 2:5
Jacob: Gen 46:1-7; Psa 105:23; Act 7:15
sent: Exo 3:10, Exo 4:12, Exo 4:13; Psa 105:26
plagued: Exod. 7:1-12:51; Psa 78:43-51, Psa 105:27-36, Psa 135:8, Psa 135:9, Psa 136:10
I brought: Exo 12:37, Exo 12:51; Mic 6:4
Egyptians: Exod. 14:1-15:27; Neh 9:11; Psa 77:15-20, Psa 78:13, Psa 136:13-15; Isa 63:12, Isa 63:13; Act 7:36; Heb 11:29
And when: Exo 14:10
he put: Exo 14:20
your eyes: Exo 14:31; Deu 4:34, Deu 29:2
ye dwelt: Jos 5:6; Num 14:33, Num 14:34; Neh 9:12-21; Psa 95:9, Psa 95:10; Act 13:17, Act 13:18; Heb 3:17
Jos 13:10; Num 21:21-35; Deu 2:32-37, Deu 3:1-7; Neh 9:22; Psa 135:10, Psa 135:11; Psa 136:17-22
Num 22:5, 6-21; Deu 23:4, Deu 23:5; Jdg 11:25; Mic 6:5
Num 22:11, Num 22:12, Num 22:18-20, Num 22:35, Num 23:3-12, Num 23:15-26, Num 24:5-10; Isa 54:17
And ye: Jos 3:14-17, Jos 4:10-12, Jos 4:23; Psa 114:3, Psa 114:5
the men: Josh. 6:1-27, 10:1-11:23; Neh 9:24, Neh 9:25; Psa 78:54, Psa 78:55, Psa 105:44; Act 7:45, Act 13:19
not: Psa 44:3-6
And I: Jos 21:45
cities: Jos 11:13; Deu 6:10-12, Deu 8:7; Pro 13:22
fear: Deu 10:12; Sa1 12:24; Job 1:1, Job 28:28; Psa 111:10, Psa 130:4; Hos 3:5; Act 9:31
serve: Jos 24:23; Gen 17:1, Gen 20:5, Gen 20:6; Deu 18:13; Kg2 20:3; Psa 119:1, Psa 119:80; Luk 8:15; Joh 4:23, Joh 4:24; Co2 1:12; Eph 6:24; Phi 1:10
put: From this exhortation of Joshua, we not only learn that the Israelites still retained some relics of idolatry, but to what gods they were attached.
1. Those whom their fathers worshipped on the other side of the food, or the river Euphrates, i.e., the gods of the Chaldeans, fire, light, the sun, etc.
2. Those of the Egyptians, Apis, Anubis, serpents, vegetables, etc.
3. Those of the Amorites, Moabites, Canaanites, etc., Baal-peor, Astarte, etc.
How astonishing is it, that after all that God had done for them, and all the miracles they had seen, there should still be found among them both idols and idolaters! Jos 24:2, Jos 24:23; Gen 35:2; Exo 20:3, Exo 20:4; Lev 17:7; Ezr 9:11; Eze 20:18; Amo 5:25, Amo 5:26
in Egypt: Eze 20:7, Eze 20:8, Eze 23:3
choose: Rut 1:15, Rut 1:16; Kg1 18:21; Eze 20:39; Joh 6:67
whether the gods: Jos 24:14
or the gods: Exo 23:24, Exo 23:32, Exo 23:33, Exo 34:15; Deu 13:7, Deu 29:18; Jdg 6:10
as for me: Gen 18:19; Psa 101:2, Psa 119:106, Psa 119:111, Psa 119:112; Joh 6:68; Act 11:23
Sa1 12:23; Rom 3:6, Rom 6:2; Heb 10:38, Heb 10:39
Jos 24:5-14; Exo 19:4; Deu 32:11, Deu 32:12; Isa 46:4, Isa 63:7-14; Amo 2:9, Amo 2:10
will we also: Exo 10:2, Exo 15:2; Psa 116:16; Mic 4:2; Zac 8:23; Luk 1:73-75
Ye cannot: Jos 24:23; Rut 1:15; Mat 6:24; Luk 14:25-33
holy: Lev 10:3, Lev 19:2; Sa1 6:20; Psa 99:5, Psa 99:9; Isa 5:16, Isa 6:3-5, Isa 30:11, Isa 30:15; Hab 1:13
a jealous: Exo 20:5, Exo 34:14; Co1 10:20-22
he will not: Exo 23:21, Exo 34:7; Sa1 3:14; Ch2 36:16; Isa 27:11
he will turn: Jos 23:12-15; Ch1 28:9; Ch2 15:2; Ezr 8:22; Isa 1:28, Isa 63:10, Isa 65:11, Isa 65:12; Jer 17:13; Eze 18:24; Act 7:42; Heb 10:26, Heb 10:27, Heb 10:38
Nay: Exo 19:8, Exo 20:19, Exo 24:3, Exo 24:7; Deu 5:27, Deu 5:28, Deu 26:17; Isa 44:5
Ye are witnesses: Ye have been sufficiently apprised of the difficulties in your way - of God's holiness, and the nature of his service - your own weakness, inconstancy, and insufficiency - your need of the Divine help, and the hope of assistance held out in the law - and the awful consequences of apostasy, and now ye make your choice. Remember then that ye are witnesses against yourselves; and your own conscience will be witness, judge, and executioner. Deu 26:17; Job 15:6; Luk 19:22
ye have: Psa 119:11, Psa 119:173; Luk 10:42
put away: Jos 24:14; Gen 35:2-4; Exo 20:23; Jdg 10:15, Jdg 10:16; Sa1 7:3, Sa1 7:4; Hos 14:2, Hos 14:3, Hos 14:8; Co1 10:19-21; Co2 6:16-18
incline: Pro 2:2; Heb 12:28, Heb 12:29
made: Exo 15:25, Exo 24:3, Exo 24:7, Exo 24:8; Deu 5:2, Deu 5:3, Deu 29:1, Deu 29:10-15; Kg2 11:17; Ch2 15:12, Ch2 15:15; Ch2 23:16, Ch2 29:10, Ch2 34:29-32; Neh 9:38, Neh 10:28, Neh 10:29
in Shechem: Jos 24:1, Jos 24:26
Joshua: Exo 24:4; Deu 31:24-26
took: Jdg 9:6
set it: Jos 4:3-9, Jos 4:20-24; Gen 28:18-22
under: Gen 35:4, Gen 35:8; Jdg 9:6
A curious coincidence of circumstances is related by Livy, the Roman historian. he writes that "when three ambassadors were sent from Rome to complain of the perfidious conduct of the Aqui, the General informed them, that they might deliver their message to an oak which shaded his tent." On this one of the ambassadors turning away, said, "This venerable oak, and all the gods, shall know that you have violated the peace; they shall now hear our complaints; and may they also soon be witnesses, when we revenge with our arms the violation of divine and human rights." It is worthy of remark that Joshua merely set up a pillar under an oak - the one, perhaps, to protect the other; while the General directed the ambassadors to address the oak, perhaps with an idolatrous feeling that they were addressing one of the gods, who would aid his cause; while the Roman ambassadors caught the feeling, and really invoked the aid of the oak and the gods.
Jos 22:27, Jos 22:28, Jos 22:34; Gen 31:44-52; Deu 4:26, Deu 30:19, Deu 31:19, Deu 31:21, Deu 31:26; Sa1 7:12
it hath: Deu 32:1; Isa 1:2; Hab 2:11; Luk 19:40
deny: Job 31:23; Pro 30:9; Mat 10:33; Ti2 2:12, Ti2 2:13; Tit 1:16; Rev 3:8
after these: Deu 34:5; Jdg 2:8; Psa 115:17; Ti2 4:7, Ti2 4:8; Rev 14:13
an hundred: Gen 50:22, Gen 50:26
Timnathserah: Jos 19:50; Jdg 2:9
Gaash: Sa2 23:30
served: Deu 31:29; Jdg 2:7; Ch2 24:2, Ch2 24:17, Ch2 24:18; Act 20:29; Phi 2:12
overlived Joshua: Heb. prolonged their days after Joshua, which had. Deu 11:2, Deu 11:7, Deu 31:13
bones: Gen 50:25; Exo 13:19; Act 7:16; Heb 11:22
pieces of silver: or, lambs
Eleazar: Jos 14:1; Exo 6:23, Exo 6:25; Num 3:32, Num 20:26-28
died: Job 30:23; Psa 49:10; Isa 57:1, Isa 57:2; Zac 1:5; Act 13:36; Heb 7:24; Heb 9:26, Heb 9:27
Phinehas: Jdg 20:28