Joshua 1:16 (KJV)

Passage

And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go.

Nearby Context

Joshua 1:14 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;

Joshua 1:15 Until the LORD have given your brethren rest, as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the LORD your God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and enjoy it, which Moses the LORD’s servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the sunrising.

Joshua 1:16 And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest 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 the LORD thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses.

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

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "answered", "joshua", "saying", "thou", "commandest", "whithersoever", and "sendest". 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 the LORD have given your brethren..." into verse 17's "According as we hearkened unto 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.