Deuteronomy 31:6 tells you to be strong and courageous because the LORD your God is the one who goes with you, and he will never fail or abandon you. It is a command to stop fearing what lies ahead, grounded in a promise about God’s presence rather than in your own ability. Moses spoke these words to the people of Israel as they stood on the edge of the promised land, and he repeated the same encouragement to Joshua, their next leader, in the verses that follow.
Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid or scared of them; for the LORD your God himself is who goes with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6 (WEB)
What Deuteronomy 31:6 Means
The verse begins with a command: “be strong and courageous.” Courage here is not the absence of fear but a decision to act despite it. The next phrase, “don’t be afraid or scared of them,” names the enemies the people faced, and it tells them plainly that dread is not the right response. The reason given is what gives the command its weight. Strength and courage are not rooted in the size of Israel’s army but in the presence of God.
The verse then makes its central claim: “the LORD your God himself is who goes with you.” The word “himself” matters because Moses is pointing to God personally, not to a plan, a ritual, or a general sense of blessing. The last sentence, “he will not fail you nor forsake you,” describes God’s faithfulness across time. It does not promise that the road will be easy, that no one will be hurt, or that every battle will be won on your schedule. It promises that God will not walk away from his people.
The Context of Deuteronomy 31:6
Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Torah, presented as a series of speeches Moses gave to Israel near the end of his life, just before they crossed the Jordan River into Canaan. Tradition attributes the book to Moses, though its final chapters describe his death and were likely added by a later editor. Its first audience was a generation that had grown up in the wilderness, many of whom had not seen the Egyptian slavery or the events at Sinai firsthand.
Verses 3 through 9 make the setting clear. Moses reminds the people that the LORD himself will go over before them and drive out the nations in the land, and that Joshua will lead them. The repeated phrase “he will not fail you nor forsake you” appears both in verse 6 and again in verse 8, which is addressed directly to Joshua in front of all Israel. Read in that setting, the verse is less a private pep talk and more a public commissioning: the nation is being told that its future rests on God’s faithful accompaniment, and its new leader is being told the same thing.
Key Phrases in Deuteronomy 31:6
Joshua 1:9
Haven’t I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
(WEB)
This verse is God’s own charge to Joshua after Moses dies, repeating the call to be strong and courageous and grounding it in God’s presence wherever Joshua goes. Reading it alongside Deuteronomy 31:6 shows how the same encouragement carried from Moses to his successor.
Isaiah 41:10
Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.
(WEB)
Isaiah speaks to a later generation facing exile, using the same assurance that God is with his people and will strengthen them. It shows that the promise of God’s presence was a comfort Israel carried through many different seasons of fear and uncertainty.
A Short Prayer From Deuteronomy 31:6
Lord, you have said that you go before me and that you will not fail or forsake me. I bring you the fears I am carrying today, the ones I would rather not name out loud. Give me the courage to take the next step even while I feel uncertain. Help me remember that I am not walking this road alone, and let your presence steady me when my own strength runs thin. Thank you for being faithful when I am not sure of myself. Amen.
