Joshua 1:7-9 is God’s charge to Joshua, the new leader of Israel, to be strong and courageous as he takes the people into the promised land. The core instruction is simple: be strong, stay faithful to God’s law, and remember that the Lord is with you wherever you go.
These verses come right after Moses has died and Israel stands on the edge of the Jordan River, looking across at the land God promised their ancestors. Joshua has just inherited an enormous responsibility, and God speaks directly to him before he gives a single order to the people.
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 with a command to be “strong and very courageous,” then tells Joshua exactly where that courage should be anchored: in careful obedience to the law Moses gave. Joshua is told not to drift to either side of that law, because faithfulness is what will bring him success in whatever he undertakes.
The passage then turns to the practice that sustains such faithfulness. Joshua is to keep the book of the law on his lips and meditate on it day and night. The closing words return to courage and add a reason for it: the Lord your God is with you, so there is no need to be afraid or dismayed.
Context of Joshua 1:7-9
The book of Joshua tells how Israel entered and settled Canaan after the wilderness years. It is traditionally attributed to Joshua himself, with later editing, and it was written for Israel as a people who needed to remember both God’s faithfulness and the cost of obedience. Its first audience would have included those who had lived through the conquest and those who inherited its promises.
The surrounding verses, Joshua 1:4-12, describe the borders of the promised land, a direct promise from the Lord that no one will be able to stand against Joshua, and the assurance “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you.” The charge to courage in verses 7-9 is the heart of that promise, showing how God’s presence and Israel’s obedience belong together.
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 Israel before Joshua takes over, and they echo the same confidence that God will not abandon His people. The verse shows that the courage Joshua is called to was rooted in promises God had already made.
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 person who delights in God’s law and meditates on it day and night. The image of a tree planted by streams fits well with the fruitfulness promised to Joshua when he keeps God’s word close.
A Prayer Based on Joshua 1:7-9
Lord, you have told me to be strong and courageous, and you have given me a reason to be. When the road ahead looks uncertain, help me to hold fast to your word and not to drift to the right or left. Let your law fill my speaking and my thinking, day and night, so that my steps would be guided by your truth. Remind me that you are with me wherever I go, and let that presence settle my fears. Give me the courage to obey you in small things and large ones. Amen.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “be strong and courageous” mean in Joshua 1:7-9?
It is a call to inner resolve that is expressed through faithful action. The strength God asks for is grounded in obedience to His law and trust in His presence rather than in personal confidence.
Why does God tell Joshua to meditate on the law day and night?
Meditation keeps God’s word present in Joshua’s thoughts and speech, so that his decisions line up with it. The passage ties this steady attention to the success God promises.
Is Joshua 1:9 a promise that nothing bad will happen?
The verse promises God’s presence, not an absence of difficulty. Joshua still faces battles, and the assurance is that he will not face them alone.
