Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the LORD your God giveth you to possess it.

JOSHUA 1:11KJV
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Joshua 1:11 (KJV)

What does Joshua 1:11 mean?

Joshua 1:11 records Joshua instructing his officers to go through the camp and tell the Israelites to get their food ready, because in three days they will cross the Jordan River to enter and take possession of the land that God is giving them. This verse marks a moment of preparation and anticipation as the people get ready to move into the land promised to them.

Joshua, now the leader after Moses, is speaking to his officers, who then relay the message to the people. The Israelites are camped east of the Jordan River, about to leave their years of wandering and finally enter Canaan. The command to "prepare you victuals" (food supplies) shows they will soon be on the move, and the mention of "three days" sets a clear, short timeline for this major event.

The Hebrew behind Joshua 1:11

  • "Pass" (עָבַר, ʿāvar): This word means to cross over or go through. Here, it refers both to moving through the camp to deliver the message and, soon, to crossing the Jordan River itself—a key moment in Israel’s story.
  • "Victuals" (צֵידָה, tsēdāh): This word means provisions or food for a journey. The instruction to prepare food suggests the people will need to be self-sufficient as they cross into new territory, highlighting the practical side of faith and obedience.
  • "Possess" (יָרַשׁ, yārash): This verb means to take possession or inherit. It emphasizes that the land is not just to be entered, but actively taken and settled, underlining the fulfillment of God’s promise.

Why Joshua 1:11 matters

  • Joshua 1:11 clarifies that the Israelites are not to wait passively for God’s promise, but must prepare and act, showing that faith involves practical steps.
  • The verse connects directly to God’s earlier promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob about the land, making this a pivotal moment in the Bible’s larger story.
  • The specific timeline of "within three days" adds urgency and certainty, showing Joshua’s leadership and the people’s need for readiness as they move from wandering to inheriting the land.

Where else these words appear

“victuals” Hebrew H6720 · used in 10 verses

  • Genesis 27:3 Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison;
  • Exodus 12:39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual.
  • Judges 20:10 And we will take ten men of an hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and an hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victual for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel.