Joshua Ch 1

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Tanakh versions:

Throughout this site I will use any of the following three versions of the TaNaKh: 1. “Jewish Publication Society” (JPS-1917), 2. “Sefaria.org” (SEF), and 3. “Mechon-Mamre.org” (MEC).

Colour coded details of the - TaNaKh:

1. Torah = History & Law, 2. Nevi’im = The Prophets. 3. *Ketuvim = all other Writings.

*The Ketuvim - Includes, Poetical books - Psalms, Proverbs, Job, the Megillot, or Scrolls - Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations of Jeremiah, Ecclesiastes, and Esther, prophecy of Daniel, and history of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles I & II.

Please Note: Some alterations have been made relating to ‘Names’ and ‘Attributes’ having been corrected as it once was, pre the “Masoretic Text”.

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Remember the following three truth’s from our beloved Scriptures!

“Ye shall NOT ADD TO THE WORD which I command you, neither shall ye diminish from it, that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם (the LORD your Elo’lei’chem) which I command you”. Davarim - Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).

“This is My Name FOREVER, and this is My Memorial to ALL Generations”. Shemot - Exodus 3:15. (JPS).

“I am יְהוָה, that is My Name; and My glory will I not give to another”. Yeshayahu - Isaiah 42:8. (JPS).

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Yahushua - Joshua Chapter 1

With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.

Just before the study, I would like to commence with one more important quote from the book of Yahushua - Joshua Ch 1:7-8. (JPS-1917).

“Be strong and courageous. Be careful to obey the entire Torah My servant Moshe has given you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Torah depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

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Yahushua - Joshua Chapter 1: verses 1 to 9, (JPS-1917 version):

The Hebrew verse comes first, then followed directly below each verse, with the English translation.

וַיְהִי, אַחֲרֵי מוֹת מֹשֶׁה-עֶבֶד יְהוָה; וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן-נוּן, מְשָׁרֵת מֹשֶׁה לֵאמֹר

1. Now it came to pass after the death of Moshe the servant of יְהוָה (the LORD), that יְהוָה spoke unto Yahushua - Joshua the son of Nun, Moshe’s minister, saying:

מֹשֶׁה עַבְדִּי, מֵת; וְעַתָּה קוּם עֲבֹר אֶת-הַיַּרְדֵּן הַזֶּה, אַתָּה וְכָל-הָעָם הַזֶּה, אֶל-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי נֹתֵן לָהֶם לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

2. 'Moshe 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.

חֲזַק, וֶאֱמָץ: כִּי אַתָּה, תַּנְחִיל אֶת-הָעָם הַזֶּה, אֶת-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר-נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי לַאֲבוֹתָם לָתֵת לָהֶם

6. “Be strong and of good courage; for thou shalt cause this people to inherit the land which I swore unto their fathers to give them.

רַק חֲזַק וֶאֱמַץ מְאֹד, לִשְׁמֹר לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּכָל-הַתּוֹרָה-אֲשֶׁר צִוְּךָ מֹשֶׁה עַבְדִּי, אַל-תָּסוּר מִמֶּנּוּ יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאול: לְמַעַן תַּשְׂכִּיל, בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר תֵּלֵךְ

7. Only be strong and very courageous, to 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 have good success whithersoever thou goest.

לֹא-יָמוּשׁ סֵפֶר הַתּוֹרָה הַזֶּה מִפִּיךָ, וְהָגִיתָ בּוֹ יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה, לְמַעַן תִּשְׁמֹר לַעֲשׂוֹת, כְּכָל-הַכָּתוּב בּוֹ: כִּי-אָז תַּצְלִיחַ אֶת-דְּרָכֶךָ, וְאָז תַּשְׂכִּיל

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 ways prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

הֲלוֹא צִוִּיתִיךָ חֲזַק וֶאֱמָץ, אַל-תַּעֲרֹץ וְאַל-תֵּחָת: כִּי עִמְּךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר תֵּלֵךְ

9. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage; be not affrighted, neither be thou dismayed: for יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ (the LORD thy Eloheicha) is with thee whithersoever thou goest.'

Introduction

Yahushua - Joshua Chapter 1: vv 6 to 9, is not long after Moshe - Moses had sadly died, thus the leadership had been passed on to Yahushua - Joshua, and אֱלֹהִים - (Elohim - God) commissions him to lead Israel into Canaan. These verses combine; ‘command’, ‘promise’, and ‘practical counsel’, ‘strength’, ‘courage’ and obedience to the Torah, and the assurance of Divine presence. Below there is a concise close reading of the passage followed by a narrative retelling that brings the scene to life.

The key details and themes:

Imperative to Courage:

“Be strong and of good courage”, appears repeatedly; the word strong (strength) here is moral and spiritual, not merely physical. Repetition underscores the weight of the task and the steadying force required for leadership.

Promise Linked to Obedience:

The land will be given “as was promised by Moshe - Moses” but the promise is tethered to careful observance of the law (“this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth”); Divine gift and human fidelity are bound together.

Success Defined by Torah, Cantered Life:

“Meditate on it day and night” signals that success is cultivated through sustained study and internalization of the Torah, not only through external action.

Divine Presence as Foundation:

“I will not fail thee nor forsake thee”. Is the covenantal reassurance that grounds courage and obedience; אֱלֹהִים (Elohim’s) presence is the practical resource for the leader’s strength.

Concrete Instructions and Psychological Care:

The passage gives both the what (act courageously and observe the law) and the why (so that you may prosper and act wisely), balancing action with inner formation.

“The Night Before the Crossing”:

They gathered around the last embers of the ritual fire, faces turned toward the dark line of hills that marked the border of the land they had only ever dreamed of. Yahushua - Joshua stood slightly apart, a mantle of grief for the death of Moshe laid heavily on his shoulders, the taste of loss, was raw as the dust beneath his sandals. The elders watched him, the warriors watched him, and in their watchfulness Yahushua - Joshua felt the weight of everyone’s expectation.

As the crowd murmured low prayers and the children drifted to sleep, a stillness fell. It was then neither in a trumpet blast nor in thunder, but like the hush before rain that Yahushua - Joshua heard a voice that steadied him. “Be strong,” it said, as if reminding a man of the strength already within him. “Be of good courage,” it added, as if courage were a lamp he could keep alight.

“Do not turn away”, the voice continued, and Yahushua - Joshua remembered Moshe’s hands raising and blessing the people, the way Torah had shaped the breath of their days.

“Let this law always speak in your mouth. Think on it when you wake and when you lie down. In its words you will find the maps you need maps of right action, of judgment, of mercy.”

Yahushua - Joshua’s hands tightened on his staff. The voice spoke again, softer: “I will not fail you; I will not forsake you.” In that promise, his loneliness met the company and his fear found footing. He saw, suddenly, not just the weight of command but the recurring rhythm that would carry him with sturdy obedience, and ‘faithful action’, each step marked by the presence that would not leave him.

When dawn spread pale over the ridge, Joshua rose. He spoke with an unaccustomed steadiness to the elders and the people: a call to courage, a call to trust, and an invitation to tether hope to the eternal law that would guide them into every new place. They moved forward then, not because fear had vanished, but because they carried a covenant behind and before them, and a leader who had learned to listen.

Practical Reflections and Applications:

Leadership is both inner work and public responsibility:

Cultivate personal disciplines (meditation on Torah, prayer, moral habituation) so public decisions are rooted in wisdom.

What have we learned from this study?

Courage is practiced: And for those in the community, think of some small acts this week, that will require courage (speak up for someone, start a new learning circle, visit an elder) and treat them as you are training for larger tasks in the future!

Hold promise and obligation together:

Blessings are not automatic; they arrive with fidelity to covenantal ‘practice’, ‘study’, ‘justice’, and ‘lovingkindness’.

Use the following; “I will not fail thee nor forsake thee” as a ‘cri de cœur’ (Cry from the heart) in times of doubt: repeat it morning and night as a reminder of steadiness!

Closing Statement:

Yahushua - Joshua chapter 1:6–9 gives us a model for ‘transition’ and for an ‘ongoing life’ have courage that is practiced, success that is taught to us, by the Torah, and a good faithful leader who learns to rely on Divine presence. The passage invites each of us to carry its rhythm into our days of steady ‘study’, ‘faithful action’, and the ‘quiet assurance’ that we are not alone in this work. May these words shape our choices and improve our steps and life with אֱלֹהִים (Elohim). Amen.

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In Conclusion, a Question to Deepen the Conversation:

Which part of the Tanakh study, or possibly a particular line or statement within it has touched you the most? And how do you feel about spending more time studying our beloved Tanakh? I pray that you are doing well as a faithful Hebrew, and אֱלֹהִים - Elohim willing you are upholding as many of our blessed Mitzvoth’s?

Dear reader, please remember this, pray for peace and solitude in your life, and then work on keeping as calm as possible and learn to improve your life, for אֱלֹהִים - בָּרוּךְ אֱלֹהִים - Bless Elohim, He is always there and ready to help and guide you!

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This site was originally for those who needed to return to our blessed and wonderful faith, thus be wise and work on your faith and pray at least two or of possible three times a day and always seek אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s guidance! But as you may have discovered it has become very much a teaching site!

Remember what אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, blessed be He, said the following, via a number of our prophets...

“Return unto Me, and I will return unto you, saith צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָה- the LORD of hosts”. Mal’a’chi - Malachi 3:7. MEC).

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And Remember ...

Enjoy your Sabbath Rest, Shabbat Shalom!

אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, בְּחֻקּוֹתַי לֵכוּ; וְאֶת-מִשְׁפָּטַי שִׁמְרוּ, וַעֲשׂוּ אוֹתָם

וְאֶת-שַׁבְּתוֹתַי, קַדֵּשׁוּ; וְהָיוּ לְאוֹת, בֵּינִי וּבֵינֵיכֶם-לָדַעַת, כִּי אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם

“I am אֱלֹהֵיכֶם יְהוָה (the LORD your Elo’hei’chem); walk in My statutes, and keep Mine ordinances, and do them; and hallow My Sabbaths, and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that ye may know that I am אֱלֹהֵיכֶם יְהוָה - YaHVaH your Elo’hei’chem”. Yechezkel - Ezekiel 20:19-20. (JPS).

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“The More Torah, the More Life”.

For our Elohim is the One who gave us ... our Life!

May the שָׁלוֹם - Shalom = Peace of צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָה= the LORD of hosts. be with you, and please always uphold our blessed שַׁבָּת - Shabbat, as well as the ‘מוֹעֲדִים - Mo’a’dim - Feasts, and continue saying your daily תְּפִלָּה - Te’fee’lah’s (Prayers) and regular בְּרָכָה - Be’ra’chah’s (blessings) before food and drinks, etc!

שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם - Shalom Aleichem - Peace be with you!

Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.

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