Joshua 23:11 Meaning and Explanation
“Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the LORD your God.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Joshua presses the people to watch themselves carefully, so that they keep on loving the Lord their God.
What Does Joshua 23:11 Mean?
At the center of his charge Joshua names the one thing that holds everything else together: love for the Lord. He frames it as something to guard, take good heed unto yourselves, as though love could slip away unnoticed if the heart is not watched. The whole law is summed up here, in a devotion the people must keep tending.
Love is the soul of obedience. Without it, commandments harden into mere duty; with it, the hardest path is gladly walked. Joshua knew that the danger to Israel was not first disobedience but a cooling heart. To love God is the great commandment Christ Himself affirms, and to keep that love alive, watchfully, day by day, is the believer's highest and most joyful task.
Joshua 23:11 in the Original Language
ahab (אָהַב), 'love' -- the covenant love at the heart of the great commandment, devotion of the whole person to God.
Frequently Asked Questions About Joshua 23:11
What does Joshua 23:11 mean?
Joshua presses the people to watch themselves carefully, so that they keep on loving the Lord their God.