Deuteronomy 31:6 tells you to be strong and courageous and not to fear, because the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or abandon you. Moses speaks these words to the people of Israel as they stand on the edge of the promised land, and he is passing the leadership on to Joshua.
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 be courageous. Courage here is not a feeling you manufacture on your own. It is the response of people who have been told that their true leader is already present. The command is grounded in the next phrase, which says that fear is not needed because the LORD is the one going with them into the coming battles.
The phrase “he will not fail you nor forsake you” is a promise about God’s faithfulness. To fail someone is to let them down when they depend on you. To forsake someone is to walk away. The verse says God will do neither. It does not promise that the road will be easy, that no one will be hurt, or that every plan will succeed. It promises that God’s presence will not be withdrawn in the middle of the trouble.
The Context of Deuteronomy 31:6
Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Torah, traditionally attributed to Moses. It is presented as a series of speeches Moses gives to the Israelites on the plains of Moab, shortly before they cross the Jordan River into Canaan. The original audience is a generation that has grown up in the wilderness, learning what it means to live under God’s covenant before they take possession of the land.
The verses just before and after this one make the meaning clearer. Verse 3 says the LORD himself will go over before them and destroy the nations in the land. Verses 7 and 8 record Moses calling Joshua in front of all Israel and repeating nearly the same words: be strong, be courageous, the LORD goes before you, he will not fail you. Because the command is spoken to the whole nation and then to their new leader, it reads as a charge to a community facing a shared task, not only to a private individual.
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 repeats the call to be strong and courageous and grounds it in the same promise that the LORD is with you wherever you go. Reading it right after Deuteronomy 31:6 shows how Moses’ charge carried directly into Joshua’s leadership.
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 and uncertainty, reminding them that God is with them and will strengthen and help them. The same pattern of command and divine presence appears, showing that the promise was meant for God’s people across many generations.
A Short Prayer From Deuteronomy 31:6
Lord, you have said that you go with me, and I need to hear that today. Fear has been speaking loudly, and I have been trying to carry things that were never mine alone. Give me the strength to take the next step and the courage to face what I cannot control. Remind me that you will not fail me or leave me, and help me rest in that truth. Amen.
