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Joshua 1

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God Commissions Joshua 1–9

1
Now 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, ​
2
Moses 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. ​
3
Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.
4
From 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. ​
5
There 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. ​
6
Be 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. ​
7
Only 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. ​
8
This 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. ​
9
Have 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 Commands Preparation for Crossing 10–11

10
Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, ​
11
Pass 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. ​

Joshua Addresses the Transjordan Tribes 12–15

12
And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying, ​
13
Remember 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. ​
14
Your 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; ​
15
Until 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.

The People Pledge Obedience 16–18

16
And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go. ​
17
According 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. ​
18
Whosoever 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. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Joshua 1

Verse 1

Moses' minister — Sharath, to wait on and serve: Moses 'rose up, and his minister Joshua' (Ex 24:13). Moses died as 'the servant of the LORD' (Deut 34:5), the title Joshua himself bears at his death (Josh 24:29). He was 'full of the spirit of wisdom' because Moses had laid his hands on him (Deut 34:9).

Verse 2

Moses my servant is dead — The fact stands first, then the command: 'arise, go over this Jordan'. This is what Moses had been told, 'he shall go over before this people' (Deut 3:28). The land is one 'which I do give': the gift is made, the possession follows.

Verse 4

from the wilderness and this Lebanon — These are the bounds first named to Abram, 'from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates' (Gen 15:18), with the Hittites among the peoples (15:20). Moses repeated them in Deut 11:24. Solomon later 'reigned over all kingdoms from the river' (1 Kings 4:21).

Verse 5

I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee — Raphah, to let go slack, with azab, to leave: the pair Moses spoke to all Israel (Deut 31:6) and to Joshua (31:8), now spoken by the LORD himself. Hebrews quotes it for believers: 'I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee' (Heb 13:5).

Verse 6

Be strong and of a good courage — Chazaq and amats, a pair that sounds in vv.6, 7, 9 and 18, and was spoken to Joshua by Moses (Deut 31:7). The ground is the oath: Joshua will 'divide for an inheritance' (nachal) the land 'which I sware unto their fathers' (cf. Deut 1:8).

Verse 7

turn not from it to the right hand or to the left — The road-image of Deut 5:32, 'ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left'. 'Prosper' is sakal, to act wisely: the success promised is that of understanding. The law is 'which Moses my servant commanded thee'.

Verse 8

thou shalt meditate therein day and night — Hagah is to murmur or mutter: the book is kept on the lips, 'not depart out of thy mouth'. The man of Ps 1:2 likewise 'doth he meditate day and night' in the law. 'Prosperous' is tsalach, to push forward; 'good success' is sakal, as in v.7.

Verse 9

Have not I commanded thee? — The command is the ground of the courage. 'Afraid' (arats) is to dread and 'dismayed' (chathat) to be broken down by fear. The reason is the LORD's presence 'whithersoever thou goest', as promised to Jacob (Gen 28:15) and to the apostles (Matt 28:20).

Verse 10

the officers of the people — Shoter, an overseer, from a root meaning to write: the office that 'shall speak unto the people' before battle (Deut 20:5). The same officers 'went through the host' in Josh 3:2, after the three days of v.11.

Verse 11

Prepare you victuals — Tsedah, provision for a journey. 'Within three days' leads to 3:2, 'after three days', and the passage of Jordan in 3:14–17. The manna still fell; it 'ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land' (5:12).

Verse 12

the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh — These tribes held land east of the Jordan on a condition: they would 'go armed before the LORD to war' until the rest had theirs (Num 32:20–22). Joshua holds them to it in v.14, and releases them in 22:1–4.

Verse 13

hath given you rest — Nuach, to rest, the word of Deut 3:20: 'until the LORD have given rest unto your brethren, as well as unto you'. The rest is reported in Josh 21:44 and 22:4. Hebrews argues from it: 'if Jesus had given them rest' (Heb 4:8), where the KJV's 'Jesus' is Joshua.

Verse 14

pass before your brethren armed — Chamush, a rare word for the armed, found four times: of Israel leaving Egypt ('harnessed', Ex 13:18), here, Josh 4:12 and Judg 7:11. Josh 4:12 records the tribes doing it, 'as Moses spake unto them'. Wives, little ones and cattle stay (cf. Num 32:17).

Verse 16

All that thou commandest us we will do — The answer of the tribes addressed in vv.12–15. Israel gave the same pledge at Sinai: 'All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient' (Ex 24:7). Here it is given to the man who stands in Moses' place.

Verse 17

as he was with Moses — The tribes' answer echoes the LORD's own promise to Joshua in v.5, 'as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee'. Their pledge of hearing (shama, to hear and obey) asks only that 'the LORD thy God be with thee'.

Verse 18

he shall be put to death — Rebellion (marah, to be bitter against) is capital here, as the presumptuous refusal of priest or judge is in Deut 17:12: 'that man shall die'. The tribes close with the LORD's words to Joshua, 'only be strong and of a good courage' (vv.6, 7, 9).