Joshua 1:5
There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Study Note
Study Note
The divine promise to Joshua — 'there shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee' — transfers the Mosaic divine-presence guarantee to the new leader, establishing continuity of covenantal accompaniment across leadership transitions. The 'I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee' formula (Hebrew lo' arpeka we-lo' e'ezeveka) appears also in Deuteronomy 31:6, 8 (Moses to Israel and to Joshua) and is quoted verbatim in Hebrews 13:5 as the ground for contentment — 'I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.' The universality of the promise ('all the days of thy life') removes any temporal limitation from the divine commitment, making it an enduring rather than circumstantial guarantee. The verse became the foundational proof-text for the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints and for Christian consolation in contexts of leadership change, grief, and social dislocation.
Other Translations
There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee; I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
`No man doth station himself before thee all days of thy life; as I have been with Moses, I am with thee, I do not fail thee, nor forsake thee;
While you are living, all will give way before you: as I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not take away my help from you or give you up.
Cross References
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; …
Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy redeemer, …
When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: …
Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the …
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for …
According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee: only the Lord thy God …
And the Lord said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, …
So the Lord was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country.
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto …
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I …