In the Old Testament, hazaq means, as we noted, “strong” and in one of its forms “to strengthen.” This use may, for instance, be found in Deuteronomy 1:38: Joshua, the son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall enter there; encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it [the land]. Much warfare lay ahead, and Joshua needed to be encouraged to lead his untrained troops into battle. Indeed, not only was Moses to encourage Joshua, but God Himself also did so. In Joshua 1:6,