Joshua 1:17 (ASV)

Passage

According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee: only Jehovah thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses.

Nearby Context

Joshua 1:15 until Jehovah have given your brethren rest, as [he hath given] you, and they also have possessed the land which Jehovah your God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and possess it, which Moses the servant of Jehovah gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrising.

Joshua 1:16 And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou hast commanded us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us we will go.

Joshua 1:17 According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee: only Jehovah thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses.

Joshua 1:18 Whosoever he be that shall rebel against thy commandment, and shall not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of good courage.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "all things", "hearkened", "moses", "thee", "only", and "jehovah". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "all things" and "hearkened", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "And they answered Joshua saying All that..." into verse 18's "Whosoever he be that shall rebel against...", so "all things" and "hearkened" belong inside that flow. In Joshua context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "all things" and "hearkened" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.