So Joshua said to the Israelites, “How long will you put off entering and possessing the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?
Parallel translations
- WEB Joshua said to the children of Israel, “How long will you neglect to go in to possess the land, which Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has given you?
- KJV And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers hath given you?
- NKJV Then Joshua said to the children of Israel: “How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers has given you?
- NASB So Joshua said to the sons of Israel, “How long will you put off entering to take possession of the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you?
- NLT Then Joshua asked them, “How long are you going to wait before taking possession of the remaining land the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given to 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
Joshua rebuked the people for being slow to go in and possess the land Yahweh had given them. Their delay reflected a failure of faith.
Overview
Joshua challenged the seven tribes' neglect, calling them to claim the inheritance God had already granted. His words expose a spiritual sluggishness that hesitates to act on God's clear promise. The rebuke echoes throughout Scripture as a call to active faith, for God's people are urged not to delay in laying hold of the salvation and rest He freely offers in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Prov 13:4The slacker craves yet has nothing, but the soul of the diligent is fully satisfied.
- Judg 18:9They answered, “Come on, let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and it is very good. Why would you fail to act? Do not hesitate to go there and take possession of the land!
- Prov 15:19The way of the slacker is like a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway.
- Matt 20:6About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ he asked.
- Prov 10:4Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.
- Zeph 3:16On that day they will say to Jerusalem: “Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands fall limp.
- Phil 3:13–14Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
- Prov 2:2–6if you incline your ear to wisdom and direct your heart to understanding,
- John 6:27Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.”
- Eccl 9:10Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, for in Sheol, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.
- 2 Pet 1:10–11Therefore, brothers, strive to make your calling and election sure. For if you practice these things you will never stumble,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Joshua — the same name as Jesus, 'the LORD saves' — leads God's people into their inheritance, a shadow of the greater Joshua who brings us into the true rest and the promised land that remains.
How Joshua 18:3 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.