Deuteronomy 31:7

7 Then Moses summoned Joshua, and he said to him {in the presence of all Israel}, "Be strong and be courageous, for you will go with this people into the land that Yahweh swore to their ancestors to give to them, and you will give it to them as an inheritance.

Deuteronomy 31:7 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 31:7

And Moses called unto Joshua
Who might be at some distance from him, with the tribe to which he belonged. The Targum of Jonathan adds,

``out of the midst of the people:''

and said unto him, in the sight of all Israel;
now assembled together, and what follows was said in their hearing, to make him the more respectable to them:

be strong and of a good courage;
the same that is said to the people in ( Deuteronomy 31:6 ) , and which was still more necessary in him, who was to be their general, and to go at the head of them, and lead them on to battle; and though Joshua was a man of courage and valour, as well as had military skill, as appears by his fight with Amalek, ( Exodus 17:9-13 ) ; yet such an exhortation was not needless, seeing he had so much work to do, and so many enemies to contend with:

for thou must go with this people unto the land which the Lord hath
sworn unto their fathers to give them, and thou shalt cause them to
inherit it;
the Targum of Jonathan is,

``which the Word of the Lord hath sworn to give;''

the land of Canaan, thither he must go with them; this was the will and determination of God, and he must go alone without him, Moses, which would be a trial of his courage.

Deuteronomy 31:7 In-Context

5 And Yahweh {will deliver them to you before you}, and you shall do to them according to every commandment that I have commanded you.

6 Be strong and be courageous; you should not be afraid, and you {should not be in dread from their presence}, for Yahweh your God [is] the [one] going with you; he will not leave you alone and he will not forsake you."

7 Then Moses summoned Joshua, and he said to him {in the presence of all Israel}, "Be strong and be courageous, for you will go with this people into the land that Yahweh swore to their ancestors to give to them, and you will give it to them as an inheritance.

8 Yahweh [is] the [one] going {before you}; he will be with you, and he will not leave you alone, and he will not forsake you; you shall not be afraid, and you shall not be discouraged."

9 So Moses wrote this law, and he gave it to the priests, the descendants of Levi, the [ones] carrying the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, and to all the elders of Israel.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "before the eyes of all Israel"
• [b]. Or "their fathers"