God & Savior

Joshua 1:8

This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in all you do.
Joshua 1:8
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Study notes

Joshua is to keep God's law in his mouth and meditate on it day and night, so that he obeys it and succeeds.

Explanation

God commissions Joshua after Moses' death. Success depends on keeping God's word close: speaking it, thinking on it and doing it.

Original language
  • הַתּוֹרָ֨ה (ha.to.Rah): instruction
    Hebrew · Definite article + Noun, feminine, singular, absolute · Strong's H8451 · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)

    Law, instruction.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Joshua 1:8, word 4

  • וְהָגִ֤יתָ (ve.ha.Gi.ta): to mutter
    Hebrew · Conjunction + Verb, qal, sequential perfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular · Strong's H1897 · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)

    You will meditate: murmur, ponder.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Joshua 1:8, word 7

  • לַעֲשׂ֔וֹת (la.'a.Sot): do
    Hebrew · Preposition + Verb, qal, infinitive construct, common · Strong's H6213A · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)

    To do.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Joshua 1:8, word 13

  • תַּצְלִ֥יחַ (tatz.Li.ach): to prosper
    Hebrew · Verb, hiphil, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular · Strong's H6743B · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)

    You will make prosperous, succeed.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Joshua 1:8, word 19

Cross-references
  • Psalm 1:2 · Same theme

    On His law he meditates day and night.

  • Deuteronomy 17:18-19 · Background

    The king was to read the law all his life.

  • James 1:25 · Same theme

    The doer of the word will be blessed.

Sources

Original language and places

Reference data from open datasets, shown as published by their sources. Word-by-word English is a literal guide, not a translation.

Original language (Hebrew)

לֹֽא־יָמ֡וּשׁ סֵפֶר֩ הַתּוֹרָ֨ה הַזֶּ֜ה מִפִּ֗יךָ וְהָגִ֤יתָ בּוֹ֙ יוֹמָ֣ם וָלַ֔יְלָה לְמַ֙עַן֙ תִּשְׁמֹ֣ר לַעֲשׂ֔וֹת כְּכָל־הַכָּת֖וּב בּ֑וֹ כִּי־אָ֛ז תַּצְלִ֥יחַ אֶת־דְּרָכֶ֖ךָ וְאָ֥ז תַּשְׂכִּֽיל׃

  1. לֹֽא־lo'-“not”
    Particle, negative · from לֹא · “not” · Strong's H3808
  2. יָמ֡וּשׁya.Mush“it will depart”
    Verb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from מוּשׁ · “to remove” · Strong's H4185
  3. סֵפֶר֩se.Fer“[the] book of”
    Noun, masculine, singular, construct · from סֵ֫פֶר · “book” · Strong's H5612H
  4. הַתּוֹרָ֨הha.to.Rah“the law”
    Definite article + Noun, feminine, singular, absolute · from תּוֹרָה · “instruction” · Strong's H8451
  5. הַזֶּ֜הha.Zeh“<the> this”
    Definite article + Particle, demonstrative · from זֶה · “this” · Strong's H2088
  6. מִפִּ֗יךָmi.Pi.kha“from mouth your”
    Preposition + Noun, masculine, singular, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular · from פֶּה · “lip” · Strong's H6310G
  7. וְהָגִ֤יתָve.ha.Gi.ta“and you will meditate”
    Conjunction + Verb, qal, sequential perfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular · from הָגָה · “to mutter” · Strong's H1897
  8. בּוֹ֙bo“on <the> it”
    Preposition with article + Suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from Os3m · “him” · Strong's H9033
  9. יוֹמָ֣םyo.Mam“by day”
    Adverb · from יוֹמָם · “by day” · Strong's H3119
  10. וָלַ֔יְלָהva.Lay.lah“and night”
    Conjunction + Noun, masculine, singular, absolute · from לַ֫יְלָה · “night” · Strong's H3915
  11. לְמַ֙עַן֙le.Ma.'an“so that”
    Particle · from מַ֫עַן · “because” · Strong's H4616
  12. תִּשְׁמֹ֣רtish.Mor“you may take care”
    Verb, qal, jussive, 2nd person, masculine, singular · from שָׁמַר · “careful” · Strong's H8104J
  13. לַעֲשׂ֔וֹתla.'a.Sot“to do”
    Preposition + Verb, qal, infinitive construct, common · from עָשָׂה · “do” · Strong's H6213A
  14. כְּכָל־ke.khol-“according to every”
    Preposition + Noun, masculine, singular, absolute · from כֹּל · “all” · Strong's H3605
  15. הַכָּת֖וּבha.ka.Tuv“<the> [thing] written”
    Definite article + Verb, qal, participle (passive), masculine, singular, absolute · from כָּתַב · “to write” · Strong's H3789
  16. בּ֑וֹbo“in <the> it”
    Preposition with article + Suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from Os3m · “him” · Strong's H9033
  17. כִּי־ki-“for”
    Particle · from כִּי · “for” · Strong's H3588A
  18. אָ֛ז'az“then”
    Adverb · from אָז · “then” · Strong's H0227A
  19. תַּצְלִ֥יחַtatz.Li.ach“you will make successful”
    Verb, hiphil, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular · from צָלֵחַ · “to prosper” · Strong's H6743B
  20. אֶת־'et-“<obj.>”
    Particle, direct object marker · from אֵת · “[Obj.]” · Strong's H0853
  21. דְּרָכֶ֖ךָde.ra.Khe.kha“ways your”
    Noun, masculine, plural, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular · from דֶּ֫רֶךְ · “journey” · Strong's H1870L
  22. וְאָ֥זve.'Az“and then”
    Conjunction + Adverb · from אָז · “then” · Strong's H0227A
  23. תַּשְׂכִּֽיל׃tas.Kil“you will be successful”
    Verb, hiphil, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular · from שָׂכַל · “be prudent” · Strong's H7919A
  • Prepared by the God & Savior team. Not yet reviewed by an editor.
  • Hebrew and Aramaic words: STEP Bible (STEPBible.org), based on work at Tyndale House, Cambridge. CC BY 4.0. Source (version ed476a8)