Do not be afraid of them, for the LORD your God Himself will fight for you.”
Parallel translations
- WEB You shall not fear them; for Yahweh your God himself fights for you.”
- KJV Ye shall not fear them: for the LORD your God he shall fight for you.
- NKJV You must not fear them, for the Lord your God Himself fights for you.’
- NASB Do not fear them, for the Lord your God is the One fighting for you.’
- NLT Do not be afraid of the nations there, for the Lord your God will fight for you.’
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Moses told Joshua not to fear, for the LORD Himself fights for Israel. It locates Israel's courage in God's active help.
Overview
The charge climaxes in the assurance that God Himself is the warrior on Israel's behalf. This truth answers fear not by minimizing the enemy but by exalting the LORD. It echoes through Scripture and finds its fullest expression in the God who secures His people's victory in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Exod 14:14The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
- Deut 20:4For the LORD your God goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.”
- Deut 1:30The LORD your God, who goes before you, will fight for you, just as you saw Him do for you in Egypt
- 2 Chr 20:17You need not fight this battle. Take up your positions, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out and face them tomorrow, for the LORD is with you.’”
- 2 Chr 20:29And the fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel.
- Josh 10:42And because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel, Joshua captured all these kings and their land in one campaign.
- Isa 43:1–2Now this is what the LORD says—He who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine!
- Ps 44:3For it was not by their sword that they took the land; their arm did not bring them victory. It was by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, because You favored them.
- 2 Chr 13:12Now behold, God Himself is with us as our head, and His priests with their trumpets sound the battle call against you. O children of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for you will not succeed.”
- Num 21:34But the LORD said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, along with all his people and his land. Do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Moses promised a Prophet like himself to whom Israel must listen (18:15); Jesus is that Prophet, the one who keeps the covenant we broke and becomes the curse for us by hanging on a tree (Gal 3:13).
How Deuteronomy 3:22 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.