Joshua 1:7-9 tells Israel’s new leader to be strong and courageous as he takes over from Moses, and it shows that this courage comes from faithfully living by God’s written law. The passage is God’s charge to Joshua just before the people cross the Jordan River into the land of Canaan.
Joshua is the successor to Moses, and the Israelites have spent forty years in the wilderness. Now they stand on the edge of the promised land, facing cities, armies, and a river that must be crossed. The words in these verses come in the middle of God’s first speech to Joshua in the book that bears his name.
7 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. 8 This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it; for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success. 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.”
Joshua 1:7-9 (WEB)
Joshua 1:7-9 Summary
God begins by telling Joshua to be strong and very courageous, and then defines what that strength looks like. It is not bravado or confidence in his own plans. It is careful obedience to all the law that Moses gave, with no drifting to either side of the road. Success in the land depends on staying close to that instruction.
The passage then describes how this obedience is kept alive: the book of the law is to stay on Joshua’s lips and be meditated on day and night. The closing words repeat the call to courage and add the reason for it. Joshua is not to be afraid or dismayed, because the LORD his God is with him wherever he goes.
Context of Joshua 1:7-9
The book of Joshua is traditionally attributed to Joshua himself, though it also draws on later editorial work, and it was written for Israel as the people entered and settled the land. Its first audience would have been the generation that had witnessed the wilderness years and was now preparing to fight for the territory God had promised their ancestors.
In the wider passage, verses 4 and 5 describe the borders of the land and promise that no one will be able to stand against Joshua, because God will be with him as he was with Moses. Verse 6 gives the first call to be strong and courageous, and verses 10 and 11 move the story forward by ordering the officers to prepare the people for the crossing. Verses 7-9 sit at the heart of that opening charge, explaining how Joshua’s courage is to be lived out.
Joshua 1:7-9 Verse by Verse
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)
Moses speaks these words to the people before Joshua takes over, and they echo the same call to courage. The reassurance that the LORD will not leave or forsake his people gives the same grounding found in Joshua 1:9.
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 psalm describes the blessed person whose delight is in the law of the LORD and who meditates on it day and night. The image of a tree planted by streams of water matches the promise of prosperity and fruitfulness in Joshua.
A Prayer Based on Joshua 1:7-9
Lord, you have said to be strong and courageous, and you have shown me that this strength comes from walking faithfully in your word. Help me to keep your instruction close, to speak it, to think on it, and to act on it in the ordinary hours of my day. Keep me from wandering to the right or the left when the road looks uncertain. Where I am afraid, remind me that you are with me wherever I go. Give me the courage that rests in your presence. Amen.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to be strong and courageous in Joshua 1:7-9?
In this passage, being strong and courageous means acting with firm resolve, but the strength is tied to obedience. Joshua is told to follow all the law Moses gave, not to rely on his own plans.
Why does Joshua 1:8 say to meditate on the law day and night?
Meditation keeps God’s word present in the mind so that obedience becomes natural rather than occasional. The verse links careful thought about Scripture with the goal of doing what it says.
How is Joshua 1:9 connected to the rest of the passage?
Verse 9 repeats the call to courage and gives the reason for it: the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. It ties the command to God’s presence, which is the foundation for the whole charge.
