וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי מוֹת משֶׁה עֶבֶד ה' וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן נוּן מְשָׁרֵת משֶׁה לֵאמֹר

It was after the death of Moses, servant of the Lord, that the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ attendant, his first direct prophecy, saying:

משֶׁה עַבְדִּי מֵת וְעַתָּה קוּם עֲבֹר אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן הַזֶּה אַתָּה וְכָל הָעָם הַזֶּה אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי נֹתֵן לָהֶם לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

Moses My servant is dead; now you, and this entire people, arise, cross this Jordan River, to the land that I am giving to them, to the children of Israel.

כָּל מָקוֹם אֲשֶׁר תִּדְרֹךְ כַּף רַגְלְכֶם בּוֹ לָכֶם נְתַתִּיו כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתִּי אֶל משֶׁה

After Joshua is commanded regarding his role, he is given a promise: Every place upon which your foot will tread, I have given it to you, as I spoke to Moses. Although the Land of Israel has defined borders, as delineated in the next verse, God assures Joshua: If you conquer areas that lie beyond its borders, they shall belong to Israel.

מֵהַמִּדְבָּר וְהַלְּבָנוֹן הַזֶּה וְעַד הַנָּהָר הַגָּדוֹל נְהַר פְּרָת כֹּל אֶרֶץ הַחִתִּים וְעַד הַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל מְבוֹא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ יִהְיֶה גְּבוּלְכֶם

These are the borders of the land designated for you: From the Syrian-Arabian wilderness in the east, and the wilderness of the Sinai Peninsula in the south, which includes the wildernesses of Paran, Tzin, and Shur, and until this well-known area of Lebanon in the northwest. Perhaps the phrase “this Lebanon” indicates that Joshua could see this location from where he stood. The borders continue to the great river, which is the Euphrates River, the northeastern border of the Land of Israel at its most expansive. This includes the entire land of the Hitites, a large country that stretched from northern Syria into Asia Minor. At the time, it was a large kingdom that served as a political counterweight to Egypt. This area, to the Great Sea, the Mediterranean, which is toward the place of the setting sun, in the west, will be your borders.

לֹא יִתְיַצֵּב אִישׁ לְפָנֶיךָ כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר הָיִיתִי עִם משֶׁה אֶהְיֶה עִמָּךְ לֹא אַרְפְּךָ וְלֹא אֶעֶזְבֶךָּ

No man will stand against you, as you will be a successful military leader all the days of your life; just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. No one ever attained the closeness to God experienced by Moses, whom He often helped to overcome difficulties and threats immediately, in a miraculous manner, for all to see. By contrast, Joshua’s victories would generally be achieved by natural means. Nevertheless, God assures him that as Moses’ successor, he will always be accompanied by divine providence and he will merit witnessing His miracles and wonders: I will not neglect you and I will not forsake you.

חֲזַק וֶאֱמָץ! כִּי אַתָּה תַּנְחִיל אֶת הָעָם הַזֶּה אֶת הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי לַאֲבוֹתָם לָתֵת לָהֶם

Be strong and courageous. I will strengthen you upon your acceptance of this mission, as you will bequeath to this people the land that I took an oath to their fathers to give them. Unlike other historical processes involving one nation overtaking the land of another, which typically span several generations, you will merit completing the main part of your mission.

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

Having given Joshua an emboldening promise, God also warns him: Just be very strong and courageous, to take care to act in accordance with the entire Torah that Moses My servant commanded you. Cling to the Torah in its entirety, both the Written Torah and the verbal instructions you have received. Do not deviate from it, the Torah, or the legacy of Moses, right or left so that you will succeed wherever you will go.

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

Yet another directive is given, which also contains some advice: This book of the Torah shall not depart from your mouth, and you shall ponder it, or speak about it, day and night. You must cleave to the Torah always, so that you will take care to act in accordance with everything that is written in it, as then your way will prosper, and then you will understand what course of action you must take, and you will succeed.

הֲלוֹא צִוִּיתִיךָ חֲזַק וֶאֱמָץ! אַל תַּעֲרֹץ וְאַל תֵּחָת כִּי עִמְּךָ ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר תֵּלֵךְ

Did I not command you: Be strong and courageous, do not break down and do not be alarmed? Along with the words of general encouragement in the previous verses regarding Joshua’s mission and Torah observance, God now urges Joshua specifically to be strong on his new path, which will undoubtedly feature challenges. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you will go. You are assured that you will not fail.

וַיְצַו יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶת שֹׁטְרֵי הָעָם לֵאמֹר

Joshua commanded the officers of the people, who were responsible for order and discipline among the people, saying:

עִבְרוּ בְּקֶרֶב הַמַּחֲנֶה וְצַוּוּ אֶת הָעָם לֵאמֹר הָכִינוּ לָכֶם צֵידָה כִּי בְּעוֹד שְׁלשֶׁת יָמִים אַתֶּם עֹבְרִים אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן הַזֶּה לָבוֹא לָרֶשֶׁת אֶת הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר ה' אֱלֹקֵיכֶם נֹתֵן לָכֶם לְרִשְׁתָּהּ

Pass through the midst of the camp, and command the people, saying: Prepare for yourselves provisions. This may refer to the manna that they still received, or to other foods and items they had obtained. The officers are to command the people: Complete all your logistical preparations; pack your things and be ready for travel, for in three more days you are crossing this Jordan, to go and to take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving you to take possession of it.

וְלָראוּבֵנִי וְלַגָּדִי וְלַחֲצִי שֵׁבֶט הַמְנַשֶּׁה אָמַר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לֵאמֹר

Joshua now attends to another matter: To the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, those tribes that requested to inherit their portion on the eastern side of the Jordan rather than in the land of Canaan on the western side of the Jordan, Joshua said, stating:

זָכוֹר אֶת הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה אֶתְכֶם משֶׁה עֶבֶד ה' לֵאמֹר ה' אֱלֹקֵיכֶם מֵנִיחַ לָכֶם וְנָתַן לָכֶם אֶת הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת

Remember the matter that Moses servant of the Lord commanded you, saying: The Lord your God is granting you repose, and He has given you this land on the eastern side of the Jordan.

נְשֵׁיכֶם טַפְּכֶם וּמִקְנֵיכֶם יֵשְׁבוּ בָּאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָכֶם משֶׁה בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן וְאַתֶּם תַּעַבְרוּ חֲמֻשִׁים לִפְנֵי אֲחֵיכֶם כֹּל גִּבּוֹרֵי הַחַיִל וַעֲזַרְתֶּם אוֹתָם

Therefore, your wives, your children, and your livestock will inhabit the land that Moses gave you beyond the Jordan, on the eastern side. The lands on the eastern side of the Jordan, which are suitable for pasture, were not originally designated for you by God but were given to you by Moses as per your request, after you promised that you would not settle there immediately. But you shall cross, armed, before your brethren, all the mighty warriors among you, apart from a small guard of men that will remain behind to look after your families and property. Do not abandon the other tribes; you shall cross over the Jordan with them, and you shall help them by serving as an independent unit in all their battles,

עַד אֲשֶׁר יָנִיחַ ה' לַאֲחֵיכֶם כָּכֶם וְיָרְשׁוּ גַם הֵמָּה אֶת הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם נֹתֵן לָהֶם וְשַׁבְתֶּם לְאֶרֶץ יְרֻשַּׁתְכֶם וִירִשְׁתֶּם אוֹתָהּ אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָכֶם משֶׁה עֶבֶד ה' בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן מִזְרַח הַשָּׁמֶשׁ

until the Lord grants your brethren repose, like you, just as you sit tranquilly in your land, and they too take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving them, and only then will you return to the land of your possession, and take possession of it, become rooted in the land, which was given to you by Moses the servant of the Lord, across the Jordan, toward the rising sun, that is, to the east, where the sun rises.

וַיַּעֲנוּ אֶת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לֵאמֹר כֹּל אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתָנוּ נַעֲשֶׂה וְאֶל כָּל אֲשֶׁר תִּשְׁלָחֵנוּ נֵלֵךְ

They, these tribes, answered Joshua, saying: Everything that you commanded us we will do, and to wherever you send us we will go. We are under your command and will obey your instructions.

כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַעְנוּ אֶל משֶׁה כֵּן נִשְׁמַע אֵלֶיךָ רַק יִהְיֶה ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ עִמָּךְ כַּאֲשֶׁר הָיָה עִם משֶׁה

Just as we always heeded Moses, so we will heed you. The tribes even bless Joshua that he should have powers similar to those of Moses: Only, may the Lord your God be with you, as He was with Moses.

כָּל אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יַמְרֶה אֶת פִּיךָ וְלֹא יִשְׁמַע אֶת דְּבָרֶיךָ לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר תְּצַוֶּנּוּ יוּמָת רַק חֲזַק וֶאֱמָץ

Any man who disobeys you, and does not heed your words in everything that you command him, will be put to death. We accept your leadership and your orders unconditionally. Just be strong and courageous to command the people and insist that your commands are fulfilled.