SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 24:20

24:20a

If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods: These words are similar to the words in verse 24:16. In that verse the phrase “other gods” is used. Here the phrase foreign gods is used. Both these phrases refer to gods other than Yahweh.

You may be able to translate this clause in a similar way in both places.

24:20b

The Hebrew conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible leaves untranslated but some English versions translate as “then” introduces the consequences of the previous clause.

He will turn: The clause He will turn indicates that Yahweh would turn against the Israelites. He would no longer help them.

bring disaster on you and consume you: The Hebrew verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as consume can also be translated “bring to an end” or “destroy.” This part of the verse is similar to verse 23:15.

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

then he will turn against you and harm you and bring an end to you
-or-
then he will become your enemy, and bring disaster on you and destroy you

24:20c

even after He has been good to you: Yahweh had previously done many good things for the Israelites. He had helped them.

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

although he has been good to you in the past
-or-
even though previously he treated you well

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Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

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