Joshua Chapter 1

Updated: September 14, 2025

God Commissions Joshua

(Deuteronomy 11:8-17)

1Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying, 2Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. 3Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. 4From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. 5There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. 6Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. 7Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. 8This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. 9Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Joshua Takes Charge

10Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the LORD your God giveth you to possess it.

12And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying, 13Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, The LORD your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this land. 14Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them; 15Until the LORD have given your brethren rest, as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the LORD your God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and enjoy it, which Moses the LORD'S servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the sunrising.

16And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go. 17According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee: only the LORD thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses. 18Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of a good courage.

King James Bible

Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.

God Instructs Joshua
(Deuteronomy 11:8–17)

1 Now it happened after the death of Moses the servant of Yahweh, that Yahweh spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant, saying, 2 “Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you, and all this people, to the land which I give to them, even to the children of Israel. 3 I have given you every place that the sole of your foot will tread on, as I told Moses. 4 From the wilderness, and this Lebanon, even to the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your border. 5 No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not fail you nor forsake you. 6 “Be strong and courageous; for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, to observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded you. Don’t turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8 This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success. 9 Haven’t I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid, neither be dismayed: for Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua Takes Charge

10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11 “Pass through the midst of the camp, and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare food; for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which Yahweh your God gives you to possess it.’”

12 Joshua spoke to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, saying, 13 “Remember the word which Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded you, saying, ‘Yahweh your God gives you rest, and will give you this land. 14 Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock, shall live in the land which Moses gave you beyond the Jordan; but you shall pass over before your brothers armed, all the mighty men of valor, and shall help them 15 until Yahweh has given your brothers rest, as he has given you, and they have also possessed the land which Yahweh your God gives them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession, and possess it, which Moses the servant of Yahweh gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise.’”

16 They answered Joshua, saying, “All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. 17 Just as we listened to Moses in all things, so will we listen to you. Only may Yahweh your God be with you, as he was with Moses. 18 Whoever rebels against your commandment, and doesn’t listen to your words in all that you command him, he shall be put to death. Only be strong and courageous.”

God Instructs Joshua
(Deuteronomy 11:8–17)

1 Now after the death of His servant Moses, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying, 2 “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore arise, you and all these people, and cross over the Jordan into the land that I am giving to the children of Israel.

3 I have given you every place where the sole of your foot will tread, just as I promised to Moses. 4 Your territory shall extend from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great River Euphrates—all the land of the Hittites—and west as far as the Great Sea. a

5 No one shall stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so will I be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. b

6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall give these people the inheritance of the land that I swore to their fathers I would give them.

7 Above all, be strong and very courageous. Be careful to observe all the law that My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in all you do.

9 Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua Takes Charge

10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people: 11 “Go through the camp and tell the people, ‘Prepare your provisions, for within three days you will cross the Jordan to go in and take possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.’ ”

12 But to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, 13 “Remember what Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you when he said, ‘The LORD your God will give you rest, and He will give you this land.’ 14 Your wives, your young children, and your livestock may remain in the land that Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But all your mighty men of valor must be armed for battle to cross over ahead of your brothers and help them, 15 until the LORD gives them rest as He has done for you, and your brothers also possess the land that the LORD your God is giving them. Then you may return to the land of your inheritance and take possession of that which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the east side of the Jordan.”

16 So they answered Joshua, “Everything you have commanded us we will do, and everywhere you send us we will go. 17 Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. And may the LORD your God be with you, as He was with Moses. 18 Anyone who rebels against your order and does not obey your words, all that you command him, will be put to death. Above all, be strong and courageous!”

Footnotes:

4 a That is, the Mediterranean Sea
5 b Cited in Hebrews 13:5

God Commissions Joshua

(Deuteronomy 11:8-17)

1And it cometh to pass after the death of Moses, servant of Jehovah, that Jehovah speaketh unto Joshua son of Nun, minister of Moses, saying, 2'Moses my servant is dead, and now, rise, pass over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel. 3'Every place on which the sole of your foot treadeth, to you I have given it, as I have spoken unto Moses. 4From this wilderness and Lebanon, and unto the great river, the river Phrath, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great Sea -- the going in of the sun -- is your border. 5'No man doth station himself before thee all days of thy life; as I have been with Moses, I am with thee, I do not fail thee, nor forsake thee; 6be strong and courageous, for thou -- thou dost cause this people to inherit the land which I have sworn to their fathers to give to them. 7Only, be strong and very courageous, to observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded thee; thou dost not turn aside from it right or left, so that thou dost act wisely in every place whither thou goest; 8the book of this law doth not depart out of thy mouth, and thou hast meditated in it by day and by night, so that thou dost observe to do according to all that is written in it, for then thou dost cause thy way to prosper, and then thou dost act wisely. 9Have not I commanded thee? be strong and courageous; be not terrified nor affrighted, for with thee is Jehovah thy God in every place whither thou goest.'

Joshua Takes Charge

10And Joshua commandeth the authorities of the people, saying, 11'Pass over into the midst of the camp, and command the people, saying, Prepare for yourselves provision, for within three days ye are passing over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which Jehovah your God is giving to you to possess it.'

12And to the Reubenite, and to the Gadite, and to the half of the tribe of Manasseh, hath Joshua spoken, saying, 13'Remember the word which Moses, servant of Jehovah, commanded you, saying, Jehovah your God is giving rest to you, and He hath given to you this land; 14your wives, your infants, and your substance, abide in the land which Moses hath given to you beyond the Jordan, and ye -- ye pass over by fifties, before your brethren, all the mighty ones of valour, and have helped them, 15till that Jehovah giveth rest to your brethren as to yourselves, and they have possessed, even they, the land which Jehovah your God is giving to them; then ye have turned back to the land of your possession, and have possessed it, which Moses, servant of Jehovah, hath given to you beyond the Jordan, at the sun-rising.'

16And they answer Joshua, saying, 'All that thou hast commanded us we do; and unto every place whither thou dost send us, we go; 17according to all that we hearkened unto Moses in, so we hearken unto thee; surely Jehovah thy God is with thee as He hath been with Moses. 18Any man who doth provoke thy mouth, and doth not hear thy words, in all that thou dost command him, is put to death; only, be strong and courageous.'

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The F.O.G Commentary

Joshua 1 – When God Says “Be Strong and Courageous”

What’s Joshua 1 about?

This is the moment when Moses passes the torch to Joshua, and God delivers one of Scripture’s most famous pep talks. It’s about stepping into your calling when the previous leader was literally irreplaceable, and discovering that God’s presence is the only qualification that really matters.

The Full Context

Picture this: Moses, the towering figure who led Israel out of Egypt, spoke face-to-face with God, and guided two million people through forty years in the wilderness, has just died. Now Joshua—Moses’ assistant, not his son—is supposed to fill those sandals. The people are camped on the east side of the Jordan River, staring across at the Promised Land that’s been the goal for an entire generation. But between them and their inheritance are fortified cities, giant warriors, and the kind of military campaigns that would make seasoned generals nervous.

This opening chapter of Joshua serves as both a commissioning ceremony and a theological manifesto. Written likely during or shortly after the conquest period (around 1400-1350 BCE), it establishes the foundational principle that will carry Israel through the next phase of their journey: success comes not from military might or strategic brilliance, but from unwavering obedience to God’s word. The repetition of “be strong and courageous” isn’t just motivational speaking—it’s a divine command that acknowledges the very real fear Joshua must be feeling while pointing him toward the only source of true confidence.

What the Ancient Words Tell Us

The Hebrew phrase chazaq we’emats (“be strong and courageous”) appears three times in this chapter, and it’s not the kind of strength you build at the gym. Chazaq carries the idea of being firm, resolute, holding fast—like a tree that bends in the storm but doesn’t break. Emats speaks to inner fortitude, the kind of courage that comes from deep conviction rather than momentary bravery.

But here’s what’s fascinating: when God tells Joshua to be strong and courageous in Joshua 1:6, He’s talking about taking possession of the land. When He repeats it in Joshua 1:7, it’s specifically about obeying the Law. And when the people echo it back to Joshua in Joshua 1:18, they’re talking about leadership itself.

Grammar Geeks

The verb form used for “meditate” in Joshua 1:8 is hagah, which literally means to mutter or murmur. Ancient people didn’t read silently—they moved their lips, repeated phrases, let the words roll around in their mouths like they were tasting them. This wasn’t casual Bible reading; it was active, audible engagement with God’s word.

The word for “success” (sakal) in Joshua 1:8 doesn’t just mean winning battles or accumulating wealth. It means acting wisely, having insight, conducting yourself with prudence. God isn’t promising Joshua that he’ll never lose a battle—He’s promising that constant engagement with His word will make Joshua the kind of leader who sees clearly and acts wisely.

What Would the Original Audience Have Heard?

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When Joshua’s generation heard these words, they weren’t thinking about individual quiet times or personal Bible study. They were standing at the threshold of the most daunting military campaign in their history, facing enemies who had iron chariots while they had bronze weapons, enemies who lived in fortified cities while they lived in tents.

The promise “every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you” (Joshua 1:3) wasn’t abstract theology—it was battlefield strategy. God was telling them that the land was already theirs by divine decree; they just had to walk it out, literally. But notice the tension: it’s already given, but they still have to take it. It’s promised, but it requires action.

Did You Know?

The boundaries described in Joshua 1:4—from the wilderness to Lebanon, from the Euphrates to the Mediterranean—describe a territory that Israel never fully possessed all at once. Even at the height of David and Solomon’s empire, these borders were more aspiration than reality. God’s promises sometimes have a “not yet” dimension that spans generations.

The original audience would also have caught something we might miss: Joshua’s name in Hebrew is Yehoshua, meaning “Yahweh saves.” Every time someone called his name, they were making a theological statement. This wasn’t coincidence—it was divine preparation for a man whose very identity would remind people where their salvation came from.

Wrestling with the Text

Here’s something that might puzzle modern readers: if God has already given them the land (Joshua 1:3), why do they still need to fight for it? Why doesn’t God just remove the inhabitants supernaturally? This tension between divine sovereignty and human responsibility runs throughout Scripture, but it’s especially stark here.

The answer seems to be that God’s promises often require partnership. He’s not looking for passive recipients but active participants. The land is given, but it must be taken. Victory is assured, but battles must still be fought. It’s like a parent who puts money in a bank account for their child—the inheritance is real and secure, but the child still has to learn how to access it responsibly.

Wait, That’s Strange…

Notice that God’s primary instruction to Joshua isn’t about military tactics or leadership strategies—it’s about Bible study. “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night” (Joshua 1:8). For a military commander about to launch a conquest, that’s unexpected advice. It suggests that spiritual preparation trumps strategic preparation.

There’s also this interesting detail: the people’s response to Joshua in Joshua 1:16-18 includes a subtle threat. They promise to obey him “just as we obeyed Moses,” but then add that anyone who rebels should be put to death. Were they being supportive or warning him? The Hebrew allows for both readings, which might reflect the very real tensions of leadership transition.

How This Changes Everything

What strikes me most about Joshua 1 is how it redefines courage. We tend to think of courage as feeling fearless, but God’s command to “be strong and courageous” comes precisely because Joshua is afraid. The courage God offers isn’t the absence of fear—it’s the presence of His promises in the face of fear.

This chapter also revolutionizes how we think about success. The world measures success by outcomes: Did you win? Did you get rich? Did people applaud? God measures success by obedience: Did you stay close to My word? Did you trust My presence? Did you act on My promises even when you couldn’t see the end result?

“God’s presence isn’t just comfort for the journey—it’s the qualification for the calling.”

The phrase “I will be with you” appears in various forms throughout this chapter, and it’s the same promise God made to Moses at the burning bush, to Jacob at Bethel, to David before Goliath. It’s not just divine encouragement—it’s divine enabling. God’s presence doesn’t just make hard things easier; it makes impossible things possible.

Key Takeaway

When God calls you to something that feels too big for you, He’s not asking you to be someone you’re not—He’s asking you to be who you are in partnership with who He is. The courage comes not from feeling ready, but from knowing you’re not going alone.

Joshua Chapter 1

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