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;
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.