Deuteronomy 3:28
in Deuteronomy 3But commission Joshua, encourage him, and strengthen him, for he will cross over ahead of the people and enable them to inherit the land that you will see.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see.
KJV
But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him: for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 3
Commentary
4 notes on this verseBut charge Joshua, etc. - Give him authority in the sight of the people, let them see that he has the same commission which I gave to thee. Encourage him; for he will meet with many difficulties in the work to which he is called. And strengthen him - show him my unfailing promises, and exhort him to put his trust in me alone; for he shall go over before this people, and shall cause them to inherit the land; of this let him rest perfectly assured.
This site's exposition
But charge Joshua, and encourage him
on Deuteronomy 3:28-29
Three things are laid on Moses for his successor, charge him, encourage him, strengthen him, and the reason attached is that Joshua will cause the people to inherit the land Moses will only see. The chapter closes with the camp in the valley over against Beth-peor, the place where Israel joined itself unto Baal-peor in Numbers 25 and lost twenty and four thousand. Deuteronomy 34:6 puts the grave of Moses in a valley over against Beth-peor, so the ground this long speech is delivered from is the ground the speaker is buried in.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
): Charge Joshua and encourage him in this work. Those to whom God gives a charge, he will be sure to give encouragement to. And it is a comfort to the church's friends (when they are dying and going off) to see God's work likely to be carried on by other hands, when they are silent in the dust.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him,....
The words behind it
18 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְצַ֥ו | vetzav | and commission | H6680 → | 494 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ | yehoshua' | Joshua | H3091 → | 218 times |
| וְחַזְּקֵ֣הוּ | vechazekehu | and encourage him | H2388 → | 291 times |
| וְאַמְּצֵ֑הוּ | veametzehu | and strengthen him | H553 → | 41 times |
| כִּי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| ה֣וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| יַעֲבֹ֗ר | yaavor | he will pass over | H5674 → | 556 times |
| לִפְנֵי֙ | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| הָעָ֣ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| הַזֶּ֔ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| וְהוּא֙ | vehu' | and he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| יַנְחִ֣יל | yanchil | he will give as an inheritance | H5157 → | 59 times |
| אוֹתָ֔ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָאָ֖רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| תִּרְאֶֽה׃ | tireh | you will see | H7200 → | 1300 times |
וְצַ֥וand commission
vetzavH6680 →494 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַJoshua
yehoshua'H3091 →218 times
וְחַזְּקֵ֣הוּand encourage him
vechazekehuH2388 →291 times
וְאַמְּצֵ֑הוּand strengthen him
veametzehuH553 →41 times
כִּי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
ה֣וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
יַעֲבֹ֗רhe will pass over
yaavorH5674 →556 times
לִפְנֵי֙<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
הָעָ֣םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
הַזֶּ֔ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
וְהוּא֙and he
vehu'H1931 →1879 times
יַנְחִ֣ילhe will give as an inheritance
yanchilH5157 →59 times
אוֹתָ֔ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָאָ֖רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
תִּרְאֶֽה׃you will see
tirehH7200 →1300 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Deuteronomy 31:3The LORD your God Himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will dispossess them. Joshua will cross ahead of you, as the LORD has said.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 31:23
Then the LORD commissioned Joshua son of Nun and said, “Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land that I swore to give them, and I will be with…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 9:3
But understand that today the LORD your God goes across ahead of you as a consuming fire; He will destroy them and subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate…
- Deuteronomy 31:23
Through
Deuteronomy 31:7Then Moses called for Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you will go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or terrified of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”
- Deuteronomy 1:38
Joshua son of Nun, who stands before you, will enter it. Encourage him, for he will enable Israel to inherit the land.
- Ephesians 6:10
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.
- Deuteronomy 31:6
Through
Deuteronomy 31:23Then the LORD commissioned Joshua son of Nun and said, “Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land that I swore to give them, and I will be with…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 31:7–8
Then Moses called for Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you will go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 31:14
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, the time of your death is near. Call Joshua and present yourselves at the Tent of Meeting, so that I may commission him.” So Moses and Joshua…
- Deuteronomy 31:7–8
Through
Deuteronomy 1:38Joshua son of Nun, who stands before you, will enter it. Encourage him, for he will enable Israel to inherit the land.
it leads to
- Numbers 14:30
Surely none of you will enter the land in which I swore to settle you, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.
- Numbers 14:30
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Deuteronomy
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.