Joshua 1:16 (DBY)

Passage

And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou hast commanded us will we do, and whither thou shalt send us will we go.

Nearby Context

Joshua 1:14 Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle shall abide in the land that Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan, but ye, all the valiant men, shall go over in array before your brethren and help them,

Joshua 1:15 until Jehovah give your brethren rest as to you, and they also take possession of the land which Jehovah your God giveth them; then shall ye return into the land of your possession and possess it, which Moses the servant of Jehovah gave you on this side of the Jordan toward the sun-rising.

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

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

Joshua 1:18 Every one that is rebellious against thy commandment and hearkeneth not to thy words in everything that thou commandest us, shall be put to death. Only be strong and courageous.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "answered", "joshua", "saying", "thou", "hast", "commanded", and "whither". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "answered" and "joshua", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "until Jehovah give your brethren rest as..." into verse 17's "According as we hearkened to Moses in...", so "answered" and "joshua" 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 "answered" and "joshua" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.