A common misinterpretation treats this as mere human encouragement from Moses to Joshua, stripping away its divine authority and reducing 'be strong and of a good courage' to generic motivational advice applicable to any personal ambition or challenge, ignoring its specific context as God's directive for covenantal leadership and possession of the Promised Land through faithful obedience rather than self-reliant effort; another error assumes it guarantees effortless success or material prosperity for believers today without regard for the conditional nature of Israel's inheritance tied to covenant loyalty.
Deuteronomy 31:23
King James Version (1769)
23 And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee.
This passage records Moses, acting on God's command, formally commissioning Joshua as his successor to lead Israel into the Promised Land, charging him to be strong and courageous because God Himself will fulfill the covenant oath made to the patriarchs by enabling Joshua to guide the people in possessing the inheritance. It underscores the continuity of divine leadership, the reliability of God's promises across generations, and the need for bold faith rooted in obedience to execute God's redemptive plan for His people.