Joshua 1:16 (DRB)

Passage

And they made answer to Joshua, and said: All that thou hast commanded us, we will do: and whither soever thou shalt send us, we will go.

Nearby Context

Joshua 1:14 Your wives, and children; and cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan: but pass you over armed before your brethren all of you that are strong of hand, and fight for them,

Joshua 1:15 Until the Lord give rest to your brethren, as he hath given you, and they also possess the land which the Lord your God will give them: and so you shall return into the land of your possession, and you shall dwell in it, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond the Jordan, toward the rising of the sun.

Joshua 1:16 And they made answer to Joshua, and said: All that thou hast commanded us, we will do: and whither soever thou shalt send us, we will go.

Joshua 1:17 As we obeyed Moses in all things, so will we obey thee also: only be the Lord thy God with thee, as he was with Moses.

Joshua 1:18 He that shall gainsay thy mouth, and not obey all thy words, that thou shalt command him, let him die: only take thou courage, and do manfully.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "Until the Lord give rest to your..." into verse 17's "As we obeyed Moses in all things...", so "answer" 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 "answer" and "joshua" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.