Bible Strands
Joshua 1:14
Your wives, your young children, and your livestock may remain in the land that Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But all your mighty men of valor must be armed for battle to cross over ahead of your brothers and help them,
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Joshua addresses the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh immediately after Moses’ death, outlining their specific military obligation. He instructs their warriors to cross the Jordan ahead of the other tribes while their families and possessions remain on the eastern bank.
The words — יֵשְׁבוּ (ye.shé.Vu) literally means “they will remain,” designating the permitted status of the tribes’ wives, children, and livestock. The text grounds this permission in the territory Moses previously assigned on the east side of the Jordan.
The thread — The command follows the land promise in Joshua 1:13 and mirrors the exemption principle in Deuteronomy 20:8, while the crossing sequence aligns with the wilderness route described in Exodus 13:18.
Why it lands — The text requires prioritizing collective conquest over personal security, mandating that warriors cross first to secure the land before their families can safely follow. It establishes obedience to a shared military objective as the condition for retaining ancestral property.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them;
Cross-references
- Exodus 13:18 So God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the Israelites left the land of Egypt arrayed for battle.
- Deuteronomy 20:8 Then the officers shall speak further to the army, saying, “Is any man afraid or fainthearted? Let him return home, so that the hearts of his brothers will not melt like his own.”
- Revelation 17:4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls. She held in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality.