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,
English Standard Version (ESV)
This isn't just a warning against intermarrying with other nations; it highlights that the consequences of such unions are not just social, but spiritual and existential. Joshua points out that clinging to these nations and forming such intimate bonds means God will no longer actively drive out Israel's enemies, making them a constant source of ruin.
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,
English Standard Version (ESV)
As Joshua nears the end of his life, he's giving Israel one last charge, reminding them of all God's faithfulness and urging them to remain faithful in return. This verse, which is part of a serious warning, lays out the dire consequences if they compromise by forming relationships, specifically through marriage, with the Canaanite nations still living among them.
Joshua issues a stark warning: a 'little' compromise can lead to spiritual disaster. What does this 'slippery slope' look like in our lives?
Joshua paints a clear picture of how easily the Israelites could fall away from God. It starts subtly:
This isn't just about social interaction; it's about deep entanglement that blurs the lines between devotion to God and affection for the world. The danger isn't an outright rebellion, but a gradual drift caused by seemingly small concessions.
Joshua doesn't just warn about temptation; he reveals the severe consequences of such compromise. What happens when God's people entangle themselves with the ungodly?
The core of Joshua's warning in this passage (and what follows in verse 13) is the consequence of compromising with the nations left in the land. It's not just a personal failing; it affects the entire community's relationship with God.
The threat is clear: God will cease to fight for them. Instead of their enemies being driven out, the remaining nations will become:
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This isn't a minor inconvenience; it's a pathway to destruction, jeopardizing their inheritance and their very relationship with the God who saved them.
Understand the original words
shub · Hebrew Verb
To turn back denotes apostasy or a deliberate departure from the path of obedience to God. It signifies a regression into spiritual idolatry or rebellion after having been redeemed or shown the truth.
dabaq · Hebrew Verb
In a spiritual sense, this describes an improper union or alliance with those who do not follow the Lord. It carries the warning against compromise with worldly influences or idolatrous practices that dilute or destroy one's exclusive devotion to God.
Joshua's warning highlights a crucial, recurring tension in Israel's history: the danger of cultural and religious assimilation with surrounding peoples. This struggle between maintaining covenant faithfulness and adopting foreign practices ultimately led to exile centuries later.
~1400 BC
Conquest of Canaan Begins
Under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites enter and begin conquering the land of Canaan, displacing many of its inhabitants as God commanded.
c. 1390 BC— this verse
Joshua's Leadership Ends
Joshua, the venerable leader who guided Israel through the conquest, recognizes his own mortality and addresses the elders of Israel one last time.
c. 1390 BC
Joshua's Farewell Address
Joshua delivers a powerful speech, recounting God's faithfulness and warning the people against intermarrying with and adopting the ways of the remaining Canaanite nations.
c. 1390 BC
Warning Against Assimilation
Joshua specifically warns the Israelites that continued assimilation with the remaining Canaanite peoples through marriage and close association will lead to their downfall.
c. 1370 BC - 1070 BC
Period of the Judges
Following Joshua's death and the elders', the Israelites repeatedly fall into disobedience, intermarrying with Canaanites and adopting their idolatrous practices, leading to cycles of oppression by surrounding nations.
586 BC
Babylonian Exile
The consequences of prolonged disobedience and assimilation with foreign cultures culminate in the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of the Jewish people to Babylon.
This passage directly warns against making covenants and intermarrying with the inhabitants of the land, highlighting the danger of their worship leading Israel astray, just as Joshua warns here.
Deuteronomy 7:3-4This foundational command explicitly forbids intermarriage with surrounding nations, stating that their descendants would surely turn the hearts of Israel away from the Lord to serve other gods, echoing Joshua's specific concern about remaining nations.
Judges 2:3This verse shows the immediate consequence of Joshua's warning, as God declares that the remaining nations would become 'thorns in your sides' and their gods would be a snare, directly fulfilling the prophecy Joshua delivered.
1 Corinthians 15:33Paul uses a similar proverb, 'Bad company corrupts good character,' to warn believers against harmful associations, illustrating the timeless principle that close relationships with those who do not share your values can lead to moral compromise.
jfbJoshua 23:12: "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:"
Jos 23:12. By Threatenings in Case of Disobedience.12, 13. Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations—As marriage connections with the idolatrous Canaanites would present many and strong temptations to transgress it, these were strictly prohibited (Ex 34:12…
calvinJoshua 23:12-16: "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:"
Quia si avertendo aversi fueritis, et adhaeseritis residuis gentibus istis, residuis, inquam, istis quae sunt vobiscum: et affinitatem contraxeritis cum eis, et misceatis vos cum eis, et ipsae vobiscum:
Know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no more drive out any of these…
This isn't just a warning against intermarrying with other nations; it highlights that the consequences of such unions are not just social, but spiritual and existential. Joshua points out that clinging to these nations and forming such intimate bonds means God will no longer actively drive out Israel's enemies, making them a constant source of ruin.
As Joshua nears the end of his life, he's giving Israel one last charge, reminding them of all God's faithfulness and urging them to remain faithful in return. This verse, which is part of a serious warning, lays out the dire consequences if they compromise by forming relationships, specifically through marriage, with the Canaanite nations still living among them.
As Joshua nears the end of his life, he's giving Israel one last charge, reminding them of all God's faithfulness and urging them to remain faithful in return. This verse, which is part of a serious warning, lays out the dire consequences if they compromise by forming relationships, specifically through marriage, with the Canaanite nations still living among them.
"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," — This isn't just a warning against intermarrying with other nations; it highlights that the consequences of such unions are not just social, but spiritual and existential. Joshua points out that cli…
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Last reviewed October 2026