You must not fear them, for the Lord your God Himself fights 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.
- BSB Do not be afraid of them, for the LORD your God Himself will fight 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 14:14Yahweh will fight for you, and you shall be still.”
- Deut 20:4for Yahweh your God is he who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.”
- Deut 1:30Yahweh your God who goes before you, he will fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes,
- 2 Chr 20:17You will not need to fight this battle. Set yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of Yahweh with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Don’t be afraid, nor be dismayed. Go out against them tomorrow, for Yahweh is with you.’”
- 2 Chr 20:29The fear of God was on all the kingdoms of the countries, when they heard that Yahweh fought against the enemies of Israel.
- Josh 10:42Joshua took all these kings and their land at one time, because Yahweh, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.
- Isa 43:1–2But now Yahweh who created you, Jacob, and he who formed you, Israel says: “Don’t be afraid, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by your name. You are mine.
- Ps 44:3For they didn’t get the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them; but your right hand, and your arm, and the light of your face, because you were favorable to them.
- 2 Chr 13:12Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with the trumpets of alarm to sound an alarm against you. Children of Israel, don’t fight against Yahweh, the God of your fathers; for you will not prosper.”
- Num 21:34Yahweh said to Moses, “Don’t fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, with all his people, and his land. You shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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.