Deuteronomy 31:7-8 meaning

In the presence of all the Israelites, Moses presented Joshua as his successor and commands him to be strong and courageous because the LORD promised to be with him and support him.

Having commanded the Israelites to be strong and courageous (vv. 1–6), the next task to be done was to announce to the people that Joshua was going to take his place as their leader (Numbers 27:8 – 23; Deuteronomy 1:38). To do this, he called to Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel (v. 7). All of the Israelites needed to witness this transfer of leadership to Joshua. That way, there would be no grounds for doubting Joshua’s authority.

Moses urged Joshua to be strong and courageous. Joshua was not to let his heart waver because he was chosen to go with the people into the land which the Lord had sworn to their fathers to give them, and he was to give it to them as an inheritance. God had sworn to Abraham to give the land of Canaan to his descendants, and told Abraham they would return to the land after four hundred years, the fourth generation (Genesis 15:13,16).

Part of the reason for the long delay between God’s grant of the land and the people taking possession was that at the time of God’s promise to Abraham He said “the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.” God gave the pagan nations time to repent, and they had not. So now Israel’s invasion would fulfill the promise as well as bring justice upon the Canaanite nations, and their exploitative culture (Leviticus 18).

Here Moses made it clear that the promise God made to Israel’s fathers included their occupation of the Promised Land. They would occupy it by conquest after the LORD defeated their enemies (see v. 4). Therefore, because the LORD guaranteed their success, their leader, Joshua, was to stand firm and determined to accomplish the task leading to the fulfillment of that promise.

Moreover, Moses encouraged Joshua by telling him that he would not lead Israel alone. The Suzerain God was going to be the principal leader of the Israelite army: The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you (v. 8). Yet again, the LORD guaranteed His constant presence with Joshua and His people. God had entered a covenant with Israel, and God would keep His word, as He had promised (Exodus 19:7-8).

Joshua needed to keep in mind that God would be with him just like He was with Moses during his many years of leading Israel, from Egypt to the plains of Moab. Since God is faithful and true, He would not fail Joshua or forsake him. So, Moses reminded Joshua to not fear or be dismayed. The word for dismayed (Hebrew “ḥātat”) literally means “be terrified”. These two negative commands express the certainty regarding Israel’s occupation of the land and serve as motivations for Joshua to act as a strong leader for Israel.

This makes clear that God intended to do His work through the faithfulness of His people. God could have just cleared them out on His own, as He did to the Egyptian army when He destroyed them in the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21-30). But these words instruct Joshua and Israel to understand that God’s deliverance would be implemented through the courageous actions of His people, Israel.

Joshua had no need to fear or be dismayed because the occupation of the Promised Land was assured, if Israel would be courageous and follow God’s leadership. It was already granted by God and thus was guaranteed to happen, if Israel would be faithful.

Biblical Text

⁷Then Moses called to Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, ‘Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance. ⁸The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.’

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Additional Resources

Book Theme

The book of Deuteronomy is the fifth and last book of the Torah (“law”). It continues the story of the first 4 books and picks up exactly where the book of Numbers ends (with the people on the plain of Moab). Therefore, as we set the context for the book of Deuteronomy, it is important that we briefly summarize the theme of the previous books to see how the story of God unfolds.

Genesis describes God’s plan to bless the Israelites and the world through one man named Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3). Exodus focuses on God’s loving act by which He rescued the Israelites from Egypt in order to have a covenant relationship with them. Once the children of Israel are redeemed, Leviticus instructs them to live a holy life that reflects the life of their covenant redeemer (cf. Lev. 19). Since the first generation of the Israelites failed to obey God wholeheartedly, the book of Numbers displays a strong contrast between God’s faithfulness and the nation’s failure. That is why the book of Deuteronomy reiterates and expands on the covenant to a new generation of Israelites poised to enter and conquer the Promised Land. The message of the book is centered around two key terms: love and loyalty (Deut. 6:4-5).

Outline of Deuteronomy:

I. Introduction: Moses will explain the law (1:1 – 5)
II. Moses’ First Sermon – a Recounting of the LORD’s Faithfulness (1:6 – 4:43)
III. Introduction to Second Sermon on expositing the Law (4:44 – 49)
IV. Moses’ Second Sermon – an Exposition of the Law Given at Mt. Sinai (5:1 – 26:19)
V. Script for Covenant Renewal Ceremony Once they enter the land (27:1 – 29:1)
VI. Moses’ Third Sermon – a Call to Obedience (29:2 – 30:20)
VII. The Last Acts of Moses (31:1 – 34:12)

Chapter Context

Having concluded all of his speeches to the Israelites (Deuteronomy 1:6 – 30:20), Moses now turned to the things he needed to accomplish before he died (which will occur soon, in Chapter 34) and before the Israelites entered the Promised Land. These tasks concentrate on ensuring that the covenant relationship between the LORD and Israel go on indefinitely into the future.

The record of the tasks that needed to be done is the focus of chapters 31 – 34. Some think that these final tasks of Moses before his departure from this world are presented as several appendices to the main part of the book of Deuteronomy.

Deuteronomy 31 contains the description of four of these tasks. First, Moses commissioned Joshua to be his successor (vv. 1–8). Second, Moses commands the priests and Levites to read the covenant document (the book of Deuteronomy) to the Israelites every seven years (vv. 9–13). Third, the LORD summons Moses and Joshua to present themselves at the tent of meeting to reveal to them (in the form of a song) what will happen in the future, after Moses’ death (vv. 14–22). After this, God commissioned Joshua (v. 23). Fourth, Moses commanded the Levites to place the book of the law beside the ark of the covenant (vv. 24–29).

Verse 30 serves as the introduction to the Song of Moses found in Chapter 32.

Deuteronomy 31 can be outlined as follows:

Moses Selects Joshua as His Successor (Deuteronomy 31:1 – 8)
- End to Moses’ Time of Leading (Deuteronomy 31:1 – 6)
- Presentation of Joshua as the New Leader (Deuteronomy 31:7 – 8)
The Seventh Year Covenant Renewal Ceremony (Deuteronomy 31:9 – 13)
The Commissioning of Joshua (Deuteronomy 31:14 – 23)
God’s Word Preserved as a Witness against Israel’s Leaders (Deuteronomy 31:24 – 29)
Introduction to the Song of Moses (Deuteronomy 31:30)

Deuteronomy 31:7-8 meaning

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Additional Resources

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Chapter Context

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The Bible Project - Deuteronomy Summary

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