So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and put in place statutes and rules for them at Shechem.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse highlights that Joshua didn't just renew a promise; he established "statutes and rules" to ensure their covenant with God was grounded in concrete actions and commands. It’s a reminder that true commitment to God requires more than just heartfelt words; it demands obedience to His established ways.
So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and put in place statutes and rules for them at Shechem.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After challenging the Israelites to choose whom they would serve, and securing their commitment to serve the Lord, Joshua formalizes this commitment. He establishes a covenant with them that day in Shechem, not by introducing new laws, but by reaffirming the existing statutes and ordinances of God's law, binding them to faithfulness. This covenant is then memorialized with a great stone, serving as a witness to their solemn promise before their departure.
Joshua doesn't just give a speech; he seals a deal. What does it mean for a covenant to be a binding agreement, and why was it so crucial at this moment?
The Solemn Pact
Joshua 24:25 describes Joshua making a covenant with the people. This wasn't just a casual promise; it was a formal, sacred agreement. Think of it like a wedding vow or a peace treaty, but between God and His people, with Joshua acting as God's representative.
Renewing the Commitment
This covenant was a renewal of their commitment to God. They had just heard Joshua recount all God had done for them, from calling Abraham to bringing them into the Promised Land. Now, they were publicly reaffirming their loyalty to God alone, choosing Him over any other gods.
Joshua didn't just secure their loyalty; he also laid down the 'how-to' for living it out. What are statutes and rules, and why are they inseparable from covenant?
More Than Just Words
Joshua didn't just get them to agree to serve God; he set before them 'statutes and rules.' This refers to God's laws and commands – the established principles for how His people were to live. It wasn't about a vague feeling of devotion, but about concrete actions and obedience.
The Framework for Faith
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These statutes and rules are the practical outworking of the covenant. They provide the structure for a life dedicated to God. Following them is how the people demonstrate their faithfulness to the agreement they just made. It's the blueprint for living out their chosen allegiance to the Lord.
This covenant and its laws weren't made in a vacuum. Shechem becomes a significant site. What’s the big deal about this location?
A Witness in Stone
The setting at Shechem is crucial. In the verses that follow (Joshua 24:26-27), Joshua sets up a great stone under an oak tree as a witness. This stone 'heard' the words spoken, serving as a tangible reminder of the covenant made that day. It stands as a memorial, a silent testimony to the people's promises and God's faithfulness.
A Legacy Remembered
Shechem was historically significant for Abraham and Jacob, and even the burial place of Joseph's bones. By making this final covenant there, Joshua anchors their renewed commitment to God in a place already steeped in their heritage. It’s a way of saying, 'Remember where you came from, remember what God has done, and reaffirm your path forward from this significant place.'
Understand the original words
berit · Hebrew Noun
A formal, binding agreement or treaty between parties, often initiated by God with His people, establishing mutual obligations and promises within a relationship.
choq · Hebrew Noun
Established laws, decrees, or mandates given by God, serving as the objective standards for behavior and life within the covenant community.
This covenant at Shechem marked a pivotal moment, establishing a legal and spiritual framework for Israel's future in the promised land just as Joshua's leadership was drawing to a close.
c. 1400 BC
Conquest of Canaan
Under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites conquered Canaan after 40 years in the wilderness, settling into the promised land.
c. 1390 BC
Division of Land in Canaan
Joshua oversaw the division of the land among the twelve tribes of Israel, establishing their inheritance and tribal territories.
c. 1380 BC— this verse
Joshua's Farewell Address and Covenant
Joshua gathered all Israel at Shechem to renew their covenant with God, challenging them to choose whom they would serve and establishing statutes and ordinances for future generations.
c. 1370 BC
Death of Joshua
Joshua died at the age of 110, after faithfully leading Israel and ensuring their commitment to God's covenant.
c. 1370 BC - 1300 BC
Period of the Elders
The generation that knew Joshua and the great works of God continued to serve the LORD, but a decline began as they passed away.
This passage describes the covenant made at Moab, mirroring Joshua's covenant at Shechem by establishing Israel's relationship with God and their obligations before entering the Promised Land.
Exodus 24:3-8This shows an earlier covenant ceremony where Moses recounts God's laws and the people pledge obedience, establishing a pattern of covenant renewal and commitment that Joshua follows.
2 Kings 11:17This depicts King Jehoiada leading the people in a covenant to serve the Lord, highlighting how leaders in Israel, like Joshua, would often renew the covenant to ensure faithfulness.
Nehemiah 9:38This verse recounts a later covenant made by the people of Judah, demonstrating the enduring significance of covenant-making as a means to recommit to God's ways, even centuries after Joshua.
Malachi 4:4The prophet Malachi reminds Israel to remember the Law of Moses, echoing the spirit of Joshua's act at Shechem, which was to ground the people in God's established statutes and ordinances.
calvinJoshua 24:25-33: "So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem."
And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it has heard all the words of the LORD which he spoke unto us: it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest you deny your God.
Dixitque Josue ad universum populum, En lapis iste erit nobis in testimonium: ipse enim audivit omnia verba Jehovae quae loquutus est nobiscum, eritqu…
bensonJoshua 24:25: "So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem."
Joshua 24:25 . So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day — Engaged them to make good this solemn profession, by renewing the covenant they had formerly entered into, both in the days of Moses and in his time, wherein they promised to worship God alone, and be obedient to him. Some think this covenant was now established by sacrifice, as it was when they came out of Eg…
This verse highlights that Joshua didn't just renew a promise; he established "statutes and rules" to ensure their covenant with God was grounded in concrete actions and commands. It’s a reminder that true commitment to God requires more than just heartfelt words; it demands obedience to His established ways.
After challenging the Israelites to choose whom they would serve, and securing their commitment to serve the Lord, Joshua formalizes this commitment. He establishes a covenant with them that day in Shechem, not by introducing new laws, but by reaffirming the existing statutes and ordinances of God's law, binding them to faithfulness. This covenant is then memorialized with a great stone, serving as a witness to their solemn promise before their departure.
After challenging the Israelites to choose whom they would serve, and securing their commitment to serve the Lord, Joshua formalizes this commitment. He establishes a covenant with them that day in Shechem, not by introducing new laws, but by reaffirming the existing statutes and ordinances of God's law, binding them to faithfulness. This covenant is then memorialized with a great stone, serving as a witness to their solemn promise before their departure.
"So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and put in place statutes and rules for them at Shechem." — This verse highlights that Joshua didn't just renew a promise; he established "statutes and rules" to ensure their covenant with God was grounded in concrete actions and commands. It’s a reminder tha…
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Last reviewed October 2026