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._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

6._Be strong, _etc An exhortation to fortitude is added, and indeed repeated, that it may make the deeper impression. At the same time the promise is introduced in different words, in which Joshua is assured of his divine call, that he might have no hesitation in undertaking the office which had been divinely committed to him, nor begin to waver midway on being obliged to contend with obstacles. It would not have been enough for him diligently to begirt himself at the outset without being well prepared to persevere in the struggle. Although it is the property of faith to animate us to strenuous exertion, in the same way as unbelief manifests itself by cowardice or cessation of effort, still we may infer from this passage, that bare promises are not sufficiently energetic without the additional stimulus of exhortation. For if Joshua, who was always remarkable for alacrity, required to be...

5-9 Joshua is to make the law of God his rule. He is charged to meditate therein day and night, that he might understand it. Whatever affairs of this world we have to mind, we must not neglect the one thing needful. All his orders to the people, and his judgments, must be according to the law of God. Joshua must himself be under command; no man's dignity or dominion sets him above the law of God. He is to encourage himself with the promise and presence of God. Let not the sense of thine own infirmities dishearten thee; God is all-sufficient. I have commanded, called, and commissioned thee to do it, and will be sure to bear thee out in it. When we are in the way of duty, we have reason to be strong and very bold. Our Lord Jesus, as Joshua here, was borne up under his sufferings by a regard to the will of God, and the commandment from his Father....

EXPOSITION THE SOURCE OF JOSHUA'S CONFIDENCE.— JOSHUA 1:5 THERE SHALL NOT ANY MAN BE ABLE TO STAND BEFORE THEE. Literally, _no one_ _shall set himself up against thee, i.e; _successfully resist thee (ἀντιστήσεται, LXX). AS I WAS WITH MOSES. Literally, _as I have been _with Moses: that is to say, was with him and remained with him unto the end. The continuity of the work of God under the old dispensation is thus as clearly marked as that of the new in Matthew 28:20, and John 20:21. The promises made to Abraham, the law given to M

BE STRONG, AND OF GOOD COURAGE,.... The same exhortation Moses gave him, Deuteronomy 31:7; and is afterwards repeated in this chapter, as being of great moment and importance, as it is in the general of an army to show greatness and strength of mind, valour and courage, and not be dismayed at the number and strength of the enemy. As Joshua's work in fighting with the Canaanites, and conquering their land, so Christ's work in the redemption of his people, and subduing their enemies, required strength and courage, and both were very eminent in him: FOR UNTO THIS PEOPLE SHALT THOU DIVIDE FOR AN INHERITANCE THE LAND WHICH I SWARE UNTO THEIR FATHERS TO GIVE THEM; and, this promise included and ensured the conquest of it, and the putting the people into the possession of it; for if he was to divide it to them, he must first take it out of the hands of the present inhabita

ANALYSIS AND ANNOTATIONS I. THE ENTRANCE OF THE PEOPLE INTO CANAAN AND THE CONFLICTS 1. The Entrance Commanded and Success Promised CHAPTER 1 _ 1. The Lord speaks to Joshua (Joshua 1:1)_ 2. Joshua speaks to the people (Joshua 1:10) 3. The answer of the people (Joshua 1:16) The little word “now” with which this book begins is in the Hebrew “and.” It links the book with Deuteronomy and the other books of the Pentateuch. It also shows that the previous books were in existence, for the mention of Moses, his death, and Joshua, the minister of Moses, presupposes that the reader knows all about them. But there is a stronger evidence in the eighth verse of the chapter, that the Pentateuch

I. JOSHUA'S COMMISSION; PREPARATION FOR THE PASSAGE OF THE JORDAN. This chapter does not call for much comment. It is, for the most part, an introduction to the whole book from a Deuteronomic writer. There may have been a Deuteronomic account of the conquest of the land which the compiler of our book used, but more probably the old narrative of JE was taken over by the Deuteronomist, who managed to superimpose his own views by means of an introduction and various additions. These additions are very considerable; hardly any Chapter s have escaped. JOSHUA 1:4. The boundaries of the land are strangely indicated, AND the passage should no doubt read, From the wilderness in the south to Lebanon; and from the river Euphrates to the western sea (_i.e._ the Mediterranean) shall be your border or rather, territory. In reality, the kingdom never extended as far as this from E. to W.

THOU. Emphatic. This is the great subject of the book....

_VER._ 6. _BE STRONG AND OF A GOOD COURAGE_— However courageous and valiant Joshua might be, it was, nevertheless, very necessary to animate him to the undertaking of so difficult an enterprize as was here entrusted to him; nothing less than such a divine assurance could indeed have supported his courage in so arduous a talk. 'Tis true, he was now ninety-three years of age, and had been trained up under Moses at least one third part of that time; so that he wanted neither the experience nor the sagacity necessary to foresee all the difficulties he was to encounter. He saw himself too at the head of 600,000 fighting men: but, not to mention the prodigious number of old men, women, and children; not to reckon servants, cattle, and baggage, wherewith the army was incumbered; his first step was the crossing of a large river; in doing of which, he knew himself equally exposed to the arms of t...

_God's Promise to Joshua 1:1-9_ Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses-' minister, saying, 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. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. 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. 6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divid