1:2 go over this Jordan. The people are east of the river (Deut. 1:1), which has a deep valley and forms a formidable boundary between them and the land God has promised to the west. See also 3:15.

into the land. The land is God’s gift to the Israelites, in faithfulness to His promise to Abraham (see vv. 3, 6). This is the dominant theme of the book: note the elaboration of this idea in 24:13, echoing Deut. 6:10, 11. The land is an expression of what the New Testament calls “grace” (Eph. 2:8). See note 21:43.