“And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.”
And Joshua said to all the people, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ''Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor; and they served other gods — Joshua's opening invokes divine speech ('Thus says the LORD,' kōh-ʾāmar YHWH) and recites Israel's pre-covenant history. The reference to Abraham and Nahor 'beyond the Euphrates' (ʿēber hanāhār) locates the family origin in Mesopotamia. The initial statement that the ancestors 'served other gods' establishes the covenant's historical context: Israel was called from idolatry to monotheistic faith. The theological narrative begins with pagan history to emphasize the radical nature of covenant.
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