Joshua1

After Moses' death, the LORD commissions Joshua to lead Israel into the promised land, assuring him of divine presence and victory. God commands Joshua to be strong, courageous, and to diligently obey the Law for prosperity. Joshua then instructs the people to prepare for the crossing and reminds the Transjordan tribes of their pledge to assist in the conquest. The people respond with full allegiance, promising obedience and pledging to execute any who rebel.

God Commissions Joshua

1
After the death of Moshe the servant of ADONAI, ADONAI said to Y'hoshua the son of Nun, Moshe's assistant, ​
2
"Moshe my servant is dead. So now, get up and cross over this Yarden, you and all the people, to the land I am giving to them, the people of Isra'el. ​
3
I am giving you every place you will step on with the sole of your foot, as I said to Moshe.
4
All the land from the desert and the L'vanon to the great river, the Euphrates River - all the land of the Hitti - and on to the Great Sea in the west will be your territory. ​
5
No one will be able to withstand you as long as you live. Just as I was with Moshe, so I will be with you. I will neither fail you nor abandon you. ​
6
"Be strong, be bold; for you will cause this people to inherit the land I swore to their fathers I would give them. ​
7
Only be strong and very bold in taking care to follow all the Torah which Moshe my servant ordered you to follow; do not turn from it either to the right or to the left; then you will succeed wherever you go. ​
8
Yes, keep this book of the Torah on your lips, and meditate on it day and night, so that you will take care to act according to everything written in it. Then your undertakings will prosper, and you will succeed. ​
9
Haven't I ordered you, 'Be strong, be bold'? So don't be afraid or downhearted, because ADONAI your God is with you wherever you go." ​

Joshua Commands Preparation for Crossing

10
Y'hoshua instructed the officials of the people ​
11
to go through the camp and order the people, "Prepare provisions, because in three days you will cross this Yarden to go in and take possession of the land ADONAI your God is giving you." ​

Joshua Addresses the Transjordan Tribes

12
To the Re'uveni, the Gadi and the half-tribe of M'nasheh Y'hoshua said, ​
13
"Remember what Moshe the servant of ADONAI ordered you: 'ADONAI your God has let you rest and will give you this land.' ​
14
Your wives, your little ones and your livestock will stay in the land Moshe gave you on the east side of the Yarden; but you are to cross over armed as a fighting force ahead of your brothers, to help them; ​
15
until ADONAI allows your brothers to rest, as he has allowed you; and they too have taken possession of the land ADONAI your God is giving them. At that point, you will return to the land which is yours and possess it, the land Moshe the servant of ADONAI gave you in 'Ever-HaYarden to the east, toward the sunrise."

The People Pledge Obedience

16
They answered Y'hoshua, "We will do everything you have ordered us to do, and we will go wherever you send us. ​
17
Just as we listened to everything Moshe said, so will we listen to you. Only may ADONAI your God be with you as he was with Moshe. ​
18
If anyone rebels against your order and doesn't heed what you say in every detail of your order, he will be put to death. Just be strong, be bold!" ​

Study Notes for Joshua 1

Verse 1

The death of Moses marks the crucial transition of leadership. Joshua, Moses' lifelong assistant, is now called by God to lead the new generation into the Promised Land, signifying continuity and divine purpose.

Verse 2

The immediate imperative ('arise, go over this Jordan') signals the end of the forty years of wandering. God emphasizes his sovereignty by stating, 'I do give to them,' asserting ownership prior to the conquest.

Verse 4

This verse describes the maximal extent of the Promised Land, stretching from the wilderness (South) to Lebanon (North), and the Euphrates (East) to the Mediterranean Sea (West). This ideal boundary was fully realized only temporarily under King Solomon.

Verse 5

This is a foundational promise: God guarantees success by guaranteeing His presence. The assurance, 'as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee,' establishes Joshua's authority as divinely sanctioned.

Verse 6

This is the first of three commands in this passage to 'Be strong and of a good courage' (vv. 6, 7, 9). This strength is necessary not only for fighting but for the complex task of dividing the land inheritance.

Verse 7

Courage is directly tied to total obedience to the Law (Torah). Prosperity (Heb. *sakal*, meaning success or wise action) is conditional upon strict adherence, avoiding deviation 'to the right hand or to the left.'

Verse 8

Meditation (*haga*, often meaning to mutter or ponder) ensures the continuous presence of God's instruction in Joshua's consciousness. Internalizing the Law is the key prerequisite for successful leadership and mission fulfillment.

Verse 9

This climactic verse summarizes the divine mandate. The motivation for courage is not self-reliance but the certainty that 'the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.'

Verse 10

Joshua immediately translates the divine command into practical action, demonstrating his decisive leadership. The 'officers' were administrative leaders responsible for communicating orders to the tribes.

Verse 11

The 'three days' timeline emphasizes the urgency of the impending invasion. The command to 'Prepare you victuals' (provisions) signifies the transition from reliance on the miraculous manna (which stopped in Josh. 5:12) to military readiness.

Verse 12

Joshua addresses the two and a half tribes (Reuben, Gad, and half-Manasseh) who had previously chosen to settle east of the Jordan, reminding them of the covenant they made with Moses (Numbers 32).

Verse 13

The reminder focuses on the promise of 'rest'—settlement and security—which they received first. This highlights the principle that prior benefit requires subsequent responsibility and corporate unity.

Verse 14

Their specific obligation was to send their fully armed fighting men to act as the vanguard ('pass before your brethren armed') until the rest of Israel had secured their land.

Verse 16

The tribes respond with immediate and total submission to Joshua’s authority, confirming the seamless transition of leadership recognized by the people.

Verse 17

The people explicitly affirm Joshua's legitimacy by equating his authority with Moses', but they condition their obedience on God’s continued presence, recognizing that the source of true leadership is divine support.

Verse 18

The severe penalty for rebellion underscores the absolute necessity of military discipline and national unity during the conquest phase. They reiterate the command for Joshua to 'be strong and of a good courage,' closing the chapter on a note of mutual resolve.

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