וצו את יהושע. עַל הַטְּרָחוֹת וְעַל הַמַּשָּׂאוֹת וְעַל הַמְּרִיבוֹת: וצו את יהושע AND GIVE JOSHUA CHARGE regarding the cumbrance, the burdens and strifes that he will have to bear (cf. Deuteronomy 1:12).
וחזקהו ואמצהו. בִּדְבָרֶיךָ, שֶׁלֹּא יֵרַךְ לִבּוֹ לוֹמַר כְּשֵׁם שֶׁנֶּעֱנַשׁ רַבִּי עֲלֵיהֶם, כָּךְ סוֹפִי לֵעָנֵשׁ עֲלֵיהֶם, מַבְטִיחוֹ אֲנִי כִּי הוּא יַעֲבֹר וְהוּא יַנְחִיל (ע' ספרי): וחזקהו ואמצהו AND STRENGTHEN HIM AND MAKE HIM FIRM through thy words, so that he may not become faint-hearted, saying, “Just as my master was punished on account of them, so eventually will I be punished on account of them and not enter the land. I promise him “that he shall pass over [before this people] and he shall cause [them] to inherit [the land]”” (cf. Sifrei Devarim 29:9).
כי הוא יעבר. אִם יַעֲבֹר לִפְנֵיהֶם יִנְחֲלוּ, וְאִם לָאו לֹא יִנְחֲלוּ; וְכֵן אַתָּה מוֹצֵא כְּשֶׁשָּׁלַח מִן הָעָם אֶל הָעַי וְהוּא יָשַׁב, "וַיַּכּוּ מֵהֶם אַנְשֵׁי הָעַי וְגוֹ'" (יהושע ז') וְכֵיוָן שֶׁנָּפַל עַל פָּנָיו אָמַר לוֹ "קֻם לָךְ" – קם לך כְּתִיב, אַתָּה הוּא הָעוֹמֵד בִּמְקוֹמְךָ וּמְשַׁלֵּחַ אֶת בָּנַי לַמִּלְחָמָה, לָמָּה זֶּה אַתָּה נֹפֵל עַל פָּנֶיךָ? לֹא כָךְ אָמַרְתִּי לְמֹשֶׁה רַבְּךָ אִם הוּא עוֹבֵר עוֹבְרִין וְאִם לָאו אֵין עוֹבְרִין (ספרי): כי הוא יעבר (this may mean: if he passes) — If he will pass before them, they will possess the land, and if not, they will not possess it. So, indeed, you find that when he sent some of the people against Ai and he remained in the camp, “the men of Ai smote of them [thirtysix men]” (Joshua 7:5). And when he fell on his face, He said to him, קם לך: the verb is written קם (without ו, so that it may be read קָם) i.e. “It is thou who standest in thy place and sendest My children to war, who hast brought about this defeat. Why is it that thou fallest on thy face? Did I not thus tell thy master, Moses: If he will pass, they will pass on, but if not, they will not pass on? (Sifrei Devarim 29:9).