“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.”
My Notes
What Does Joshua 1:7 Mean?
God is speaking directly to Joshua after Moses' death — and the courage He commands isn't for battle. It's for obedience. "Only be thou strong and very courageous" — the words "strong" (chazaq) and "courageous" (amats) are repeated three times in this chapter (vv. 6, 7, 9). But here in verse 7, the strength and courage are specifically connected to what follows: not warfare, but faithfulness to the law.
"That thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee" — the courage is for obedience. Not some of the law. All of it. The word "observe" (shamar) means to guard, to keep watch over, to be careful with. And "do" (asah) means to perform, to carry out. Joshua needs courage to guard the law and carry it out — because the temptation in new territory will be to adapt, compromise, or cut corners.
"Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left" — the path of obedience is narrow and directional. Deviation in either direction — toward legalistic excess or toward permissive neglect — is equally dangerous. The instruction is stay on the road. Exactly on it.
"That thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest" — the margin note says "do wisely." The Hebrew (sakal) means to act prudently, to succeed, to have insight. The prosperity isn't financial. It's the practical wisdom that comes from staying on God's path. Obedience produces clarity. Faithfulness produces success. The courage to stay on the road is what makes the destination reachable.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Where in your life does obedience require more courage than any external battle you're facing?
- 2.God says don't turn right or left. What are the subtle deviations — the small drifts — that threaten your faithfulness right now?
- 3.The prosperity God promises is tied to obedience, not circumstance. How does that reframe what success looks like for you?
- 4.Joshua was entering new territory with new temptations. What 'new territory' are you entering where the pressure to compromise is strongest?
Devotional
The courage God asked for wasn't about facing giants. It was about staying obedient.
We read "be strong and very courageous" and picture battlefields. But God's next words redirect the courage toward something harder than war: faithful, precise, unwavering obedience to the law. Don't turn right. Don't turn left. Stay exactly on the path. That's what requires courage — because obedience in new territory is harder than obedience in familiar ground.
Joshua was about to enter a land full of new opportunities, new temptations, and new pressures to adapt. The nations around him had their own gods, their own systems, their own definitions of success. And God says: the thing that will take the most strength isn't conquering them. It's not becoming them. The courage to stay faithful when everything around you invites compromise — that's the courage God is commanding.
"Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left." The instruction is precision. Not general spiritual direction. Specific, careful, guardrails-up obedience. Because Joshua wasn't in danger of abandoning God entirely. He was in danger of drifting — a little to the right for pragmatism, a little to the left for cultural acceptance. The small deviations are what God warns about. The road is narrow enough that a slight turn in either direction puts you off it.
"That thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest." The prosperity is connected to the obedience. Not as a transaction — obey and get rich. As a natural result — stay on the path and you'll navigate wisely. The courage to obey produces the wisdom to succeed. Every shortcut Joshua avoided would become a victory he didn't have to fight.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Only be thou strong, and very courageous,.... For though Joshua was a man of valour and courage, as appears by his war…
Prosper - See the margin. The literal rendering should be retained here since the notion of prosperity is separately…
Only be thou strong, and very courageous - Ισχυε ουν, και ανδριζου σφοδρα. - Sept. Be strong therefore, and play the man…
Honour is here put upon Joshua, and great power lodged in his hand, by him that is the fountain of honour and power, and…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture