Joshua 24:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Even in the case of unrepentant sinners, God frequently allows the root to survive for the sake of the fruit, often with the hope that the sinners themselves will find salvation. Consider how Terach, the father of Abraham, was an idolater and creator of false gods; yet he faced no immediate punishment for his wrongdoing. This was just, for how could faith have been cultivated if God had severed the root?

To convey that these statements are divinely inspired rather than merely human, Jesus proclaimed, 'This is what the Lord God of Israel declares,' referencing Farrah, the progenitor of Abraham and Nahor. He highlighted Nahor due to his connection to his mother, as Rebekah, Leah, and Rachel were part of his lineage. Moreover, he reveals that Farrah worshipped other deities, leading the Almighty God to set apart Abraham and bring him to the land of Canaan.

You inquire about the origins of idols: their timing, their creators, and their means of introduction into the world. In response, it is widely acknowledged that idols did not exist prior to the Flood. Following this event, particularly after the fall of the Babylonian tower and the confounding of languages, they began to emerge; however, the exact timeframe remains obscure, as the specifics regarding who first revealed this temptation are unclear. The Scriptures affirm that Pharaoh, the son of Nahor and the ancestor of Abraham, engaged in idolatry. Thus says the Lord God of Israel: To the land by the river, your forefathers resided at the beginning, including Pharaoh, Abraham's father, and Nahor's father, who worshipped other deities. Although Pharaoh lived not long after the destruction of the pillars, it is uncertain whether he was the very first idolater.