Joshua Chapter 24 verse 16 Holy Bible
And the people answered and said, Far be it from us that we should forsake Jehovah, to serve other gods;
read chapter 24 in ASV
Then the people in answer said, Never will we give up the Lord to be the servants of other gods;
read chapter 24 in BBE
And the people answered and said, Far be it from us that we should forsake Jehovah, to serve other gods;
read chapter 24 in DARBY
And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods;
read chapter 24 in KJV
And the people answered, and said, Be it far from us that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods;
read chapter 24 in WBT
The people answered, Far be it from us that we should forsake Yahweh, to serve other gods;
read chapter 24 in WEB
And the people answer and say, `Far be it from us to forsake Jehovah, to serve other gods;
read chapter 24 in YLT
Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 16. - And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the Lord. There could be no doubt of the sincerity of the people at that moment. The only doubt is that afterwards expressed by Joshua, whether the feeling were likely to be permanent. The best test of sincerity is not always the open hostility of foes, for this very often braces up the energies to combat, while at the same time it makes the path of duty clear. Still less is it the hour of triumph over our foes, for then there is no temptation to rebel. The real test of our faithfulness to God is in most cases our power to continue steadfastly in one course of conduct when the excitement of conflict is removed, and the enemies with which we have to contend are the insidious allurements of ease or custom amid the common place duties of life. Thus the Israelites who, amid many murmurings and backslidings, kept faithful to the guidance of Moses in the wilderness, and who followed with unwavering fidelity the banner of Joshua in Palestine, succumbed fatally to the temptations of a life of peace and quietness after his death. So too often does the young Christian, who sets out on his heavenward path with earnest desires and high aspirations, who resists successfully the temptations of youth to unbelief or open immorality, fall a victim to the more insidious snares of compromise with a corrupt society, and instead of maintaining a perpetual warfare with the world, rejecting its principles and despising its precepts, sinks down into a life of ignoble ease and self indulgence, in the place of a life of devotion to the service of God. He does not east off God's service, he does not reject Him openly, but mixes up insensibly with His worship the worship of idols which He hates. Such persons halt between two opinions, they strive to serve two masters, and the end, like that of Israel, is open apostasy and ruin. For "God forbid" see Joshua 22:29.
Ellicott's Commentary
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(16) God forbid that we should forsake the Lord, to serve other gods.--The feelings of the people are naturally shocked by the bare mention of apostasy. They will not forsake Jehovah on any account. But their answer only betrayed their want of intelligence. They missed the point of Joshua's argument, as may be seen by his reply.