And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God.
Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem. Another and final opportunity of dissuading the people against idolatry is here described as taken by the aged leader, whose solicitude on this account arose from his knowledge of the extreme readiness of the people to conform to the manners of the surrounding nations. This address was made to the representatives of the people convened at Shechem, and which had already been the scene of a solemn renewal of the covenant (Joshua 8:30; Joshua 8:35). The transaction now to be entered upon being in principle and object the same, it was desirable to give it all the solemn impressiveness which might be derived from the memory of the former ceremonial, as well as from other sacred associations of the place derived from the memory of the former ceremonial, as well as from other sacred associations of the place (Genesis 12:6-7; Genesis 33:18-20; Genesis 35:2-4).
They presented themselves before God. It is generally assumed that the ark of the covenant had been transferred on this occasion to Shechem, as on extraordinary emergencies it was for a time removed (Judges 20:1-18; 1 Samuel 4:3; 2 Samuel 15:24). But the statement, not necessarily implying this, may be viewed as expressing only the religious character of the ceremony (Hengstenberg).