House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) tweeted out a Bible  verse intended to show support for President Joe Biden. But Bible scholars are chuckling as the verse means precisely the opposite of what Jeffries intended. 

On Sunday, Jeffries cited Joshua 1:9, tweeting, “Do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” 

This encouragement comes in the wake of Biden’s disastrous debate against Donald Trump in which the current president rambled incoherently and appeared weak, showing signs of cognitive decline. Amid calls for him to step down, the simple meaning of Jeffries’ message was intended to be a vote of confidence. 

But Bible scholars understand that this message cam to the Nation of Israel after the death of their long-time leader, Moses. 

After the death of Moshe the servant of Hashem, Hashem said to Yehoshua son of Nun, Moshe’s attendant:My servant Moshe is dead. Prepare to cross the Yarden, together with all this people, into the land that I am giving to the Israelites. Joshua 1:1-2

The message in Joshua came to bolster the nation as they were about to change leaders.

Pundits were quick to point out Jeffries’s error. The Daily Beast’s Roger Sollenberger tweeted, ““Fwiw the context here is god speaking to Joshua when he became leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses.” 

Joe Frankl tweeted, “For actual context, Joshua was like 85 when he took over after Moses’s death.” Joe Biden is currently 81 years old. 

 The Nation‘s Jeet Heer tweeted, “Biblical scholarship is very handy!”

Jeffries should be familiar with the context of the verse as he is a lifelong member of the Cornerstone Baptist Church and a strong supporter of Israel.