⚔️WEB · Joshua 1:7
What does Joshua 1:7 mean?
"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."
— Joshua 1:7 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
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.”
Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,
Explanation
Joshua 1:7 records God's charge to Joshua at a pivotal moment: Moses, the great leader who had brought Israel out of Egypt and through the wilderness, has died, and Joshua now stands responsible for leading the people into the promised land of Canaan. In plain language, God tells Joshua to be strong and very courageous, and to carefully obey everything Moses had commanded in the law—not deviating from it in any direction, neither adding to it nor ignoring parts of it. God promises that this careful obedience will lead to success in whatever Joshua undertakes.
The context is the opening chapter of the book of Joshua, which picks up right where Deuteronomy left off. Moses had led Israel for forty years, but he was not permitted to enter Canaan himself. Joshua, his assistant and successor, is now facing the daunting task of conquering and settling the land God promised to Abraham's descendants centuries earlier. This is a moment of transition and potential fear—Joshua is stepping into enormous shoes, facing fortified cities and hostile nations, without the benefit of Moses' direct experience or reputation. God's words here are part of a larger commissioning speech (verses 1-9) that repeats the command to be strong and courageous three times, showing how central this theme is to the chapter.
Theologically, this verse ties courage directly to obedience to God's revealed law, rather than to Joshua's own strength, cleverness, or military strategy. The "success" promised is not detached from faithfulness—it flows from it. This reflects a broader bi
Compare translations
Go deeper with ScriptureCompanion AI
Ask questions about any verse, follow reading plans, write personal prayers, and track your daily habit — all grounded in verified scripture text.