Deuteronomy 3:28 records Moses telling Israel to commission Joshua, encourage him, and strengthen him, because Joshua will lead the people across the Jordan and into the land God promised. Moses is the speaker, and he is speaking to the Israelites on the eastern side of the Jordan, in the plains of Moab, just before they enter Canaan.
But commission Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you shall see.”
Deuteronomy 3:28 (WEB)
What Deuteronomy 3:28 Means
The verse opens with “commission Joshua,” which means formally appoint him and give him authority in front of the people. Moses is not handing Joshua a private task. He is publicly passing the leadership of Israel to a man who has served at his side for years, so that everyone knows who will carry the work forward.
The next phrases, “encourage him, and strengthen him,” describe what Joshua will need. Leading a nation into a land occupied by other peoples is a frightening job, and Moses knows it. The verse asks the community to build Joshua up, both with words and with practical support, so he does not face the task alone.
The final clause tells the reason: Joshua “shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land.” The promise is that the land will be given, and Joshua will be the one who leads them into it. The verse does not promise that Joshua will be flawless, that every battle will be easy, or that the people will always obey. It promises the outcome of the entry into Canaan, and it names the person who will guide them there.
The Context of Deuteronomy 3:28
Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Old Testament and is presented as a series of speeches Moses gave to the Israelites near the end of their forty years in the wilderness. Traditionally, Moses is considered the author, though many scholars think the book reached its final form later and was shaped by editors. The original audience is the generation that grew up in the wilderness, the people about to cross into the promised land.
Just before verse 28, Moses describes how he asked God to let him cross the Jordan too. God refused, saying Moses could look at the land from Pisgah but would not enter it, and telling him to stop raising the matter. Verse 27 then sends Moses up to view the land, and verse 28 turns to Joshua. Read this way, the verse is not a general word about leadership succession. It is God’s answer to Moses’ disappointment: the one who cannot enter will hand the task to the one who will, and the promise to the people still stands.
Key Phrases in Deuteronomy 3:28
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 comes right after Joshua takes up Moses’ role and speaks directly to his fear. It repeats the call to be strong and courageous, grounding that encouragement in God’s presence rather than in human support alone.
Deuteronomy 31:7-8
7 Moses called to Joshua, and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them; and you shall cause them to inherit it. 8 The LORD himself is who goes before you. He will be with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be discouraged.”
(WEB)
Here Moses publicly encourages Joshua just before his death, using nearly the same language as the earlier commissioning. It shows the commissioning and encouragement as a settled part of the transition, with God going before Joshua as Moses had promised.
A Short Prayer From Deuteronomy 3:28
Lord, you raise up people to carry your work, and you know which of us will go on and which of us will step aside. Help me to accept the roles I have been given and to release the ones that are no longer mine to hold. Where I am called to lead, give me courage, and send others to strengthen my hands and my heart. Where I am called to encourage someone else, make me faithful in it. Thank you that your promises do not depend on one person’s strength. Amen.
