Deuteronomy 3:28

Hebrew (Westminster Leningrad Codex)

English Translation

But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you shall see.

World English Bible · Public Domain

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וְאַמְּצֵ֑הוּ

ʼâmats

H553

“and · be strong · him”

Conjunction + Verb, Piel, Imperative, 2nd Person, Masculine, Singular + Suffix, Personal, 3rd Person, Masculine, Singular

Appears 41× in the Hebrew Bible
First appears at Genesis 25:23

Full BDB Definition

Origin: a primitive root

TWOT: 117

to be strong, alert, courageous, brave, stout, bold, solid, hard - (Qal) to be strong, brave, bold - (Piel) to strengthen, secure (for oneself), harden (heart), make firm, make obstinate, assure - (Hithpael) to be determined, to make oneself alert, strengthen oneself, confirm oneself, persist in, prove superior to - (Hiphil) to exhibit strength, be strong, feel strong

About this verse

These counts appear in no published source. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged text and Lemma’s own curated glosses. What Lemma adds →

18: words
15: distinct lemmas
Pentateuch: section

Shared distinctive vocabulary

וְאַמְּצֵ֑הוּ to be strong H553 occurs in 41 verses of the Hebrew Bible. Also found in:

Grammatical profile

6 verbs
4 nouns
3 pronouns
1 conjunction
4 particles

Verb forms

וְצַ֥ו Piel · Imperative
וְחַזְּקֵ֣הוּ Piel · Imperative
וְאַמְּצֵ֑הוּ Piel · Imperative
יַעֲבֹ֗ר Qal · Imperfect
יַנְחִ֣יל Hiphil · Imperfect
תִּרְאֶֽה Qal · Imperfect

Repetition

A word recurs within this verse — often emphatic in Hebrew:

ה֣וּא he H1931 ×2

Hebrew & Septuagint length

In English translation the verse runs 30 words from the Hebrew and 34 from the Septuagint (LXX English) — closely comparable.

A rough comparison of the two English renderings, which tokenize alike — not a word-level alignment.

Word counts can differ between the Hebrew and the Greek without any difference in meaning — e.g. the Hebrew direct-object marker אֵת has no separate Greek word, and Greek often adds the article ὁ.

In the original languages it is 18 Hebrew tokens and 25 Greek tokens — but the two are counted differently (Hebrew bundles its prefixes and suffixes into one token; the Greek is in lemma form), so that isn’t a like-for-like length.

Cross-references

Topical passages linked to Deuteronomy 3:28 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — connected by theme and wording, ordered by reader-vote popularity; previews shown in the World English Bible.

Deuteronomy 31:3 Yahweh your God, he will go over before you; he will destroy these nations from before you, and you shall dispossess them: [and] Joshua, he shall go over before you, as Yahweh has spoken.
Deuteronomy 1:38 Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall go in there: encourage you him; for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.
Deuteronomy 31:7 Moses called to Joshua, and said to him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of good courage: for you shall go with this people into the land which Yahweh has sworn to their fathers to give them; and you shall cause them to inherit it.
Deuteronomy 31:23 He gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of good courage; for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land which I swore to them: and I will be with you.
Numbers 27:18–23 Yahweh said to Moses, Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him;
Acts 7:45 which also our fathers, in their turn, brought in with Joshua when they entered into the possession of the nations, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers, to the days of David,
Joshua 1:2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you, and all this people, to the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.
Joshua 3:7–17 Yahweh said to Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.

1 Chronicles 22:6 Then he called for Solomon his son, and charged him to build a house for Yahweh, the God of Israel.
1 Chronicles 22:11–16 Now, my son, Yahweh be with you; and prosper you, and build the house of Yahweh your God, as he has spoken concerning you.
1 Chronicles 28:9–10 You, Solomon my son, know the God of your father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind; for Yahweh searches all hearts, and understands all the imaginations of the thoughts: if you seek him, he will be found of you; but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.
1 Chronicles 28:20 David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: don't be afraid, nor be dismayed; for Yahweh God, even my God, is with you; he will not fail you, nor forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of Yahweh is finished.
John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses. Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
1 Timothy 6:13–14 I charge you before God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate testified the good confession,
2 Timothy 2:1–3 You therefore, my child, be strengthened in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 4:1–6 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom:

Hebrews 4:8 For if Joshua had given them rest, he would not have spoken afterward of another day.

Cross-references courtesy of OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0).

Hebrew and Greek witnesses Masoretic Hebrew ↔ Greek Septuagint

The same verse in the two great witnesses to the Old Testament, shown verse-for-verse.

These are two independent witnesses, not word-aligned to each other, and the Septuagint is shown in lemma (dictionary) form.

Hebrew Deuteronomy 3:28 Masoretic · Westminster Leningrad Codex

וְצַ֥ו אֶת יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ וְחַזְּקֵ֣הוּ וְאַמְּצֵ֑הוּ כִּי ה֣וּא יַעֲבֹ֗ר לִפְנֵי֙ הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה וְהוּא֙ יַנְחִ֣יל אוֹתָ֔ם אֶת הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר תִּרְאֶֽה

But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you shall see.

World English Bible · Public Domain

Greek LXX Deuteronomy 3:28 Septuagint · lemma form

καί ἐντέλλομαι ἰησοῦς καί καταἰσχύω αὐτός καί παρακαλέω αὐτός ὅτι οὗτος διαβαίνω πρό πρόσωπον ὁ λαός οὗτος καί αὐτός κατακληρονομέω αὐτός ὁ γῆ ὅς ὁράω

And charge Joshua, and strengthen him, and encourage him; for he shall go before the face of this people, and he shall give them the inheritance of all the land which you have seen.

LXX2012 (modern English Septuagint) · Public Domain

Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (CC BY 4.0). Greek: Septuagint (public domain); English from LXX2012 (modern English Septuagint) (Public Domain). How the Septuagint differs from the Hebrew →

Targum (Aramaic paraphrase)

The Targum is the ancient Jewish Aramaic paraphrase of the Hebrew Scriptures — an interpretive translation, not the Hebrew text itself. Onkelos (literal) and Pseudo-Jonathan (expansive) render the Torah, and Jonathan the Prophets. Coverage is partial: where no permissively-licensed English translation exists for a verse, only the Aramaic is shown. This is verse-level text, not a word-by-word alignment to the Hebrew.

Targum Onkelos Torah (Genesis–Deuteronomy)

וּפַקֵד יָת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וְתַקֶפְהִי וְאַלֶמְהִי אֲרֵי הוּא יֵעִבַר קֳדָם עַמָא הָדֵין וְהוּא יַחְסֵן יָתְהוֹן יָת אַרְעָא דִי תֶחֱזֵי

(no public-domain English translation for this verse)

Targum Onkelos — Aramaic: “Onkelos Genesis” (public domain); “Onkelos Exodus” (public domain); “Onkelos Leviticus” (public domain); “Onkelos Numbers” (public domain); “Onkelos Deuteronomy” (public domain). English: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “J.W. Etheridge. The Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan Ben Uzziel on the Pentateuch. London: Longmans, Green, 1862” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.
Targum Pseudo-Jonathan Torah (Genesis–Deuteronomy)

וּפַקֵיד יַת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וּתְקִיפוֹהִי וְאַלִימוֹהִי אֲרוּם הוּא יְעִיבַר קֳדָם עַמָּא הָדֵין וְהוּא יַחֲסִין יַתְהוֹן יַת אַרְעָא דְאַנְתְּ חָמֵי

But instruct Jehoshua, strengthen and confirm him; for he shall go over before this people, and give them the inheritance of the land which thou seest.

Targum Pseudo-Jonathan — Aramaic: “Targum Jonathan on Genesis” (public domain); “Targum Jonathan on Exodus” (public domain); “Targum Jonathan on Leviticus” (public domain); “Targum Jonathan on Numbers” (public domain); “Targum Jonathan on Deuteronomy” (public domain). English: “The Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel, trans. J. W. Etheridge, London, 1862” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.

Commentary

Notes on Deuteronomy 3:28 from classic Christian and Jewish commentators (each source and its license shown beneath its notes). The classic Christian expositions comment on the surrounding passage and are grouped to its opening verse, so a note may address several verses; the Jewish commentaries on the Tanakh (Rashi and others) are per-verse, so they appear only where the commentator wrote on this verse.

Lemma curates 59 commentaries, every one of them public domain or Creative Commons licensed, each selected and text-cleaned for this edition rather than reprinted as found. About our sources →

Joseph Benson's Commentary

Deu 3:28. He shall go over — It was not Moses, but Joshua, or Jesus, that was to give the people rest, Heb 4:8. It is a comfort to those who love mankind, when they are dying and going off, to see God’s work likely to be carried on by other hands when they are silent in the dust.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 28. But charge Joshua, c.] Give him authority in the sight of the people, let them see that he has the same commission which I gave to thee. Encourage him for he will meet with many difficulties in the work to which he is called. And strengthen him - show him my unfailing promises, and exhort him to put his trust in me alone; for he shall go over before this people, and shall cause them to inherit the land; of this let him rest perfectly assured.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(28) For he shall go over.—Emphatic, he it is that shall go over, and he it is that shall make them to inherit; not Moses.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne

28. But charge Joshua] See notes introd. to this and the previous section. In P (Num_27:15-21) the charge to Joshua precedes the arrangement with the two and a half tribes (Numbers 32), while in D it follows. No stress can be laid on this difference as D’s term at that time is vague. But see Dri. in loco. Cp. also Deu_31:1-8.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

John Gill's Exposition

So we abode in the valley over against Bethpeor. In the plains of Moab, over against a temple built for Baalpeor upon a mountain, so called from that idol, or that idol from the mountain; this is the valley where Moses was buried, Deu 34:6.

Next: Deuteronomy Chapter 4

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations

Charge Joshua; give him commission and authority, and a command to execute his trust, and conduct the people.

Strengthen him with exhortations and promises, and assurances of my presence and help, and of good success.

He shall go over: it was not Moses, but Joshua or Jesus, that was to give the people rest, Heb 4:8.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The Pulpit Commentary

Comp. Deu_1:38 Deu_3:21 Deu_31:7; Num_27:23.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

John Wesley's Explanatory Notes

He shall go over - It was not Moses, but Joshua or Jesus that was to give the people rest, Heb. iv, 8. 'Tis a comfort to those who love mankind, when they are dying and going off, to see God's work likely to be carried on by other hands, when they are silent in the dust.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

unfoldingWord translationNotes

Door43 World Missions Community

General Information:

Yahweh continues speaking to Moses.

Beth Peor

This is the name of a town in Moab near Mount Pisgah. (See: How to Translate Names)

translationWords

Joshua

courage

inherit

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

Rashi

Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki (Rashi)

וצו את יהושע AND GIVE JOSHUA CHARGE regarding the cumbrance, the burdens and strifes that he will have to bear (cf. Deuteronomy 1:12).

וחזקהו ואמצהו AND STRENGTHEN HIM AND MAKE HIM FIRM through thy words, so that he may not become faint-hearted, saying, “Just as my master was punished on account of them, so eventually will I be punished on account of them and not enter the land. I promise him “that he shall pass over [before this people] and he shall cause [them] to inherit [the land]”” (cf. Sifrei Devarim 29:9).

כי הוא יעבר (this may mean: if he passes) — If he will pass before them, they will possess the land, and if not, they will not possess it. So, indeed, you find that when he sent some of the people against Ai and he remained in the camp, “the men of Ai smote of them [thirtysix men]” (Joshua 7:5). And when he fell on his face, He said to him, קם לך: the verb is written קם (without ו, so that it may be read קָם) i.e. “It is thou who standest in thy place and sendest My children to war, who hast brought about this defeat. Why is it that thou fallest on thy face? Did I not thus tell thy master, Moses: If he will pass, they will pass on, but if not, they will not pass on? (Sifrei Devarim 29:9).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

Lesson kit

Teaching starters — assembled from the data on this page, not authored interpretation. Every prompt links to the verse data it draws on. Edit before teaching.

Deuteronomy, in the Pentateuch, opens this verse with 18 words (15 distinct Hebrew lemmas). Its most distinctive word is ʼâmats (“to be strong”). A historical commentator’s framing appears above. Read the whole chapter for the surrounding context.

Discussion questions

How does “to be strong” (ʼâmats) shape what this verse is saying?
Genesis 25:23 shares the word «to be strong» with this verse. How do the two illuminate each other?
“he” occurs 2× in this one verse. What is the effect of the repetition?
These translations render this verse differently. What is at stake in choosing one wording over another?
The verb «וְצַ֥ו» is Piel Imperative. How does its form color the action?
Reading how Joseph Benson's Commentary and Adam Clarke's Commentary read this verse, where do the two commentators agree and where do they part?

Things to notice

This verse counts 18 Hebrew ↔ 25 Greek words.
These translations choose different wording for 10 words in this verse.
“he” occurs 2× in this single verse.
15 distinct Hebrew lemmas span 18 words in this verse.