Joshua 1:3 - Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you. — The conquest of Canaan was the special duty assigned to Joshua by the word of Moses. (Hence the order for the extermination of Amalek was written for Joshua [Exodus 17:14] as the representative conqueror, though he did not actually carry it out.) But the conquest of Canaan, as effected by Joshua, must be carefully defined. It was a limited conquest. He took a certain number of strongholds throughout the country, and utterly crushed the armies that were opposed to him in the field. He established the people of Israel in the position that he had won. (See Joshua 12:9-24 for an outline of the position.) He then divided to the tribes of Israel the whole territory, conquered and unconquered alike (see Joshua 13:1-7). The Philistines and Sidonians (or Phoenicians) are examples of two great nations not conquered by Joshua, but assigned to Israel for an inheritance. Thus it appears that what Israel would conquer, the sole of his foot must tread. The conquest which Joshua began for the people, must be carried out in detail by the several tribes themselves. For a further discussion of the relation of Joshua’s conquest to the whole history of Israel, see Note on Joshua 13:2.