יהושע, פרק כ״ג, פסוק ב׳

As his life draws to a close, Joshua convenes a farewell gathering of national importance. His goal is to chart a clear path forward for the Israelites and warn them of the spiritual and military dangers that lie ahead. While it might appear that he summons the entire nation, the primary approach among commentators is that he actually gathers the chain of leadership. Since it was impossible to speak directly to the vast masses, the message was intended to filter down from the leaders to the rest of the people. This leadership is organized in a precise hierarchy. At the top are the elders, who make up the supreme council of wise men governing the entire nation. Below them are the heads of the individual tribes. Finally, the gathering includes the local judges and officers who maintain order and justice in every city.

The urgency of this assembly becomes clear as Joshua acknowledges his advanced age and realizes he can no longer lead the people into battle. He is deeply troubled by the fact that many foreign nations still remain in the land and have not yet been driven out. His primary fear is that after his passing, the Israelites will lose their resolve to fight. Instead of completing the conquest, they might opt for the easier path of forging treaties and assimilating with the remaining local populations [מלבי״ם]. To prevent this, Joshua uses his final days of authority to issue a severe warning to the leadership against intermarriage and idol worship. He demands absolute loyalty to God and the Torah, urging the people not to stray in any direction. He reminds them that their past military victories were never the result of his own personal strength, but rather the power of God. By remembering this, they must continue to place their complete trust in Him for the challenges to come.