Joshua 1:9 is God's charge to Joshua as he took over from Moses and prepared to lead Israel across the Jordan into Canaan: "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." It means that courage for God's people rests on two things: God's command and God's presence. Joshua was not told to feel brave. He was told to obey and to trust that God would be with him everywhere he went, as He had been with Moses (Joshua 1:5).
Joshua 1:9 is one of the most popular Bible verses for graduations, new jobs, military service and hard seasons. It is printed on wall art and tattooed on forearms, and it deserves the attention. But it was first spoken to one man at a very particular moment. Moses, who had led Israel for forty years, had just died on Mount Nebo. Joshua, his long-time assistant, now stood on the east bank of the Jordan River with a whole nation behind him and a land full of walled cities ahead. The Jordan was in flood (Joshua 3:15). It would have been natural to be terrified. In the first nine verses of the book, God speaks to Joshua and three times says be strong and of a good courage, and the third time is Joshua 1:9. This page reads the verse in that setting, with twelve King James verses: the charge to Joshua, the earlier promise to Moses that it echoes, and how the same words were passed on in later generations. For more verses on the theme, see Bible verses about courage and Bible verses about strength.
Moses is dead: the charge to Joshua (Joshua 1:2-7)
1. Joshua 1:2
"Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel."
The book of Joshua opens with a hard sentence: Moses my servant is dead. For forty years Moses had been Israel's leader, prophet and intercessor. Now he was gone, and the people had mourned him for thirty days (Deuteronomy 34:8). God did not let Joshua stay in grief. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people. God's work did not die with Moses. That is the first context for Joshua 1:9. It was spoken to someone standing at the edge of a big change, after a great loss.
2. Joshua 1:5
"There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."
Before telling Joshua to be strong, God gave him a promise: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Joshua had watched God part the Red Sea, give manna and speak with Moses face to face. He knew what God's presence with Moses looked like. Now he was promised the same. The order matters. God's promise comes before God's command. Courage in Joshua 1 is not something Joshua had to produce from within. It is the right response to a promise.
3. Joshua 1:6
"Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them."
This is the first of three charges: Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. The reason for courage here is God's oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God had promised the land centuries before, and He would keep His word. Joshua's job was to lead the people in and divide it among the tribes. Courage was needed not for a personal adventure but for a task God had already promised to finish.
4. Joshua 1:7
"Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest."
The second charge is stronger: Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law. Notice what the courage is for. Not first for battle, but for obedience. Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left. It takes courage to keep God's word when everyone around you is going a different way. Joshua would face enemies, but also the temptation to compromise. The prosperity God promised, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest, was tied to faithfulness.
Have not I commanded thee? (Joshua 1:8-9)
5. Joshua 1:8
"This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."
Verse 8 explains how Joshua could stay faithful: This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night. Meditate in Hebrew means to murmur, to read aloud quietly, again and again. Joshua's courage was to be fed by God's word every day. For then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Success here means acting wisely and doing well in God's eyes, not wealth or fame. Joshua 1:8 and 1:9 belong together: the word, then the courage.
6. Joshua 1:9
"Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."
Now the verse itself. Have not I commanded thee? God reminds Joshua that this mission is not his own idea. Be strong and of a good courage: the third time in four verses. Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: dismayed means shattered, broken down by fear. And the reason: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. The verse does not promise an easy road or that Joshua would never feel fear. It promises that he would never go anywhere alone. That is the heart of its meaning for us too.
7. Deuteronomy 31:6
"Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."
Joshua 1:9 was not the first time Joshua heard these words. Before he died, Moses gathered all Israel and said, Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Joshua was standing there. When God spoke to him after Moses' death, He used almost the same words. The promise Joshua had heard spoken to the nation was now spoken to him personally.
8. Deuteronomy 31:8
"And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed."
Moses then turned to Joshua in front of everyone and gave him a personal charge: And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed. Notice the phrase go before thee. God would not only be with Joshua. He would go ahead of him into the land, already there in every place Joshua would go. Leaders and people facing an unknown future have leaned on this verse alongside Joshua 1:9 ever since.
The same words passed on
9. Joshua 1:18
"Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of a good courage."
When Joshua gave his first orders, the people answered him with a pledge of loyalty, and they ended with the same words God had used: only be strong and of a good courage. The charge was passed from God to Joshua and then echoed back by the people. Courage spreads. A leader who trusts God strengthens the people, and people who trust God encourage their leader. Joshua 1:9 is not only for individuals; it is a word for communities, families and churches facing change together.
10. 1 Chronicles 28:20
"And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD."
Hundreds of years later, King David, old and near death, gave his son Solomon the task of building the temple. He used Joshua's words: Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Notice and do it. Courage in the Bible is always for doing something God has asked. David's promise had a finish line too: until thou hast finished all the work. God stays with His people until the job is done.
11. Joshua 21:45
"There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass."
Did God keep His promise to Joshua? Near the end of the book, after the land had been taken and divided, the writer looks back: There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass. Not one promise failed. Joshua's courage did not rest on wishful thinking. It rested on a God who keeps His word. When you claim Joshua 1:9 today, you are trusting the same faithful God. See Bible verses about God's promises.
12. Hebrews 13:5
"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."
The New Testament takes the promise God made to Joshua and gives it to every believer: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. The writer of Hebrews quotes Joshua 1:5 and Deuteronomy 31:6 and applies them to ordinary Christians worried about money and the future. Jesus made the same promise to His disciples: lo, I am with you alway (Matthew 28:20). Christians may not be crossing the Jordan, but they can be strong and of a good courage for the same reason Joshua could.
A short prayer
Lord God, You said to Joshua, Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage. I am facing things that feel bigger than me. Thank You that You go before me and that You are with me wherever I go. Keep Your word in my mouth and in my heart day and night. Help me not to be afraid or dismayed, and give me courage to obey You. You have never failed one of Your promises, and You will not fail me. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
Pick one verse above and write: - Scripture: copy the verse by hand. - Observation: what does it say? Who is speaking, to whom? - Application: what does it mean for you today? - Prayer: turn it into a two-line prayer.
New to this method? See our Bible study guide or pick a Bible reading plan.
Memorize Joshua 1:9 with Scripture memory cards · Print free Bible verse bookmarks · Download our free SOAP study page
Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of Joshua 1:9?
Joshua 1:9 means that God's people can be strong and courageous, not because they feel brave, but because God has commanded them and promised to be with them everywhere they go. God spoke it to Joshua after Moses died, as Joshua prepared to lead Israel across the Jordan. Its promise, "the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest" (Joshua 1:9), is the reason for its command.
Is Joshua 1:9 a promise for Christians today?
Joshua 1:9 was spoken to Joshua for a specific mission, but the New Testament applies the same promise of God's presence to all believers. Hebrews 13:5 quotes the words God said to Joshua, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee," and Jesus promised to be with His disciples always (Matthew 28:20). Christians can take it as a promise of God's presence, though not of a particular outcome.
What comes before Joshua 1:9?
Joshua 1:1-8 comes before it. God tells Joshua that Moses is dead and that he must lead the people across the Jordan (1:2), promises to be with him as He was with Moses (1:5), and twice tells him to be strong and courageous, the second time so that he will keep God's law (1:6-7). Verse 8 tells him to meditate on the book of the law day and night. Verse 9 repeats the charge a third time.
How many times does God say be strong and of a good courage in Joshua 1?
In Joshua 1, God tells Joshua to be strong and of a good courage three times, in verses 6, 7 (strong and very courageous) and 9. The people then say it to Joshua a fourth time in verse 18. Moses had already said the same words to Israel and to Joshua in Deuteronomy 31:6-7 and 31:23.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Courage · Strength · Fear · Confidence · God always being with us · God's promises · Leadership · Change
Explore more: All Bible verses by topic · KJV Bible verses · Verse of the day · Prayers · Bible study · Bible reading plans
