⚔️WEB · Joshua 1:6
What does Joshua 1:6 mean?
"“Be strong and courageous; for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them."
— Joshua 1:6 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
I have given you every place that the sole of your foot will tread on, as I told Moses.
From the wilderness, and this Lebanon, even to the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your border.
No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not fail you nor forsake you.
“Be strong and courageous; for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.
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.
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.
Haven’t I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be dismayed, for Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go.”
Explanation
Joshua 1:6 records God's direct command to Joshua immediately after the death of Moses. In plain language, the verse says: take courage, because you are the one who will lead Israel into the land God promised long ago, and you will see that promise fulfilled through your leadership. It is both an exhortation and an assurance — God is not simply asking Joshua to feel brave, but telling him that the outcome (possession of the land) is tied to his obedient action.
The context is a pivotal transition moment in Israel's history. Moses, the great leader who brought Israel out of Egypt and through the wilderness, has just died, and Joshua, his longtime assistant, is now stepping into the role of leading the nation. This chapter is the opening of the book of Joshua, traditionally attributed to Joshua himself or compiled from his testimony, written to record how Israel took possession of Canaan. God speaks to Joshua directly, reminding him of the covenant promise originally made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (the "fathers") that their descendants would possess the land of Canaan. Joshua faces an enormous task: leading a whole nation into military conquest and settlement of a land occupied by other peoples, without the benefit of Moses' presence or the visible miracles that marked the exodus generation's early years. The command to "be strong and courageous" appears repeated three times in this chapter (verses 6, 7, 9), showing how central this exhortation is to the entire commissioning.
Theologically, the verse emphasizes the connection between divine promise and human responsibility
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