24:3 Moses came 2 and told the people all the Lord’s words 3 and all the decisions. All the people answered together, 4 “We are willing to do 5 all the words that the Lord has said,”
24:24 The people said to Joshua, “We will worship 15 the Lord our God and obey him.” 16
1 tn The verb is a Piel imperative. In this context it has more of the sense of a request than a command. The independent personal pronoun “you” emphasizes the subject and forms the contrast with God’s speaking.
2 sn The general consensus among commentators is that this refers to Moses’ coming from the mountain after he made the ascent in 20:21. Here he came and told them the laws (written in 20:22-23:33), and of the call to come up to Yahweh.
3 sn The Decalogue may not be included here because the people had heard those commands themselves earlier.
4 tn The text simply has “one voice” (קוֹל אֶחָד, qol ’ekhad); this is an adverbial accusative of manner, telling how the people answered – “in one voice,” or unanimously (see GKC 375 §118.q).
5 tn The verb is the imperfect tense (נַעֲשֶׂה, na’aseh), although the form could be classified as a cohortative. If the latter, they would be saying that they are resolved to do what God said. If it is an imperfect, then the desiderative would make the most sense: “we are willing to do.” They are not presumptuously saying they are going to do all these things.
6 tn The noun “book” would be the scroll just written containing the laws of chaps. 20-23. On the basis of this scroll the covenant would be concluded here. The reading of this book would assure the people that it was the same that they had agreed to earlier. But now their statement of willingness to obey would be more binding, because their promise would be confirmed by a covenant of blood.
7 tn Heb “read it in the ears of.”
8 tn A second verb is now added to the people’s response, and it is clearly an imperfect and not a cohortative, lending support for the choice of desiderative imperfect in these commitments – “we want to obey.” This was their compliance with the covenant.
9 tn Heb “the
10 tn Heb “the
11 tn Heb “keep” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV).
12 tn Heb “so that.” Verses 18-19 are one sentence in the Hebrew text, but the translation divides it into three sentences for stylistic reasons. The first clause in verse 19 gives a result of the preceding clause. When Israel keeps God’s law, God will bless them with fame and honor (cf. NAB “he will then raise you high in praise and renown and glory”; NLT “And if you do, he will make you greater than any other nation”).
13 tn Heb “for praise and for a name and for glory.”
14 tn Heb “and to be.” A new sentence was started here for stylistic reasons.
15 tn Or “will serve.”
16 tn Heb “and listen to his voice.”
17 tn Heb “the nobles.”
18 tn The expression “a curse and an oath” may be a hendiadys, meaning “an oath with penalties.”
19 tn Heb “to walk in.”
20 tn Heb “keep.” See the note on the word “obey” in Neh 1:5.
21 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).