Joshua — Chapter 1
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1Now 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.
3I have given you every place where the sole of your foot will tread, just as I promised to Moses.
4Your 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.
5No 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.
6Be strong and courageous, for you shall give these people the inheritance of the land that I swore to their fathers I would give them.
7Above 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.
8This 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.
9Have 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.”
10Then 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.’”
12But 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.’
14Your 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,
15until 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.”
16So they answered Joshua, “Everything you have commanded us we will do, and everywhere you send us we will go.
17Just 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.
18Anyone 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!”
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.
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.
1Now it came to pass after the death of Moses the servant of Jehovah, that Jehovah 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, to you have I given it, as I spake 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 border.
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 good courage; for thou shalt cause this people to inherit the land which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
7Only be strong and very courageous, to 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 have good success whithersoever thou goest.
8This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate thereon 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 good courage; be not affrighted, neither be thou dismayed: for Jehovah thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
10Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,
11Pass through the midst of the camp, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye are to pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which Jehovah your God giveth you to possess it.
12And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying,
13Remember the word which Moses the servant of Jehovah commanded you, saying, Jehovah your God giveth you rest, and will give you this land.
14Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall abide in the land which Moses gave you beyond the Jordan; but ye shall pass over before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valor, and shall help them;
15until Jehovah have given your brethren rest, as [he hath given] you, and they also have possessed the land which Jehovah your God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and possess it, which Moses the servant of Jehovah gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrising.
16And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou hast commanded 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 Jehovah thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses.
18Whosoever he be that shall rebel against thy commandment, and shall not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of good courage.
1After Moses the Lord’s servant died, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant:
2“Moses my servant is dead. Get ready! Cross the Jordan River. Lead these people into the land that I am ready to hand over to them.
3I am handing over to you every place you set foot, as I promised Moses.
4Your territory will extend from the desert in the south to Lebanon in the north. It will extend all the way to the great River Euphrates in the east (including all Syria) and all the way to the Mediterranean Sea in the west.
5No one will be able to resist you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not abandon you or leave you alone.
6Be strong and brave! You must lead these people in the conquest of this land that I solemnly promised their ancestors I would hand over to them.
7Make sure you are very strong and brave! Carefully obey all the law my servant Moses charged you to keep. Do not swerve from it to the right or to the left, so that you may be successful in all you do.
8This law scroll must not leave your lips. You must memorize it day and night so you can carefully obey all that is written in it. Then you will prosper and be successful.
9I repeat, be strong and brave! Don’t be afraid and don’t panic, for I, the Lord your God, am with you in all you do.”
10Joshua instructed the leaders of the people:
11“Go through the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare your supplies, for within three days you will cross the Jordan River and begin the conquest of the land the Lord your God is ready to hand over to you.’”
12Joshua told the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh:
13“Remember what Moses the Lord’s servant commanded you. The Lord your God is giving you a place to settle and is handing this land over to you.
14Your wives, children, and cattle may stay in the land that Moses assigned to you east of the Jordan River. But all of you warriors must cross over armed for battle ahead of your brothers. You must help them
15until the Lord gives your brothers a place like yours to settle and they conquer the land the Lord your God is ready to hand over to them. Then you may go back to your allotted land and occupy the land Moses the Lord’s servant assigned you east of the Jordan.”
16They told Joshua, “We will do everything you say. We will go wherever you send us.
17Just as we obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. But may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses.
18Any man who rebels against what you say and does not obey all your commands will be executed. But be strong and brave!”
1Now after the death of Moses the servant of Yahweh, Yahweh spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant, saying,
2“Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go across this Jordan, you, and all these people, to the land which I am giving to them, even to the children of Israel.
3I have given you every place that the sole of your foot will tread on, as I told Moses.
4From 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.
5No 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.
7Only be strong and very courageous. Be careful 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.
8This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it; for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.
9Haven’t I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be dismayed, for Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go.”
10Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,
11“Pass through the middle 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.’”
12Joshua 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.
14Your 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
15until 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.’”
16They answered Joshua, saying, “All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.
17Just 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.
18Whoever rebels against your commandment, and doesn’t listen to your words in all that you command him shall himself be put to death. Only be strong and courageous.”
Summary
After the death of Moses, the LORD commissions Joshua as Israel's new leader, promising to give the people every place they set foot, from the wilderness to Lebanon and from the Euphrates to the Mediterranean (vv. 1-4). God vows never to fail or abandon Joshua as He was with Moses, and commands him three times to be strong and courageous, tying success to careful obedience to the law rather than military strength (vv. 5-9). Joshua relays the command to the officers, telling the people to prepare supplies for crossing the Jordan within three days, and reminds the Reubenites, Gadites, and half-tribe of Manasseh of their pledge to fight alongside their brothers first (vv. 10-15). The people respond with total obedience, echoing God's own charge back to Joshua to be strong and courageous (vv. 16-18).
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
- Plains of Moab: Israel's camp east of the Jordan River, opposite Jericho — the staging ground for the conquest
- Jordan River: The main boundary between wilderness wandering and the Promised Land; at flood stage during spring crossing
- Territory promised (v.4): From the wilderness (Negev) to Lebanon, from the Euphrates to the Great Sea (Mediterranean)
- Gilgal: Will become Israel's first base camp west of the Jordan, near Jericho (established in ch.4-5)
Places on this map
- Moabwest-central JordanThe plateau east of the Dead Sea, cut off from Israel by the rift valley and from Ammon by the Arnon gorge. High enough to farm grain, which is why Naomi's family went there in a famine. Wikipedia
- Jordan RiverIsrael / Jordan borderRuns about 65 miles as the crow flies from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea, dropping from 700 to 1,400 feet below sea level. Narrow enough to wade at most fords, it was still the boundary that divided wilderness from inheritance. Wikipedia
- JerichoJericho, West BankAn oasis at a perennial spring in the Jordan valley, 850 feet below sea level and among the oldest continuously settled sites anywhere. It guarded the ford and the climb up to the central hills, so anyone entering Canaan from the east had to deal with it first. Wikipedia
- LebanonMount Lebanon range, LebanonIn the Bible this is the mountain range, not the modern country: a snow-capped wall rising over 10,000 feet behind the Phoenician coast. Its cedar was the prestige timber of the ancient Near East and both the tabernacle's successors and Solomon's temple were built from it. Wikipedia
- EuphratesTurkey, Syria, IraqThe longest river in western Asia, running about 1,700 miles from eastern Turkey to the Persian Gulf. It is the northern limit named in the promise to Abraham and the boundary Assyria and Babylon crossed to reach the Levant. Wikipedia
- Mediterranean SeaCalled simply the Great Sea, and treated as the western edge of the world. Israel's coast has almost no natural harbours, so for most of its history the sea was a boundary rather than a road, and seafaring was left to the Phoenicians. Wikipedia
- CanaanIsrael, West Bank, LebanonThe land bridge between Egypt and Mesopotamia, which is why armies crossed it for three thousand years. Within about 60 miles it goes from coastal plain to hill country to rift valley to desert plateau, so control of it was always local and piecemeal. Wikipedia
- Negevsouthern IsraelThe arid triangle south of the Judean hills, grazing land in a good year and desert in a bad one. Hebrew uses the same word for it as for the direction south. Wikipedia
- GilgalJordan valley, West BankIsrael's first camp west of the Jordan, between the river and Jericho, where the twelve stones were set up. The exact site has never been fixed. Wikipedia
Towns sit on their excavated or traditional site. Regions, rivers and seas are ringed rather than dotted, because for those a single point is only an anchor. Coastlines from Natural Earth.
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik notes that God's threefold command to be strong and courageous indicates Joshua needed encouragement — he was stepping into enormous shoes. The emphasis on the law (v.8) shows that Israel's conquest would succeed not by military genius but by spiritual obedience. Guzik also highlights that the land was "given" (past tense) but still had to be "possessed" — a picture of how believers must actively appropriate what God has already provided in Christ.
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
- Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.
Videos
Articles
- GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of Joshua -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.
Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.
Reflection
- God's Call to Move Forward (v.2) — With Moses gone, God tells Joshua the season of waiting is over and it's time to arise and cross into the land. What is God calling you to step into now that a season has ended?
- Possessing What's Been Given (v.3) — God had already given Joshua the land, but he still had to walk it out step by step. What promises of God are you trusting Him for without yet putting your own feet in motion?
- The Promise of His Presence (v.5) — God assures Joshua He will never fail or abandon him, the same promise later given to every believer. Where do you need to lean on God's presence instead of your own resources?
- Strength for the Task Ahead (vv.6-9) — God commands Joshua three times to be strong and courageous, tying that courage to obedience to His word and freedom from fear. What fear is holding you back from the courage God is calling you to?
- Following Godly Leadership (vv.16-18) — The people pledge full obedience to Joshua, just as they had followed Moses. Who has God placed in your life to follow, and are you as willing to submit as Israel was here?