Joshua 1:2 kjv

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.

Joshua 1:2 nkjv

"Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them?the children of Israel.

Joshua 1:2 niv

"Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them?to the Israelites.

Joshua 1:2 esv

"Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel.

Joshua 1:2 nlt

"Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them.

Joshua 1 verses

Joshua 1 2 Meaning

Joshua 1:2 immediately shifts focus from Moses' death to God's continuous work, commanding Joshua to assume leadership and guide the entire Israelite nation across the Jordan River. This crossing signals the entry into the Promised Land, which God unequivocally states He is giving to them, thereby confirming His unwavering commitment to His covenant promises made to their forefathers. It marks the commencement of a new era, emphasizing divine initiative, active obedience, and the certain fulfillment of God's redemptive plan.

Joshua 1 2 Context

Joshua 1:2 immediately follows the death of Moses, God's chosen leader who faithfully brought Israel out of Egypt and through the wilderness for forty years. This verse marks the crucial transition of leadership from Moses to Joshua, initiated not by human deliberation, but by direct divine command. Historically, it signifies the end of a long period of wandering and the imminent beginning of the conquest era, aimed at fulfilling the ancient Abrahamic covenant regarding the Promised Land. The verse firmly places the upcoming actions under absolute divine authority, highlighting that God's plan proceeds uninterruptedly and purposefully irrespective of human change or sorrow.

Joshua 1 2 Word analysis

• Moses My servant (מֹשֶׁה עַבְדִּי, Moshe Avdi): "Servant" is a profound theological title denoting one chosen by God for intimate fellowship and a special commission (e.g., Num 12:7-8). It signifies Moses' unique obedient relationship and role as the mediator of the Law. The specific mention emphasizes his completed relationship with God and highlights that even this unique servant's work is finished, allowing God's overarching plan to seamlessly continue.
• is dead (מֵת, met): A concise, factual past-tense verb, emphasizing the finality and undisputed reality of Moses' passing. God directly acknowledges this definitive end point, providing clarity and closing a significant chapter, thus clearing the way for a decisive move forward. The simplicity prevents any lingering doubt or need for protracted mourning.
• now therefore (וְעַתָּה, ve'attah): A powerful Hebrew conjunction signaling a consequence or immediate imperative. It directly links Moses' death with the urgent call to action, establishing divine promptness and seamless transition. There is no pause or vacancy in God's redemptive plan; new leadership and action are commanded immediately, underscoring God's sovereignty.
• arise (קוּם, qum): An imperative verb meaning "get up," "stand," or "be prepared." It's a direct command for immediate and vigorous physical and mental readiness for action, often used for decisive movement or embarking on a task (e.g., Ex 32:7; Judg 18:9). It implies overcoming any hesitation or inertia that might arise after Moses' death.
• go over (עֲבֹר, avor): An imperative verb meaning "cross over," "pass through," or "traverse." It commands direct physical movement across the Jordan River. This verb also carries a metaphorical sense of passing into a new phase or era. This command directly points to the pivotal, miraculous act ahead that will serve as Israel's entry into the land.
• this Jordan (הַיַּרְדֵּן הַזֶּה, haYarden hazzeh): "This" acts as a demonstrative, making the specific location immediate and undeniable. The Jordan River serves as a significant natural barrier and a symbolic threshold. Crossing it represents stepping from the wilderness life into the covenant inheritance. Its crossing is a preordained point of divine test and triumph, akin to the Red Sea.
• you and all this people (אַתָּה וְכָל־הָעָם הַזֶּה, attah vechol-ha'am hazzeh): Explicitly includes both Joshua's personal responsibility as leader and the collective participation of the entire nation. Leadership is central, but the journey and possession of the land are communal endeavors. It signifies that God's command involves both the appointed leader and every individual he is called to lead.
• into the land (אֶל־הָאָרֶץ, el-ha'aretz): Not just any land, but the Land, Canaan, which is the long-promised object of Abrahamic, Mosaic, and future prophecies. It represents the covenant inheritance, the specific geographic and theological goal of their journey, and a central theme of Israel's salvation history.
• which I am giving (אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי נֹתֵן, asher anochi noten): The use of the Hebrew present participle noten ("giving") highlights divine certainty and ongoing, active determination. It's not a future uncertain promise ("I will give") but an established reality ("I am in the process of giving" or "I certainly give"). This conveys that the land's acquisition is God's sovereign gift and a guaranteed outcome based on His faithfulness, reinforcing Joshua's confidence and divine backing.
• to them—to the children of Israel (לָהֶם לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, lahem livnei Yisrael): The double-reference (a common Hebrew emphatic device: "to them, even to the children of Israel") provides emphatic clarity and unequivocal precision about the rightful recipients of the land. It reinforces the covenant lineage and confirms that the promise belongs specifically to this chosen people, Jacob's descendants, establishing their identity as God's covenanted nation and heirs of His unfailing promise.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "Moses My servant is dead; now therefore": This opening phrase rapidly and definitively transitions from Moses' profound and cherished past leadership to the immediate, compelling call for present and future action. It forcefully underlines God's sovereignty over human life and the continuity of His redemptive plan, ensuring no vacuum of leadership exists. It's a swift shift from sorrow and reflection to an urgent mission, solely guided by divine impetus.
• "arise, go over this Jordan": A potent dual imperative demonstrating both spiritual readiness ("arise") and decisive physical movement ("go over"). The Jordan River is specifically identified as the immediate physical obstacle and symbolic threshold to the new phase. This phrase captures the demanding and immediate nature of God's command, requiring a prompt and resolute step of faith and obedience towards the Promised Land.
• "you and all this people": This group highlights the scope of Joshua's divinely appointed leadership and the encompassing nature of God's covenant with the entire nation. It emphasizes that while Joshua is the sole commissioned leader, the grand mission of entering and possessing the land is a collective undertaking, involving and impacting every individual in Israel. It implies shared responsibility and communal obedience under divinely mandated leadership.
• "into the land which I am giving to them—to the children of Israel": This climactic phrase clarifies the ultimate purpose of the commanded action and crucially identifies the divine source of the inheritance. The reiterated emphasis on "I am giving" underscores God's absolute sovereignty and overflowing grace; the land is unmistakably a gift, not an earned possession. Explicitly identifying "the children of Israel" unequivocally points to the beneficiaries, robustly reiterating their covenant identity and status as rightful heirs to God's unfailing promise, which is about to be gloriously fulfilled.

Joshua 1 2 Bonus section

• The phrase "Moses My servant is dead" provides the direct theological and historical continuity from the Pentateuch, emphasizing that Moses' unique, divinely ordained tasks for that phase of redemptive history have been completed with his death. God himself confirms this endpoint.
• The immediate and explicit divine commissioning of Joshua, without any sign of grieving or questioning from God's part, underscores the theological principle that divine work always continues. God sovereignly raises and empowers new leaders for new phases of His grand plan. This direct divine legitimization provides absolute authority to Joshua's leadership from the outset.
• The repetitive emphasis on God "giving" the land subtly serves as a polemic against common ancient Near Eastern pagan beliefs. In such cultures, land acquisition often depended on the might of a nation's army or the power of its patron gods. By contrast, Israel's impending possession is unequivocally presented as a direct, unmerited gift, a testament to the sovereign power and unwavering covenant faithfulness of the LORD alone. This theological framing reframes the entire conquest narrative from a mere military campaign to a sacred act of receiving divine grace and inheritance.

Joshua 1 2 Commentary

Joshua 1:2 marks a pivotal moment in biblical history, God's immediate and purposeful shift from the end of the Mosaic era to the beginning of Joshua's leadership. It completely overrides any human despair or uncertainty over Moses' death by presenting a direct, imperative, and sovereign command to move forward. The verse establishes the foundational truth for the book of Joshua: the acquisition of the land is not Israel's conquest by might, but a divine gift, underscored by the present participle "I am giving." This perspective ensures that God receives all glory for the eventual success. The call to "arise, go over this Jordan" highlights that divine purpose requires courageous human action, initiated in faith and obedience to God's explicit instructions. It serves as a declaration of God's unswerving faithfulness to His covenant promises, guaranteeing His presence and enablement for His chosen leader and people to inherit what He has already prepared for them. Practically, it encourages believers that even after significant losses or transitions, God's redemptive plan progresses with unstoppable momentum, always contingent on His faithful character and often necessitating a bold step of faith into new, divinely promised territory.