Joshua 1:7 tells Israel’s new leader to be strong and very courageous, and to obey all the law Moses gave, without straying to either side. The verse is God’s charge to Joshua as Israel prepares to enter the promised land after Moses has died. It is spoken by the LORD directly to Joshua, the successor of Moses, at the start of the book that bears his name.
Only 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.
Joshua 1:7 (WEB)
What Joshua 1:7 Means
The verse opens with a command to be “strong and very courageous.” The strength in view is not physical toughness but a steady resolve to act boldly when the task ahead looks too large. Joshua is not told to feel fearless. He is told to stand firm in what God has already said.
Next comes the call to “observe to do according to all the law.” Obedience here means more than knowing the law. It means living it out in full, in every area of life. The verse then warns against turning “to the right hand or to the left,” a picture of a traveler who wanders off the road. The point is consistency: no selective obedience, no drifting into convenient shortcuts.
Finally, the verse promises that obedience will lead to “good success wherever you go.” This is a real promise, but it should be read carefully. It does not guarantee that every plan will look successful by human standards. It describes the flourishing and blessing that God brings to a people who walk faithfully with him.
The Context of Joshua 1:7
The book of Joshua is traditionally attributed to Joshua himself, though much of it may have been compiled later. It was written for the people of Israel, recounting their entrance into Canaan and the establishment of their life in the land. In the verses just before this one, God repeats his promise that no one will stand against Israel and that he will not fail or forsake them, just as he was with Moses.
Read within that setting, the call to courage is grounded in God’s presence, not in Joshua’s own ability. The verses that follow repeat the command to be strong and not afraid, and they tie obedience to meditating on the book of the law day and night. The charge is therefore a unified picture: God’s people stand firm because God is with them and because they keep his word close.
Key Phrases in Joshua 1:7
Deuteronomy 31:6
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.”
(WEB)
This verse, spoken by Moses, echoes the same call to courage and the same assurance that the LORD will not leave or forsake his people. Reading it alongside Joshua 1:7 shows that God’s charge to Joshua was a continuation of the promise he had made to Israel through Moses.
Psalm 1:2-3
2 But his delight is in the LORD’s law. On his law he meditates day and night. 3 He will be like a tree planted by the streams of water, that produces its fruit in its season, whose leaf also does not wither. Whatever he does shall prosper.
(WEB)
This passage describes the person who delights in God’s law and meditates on it, pictured as a tree planted by streams of water. It helps explain how the steady, daily reading of Scripture that Joshua is urged to practice produces lasting fruitfulness and stability.
A Short Prayer From Joshua 1:7
Lord, you have called your people to be strong and courageous, and you have promised to be with us wherever we go. When I feel small or afraid, remind me that my courage rests in you and not in my own strength. Help me to read your word with care, to keep its truth close each day, and to walk steadily without drifting toward shortcuts or fear. Give me the faithfulness to follow you in the places where I am sent, trusting that you go before me. Amen.
