Exodus 23:30 kjv

By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.

Exodus 23:30 nkjv

Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land.

Exodus 23:30 niv

Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land.

Exodus 23:30 esv

Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and possess the land.

Exodus 23:30 nlt

I will drive them out a little at a time until your population has increased enough to take possession of the land.

Exodus 23 verses

Exodus 23 30 Meaning

Exodus 23:30 explains God's strategy for dispossessing the inhabitants of the Promised Land before the Israelites. He reveals that He will not drive them out all at once but gradually, "little by little." This method is ordained by divine wisdom, preventing the land from becoming desolate and vulnerable to wild animals before the Israelites have grown sufficiently in number to fully occupy and manage it, thereby enabling them to inherit their promised territory completely.

Exodus 23 30 Context

Exodus 23:30 is nestled within a section (Exo 23:20-33) that follows a detailed presentation of Israel's civil and cultic laws given at Sinai. This specific segment details God's solemn promise to guide Israel into the Promised Land via an Angel, dispossess its inhabitants, and outline the conditions for this success (obedience to God, destruction of idolatry, avoidance of pagan alliances). The verses immediately preceding (23:29-31) explicitly state how the land would be taken—gradually—and why (to prevent desolation and proliferation of wild beasts), underscoring God's providential care. Historically, this promise was given as Israel was on the cusp of entering Canaan, a land inhabited by established, militarily formidable nations. It set the divine expectation for the method of conquest, assuring Israel of success while tempering any expectation of immediate, overwhelming victory without process or reason.

Exodus 23 30 Word analysis

• במעט מעט (b'me'at m'at) - "little by little," "by a little, a little," or "gradually."
  • Significance: This doubled phrase emphasizes a slow, deliberate process, indicating divine patience and a planned strategy rather than a sudden, overwhelming action. It suggests God's method aligns with His comprehensive wisdom for Israel's welfare.
  • Literary: This is a stylistic device in Hebrew to stress the intensity or gradualness of an action.
• אגרשנו (ager'shenu) - "I will drive them out."
  • Root (גרש - garash): Means to drive out, expel, divorce. Implies force and definitive removal.
  • Speaker: The "I" refers directly to God, affirming His personal agency and commitment to fulfill His promise.
  • Recipients: "them" refers to the various Canaanite nations occupying the land, whom God deemed ripe for judgment due to their iniquity (Gen 15:16).
• מפניך (mippaneka) - "from before you," "from your presence."
  • Significance: This implies a removal from Israel's sight, territory, and influence. It's a strategic clearance of obstacles that enables Israel to occupy and establish themselves without continuous opposition in that space.
• עד אשר (ad asher) - "until which," "until that."
  • Significance: Establishes a conditional end-point for the gradual process, linking God's action to Israel's growth and capacity.
• תפרה (tiphreh) - "you are increased," "you multiply," "you become fruitful."
  • Root (פרה - parah): To be fruitful, multiply. Directly echoes the foundational creation blessing given to humanity (Gen 1:28) and the patriarchs (Gen 12:2; 22:17).
  • Significance: It highlights the organic growth of the Israelite population as a necessary precursor for total inheritance. God's provision for the land matches Israel's readiness to fill it.
• וירשת (v'yarashta) - "and you inherit," "and you take possession."
  • Root (ירש - yarash): To inherit, possess, take possession, dispossess.
  • Significance: This term conveys legal and existential right, emphasizing that the land is a divinely granted inheritance, not merely a conquest by force. It ties into the Abrahamic covenant.
• את הארץ (et ha'aretz) - "the land."
  • Significance: Refers specifically to the Promised Land of Canaan, central to God's covenant with Israel and their national identity.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "Little by little I will drive them out before you": This phrase details the divine strategy for conquest. It assures Israel of God's active involvement in dispossessing the inhabitants, but with a pace dictated by divine wisdom. The repetition ("little by little") underscores God's intentionality and highlights a process that requires patience and trust from Israel. It directly counteracts any expectation of instant, total victory that Israel might have harbored.
• "until you are increased": This part specifies the primary condition determining the pace of the conquest from Israel's side. God would not completely clear the land until the Israelites had multiplied sufficiently to inhabit it fully. This illustrates God's practical foresight; clearing too much land too quickly would leave it vulnerable to desolation and wild beasts (as stated in Exo 23:29), an undesirable outcome for settlement. It links the fulfillment of one covenant promise (land) to another (multiplication).
• "and inherit the land": This phrase states the ultimate goal of the process. It's not just about driving out enemies but about Israel taking full and complete possession of their divinely promised inheritance. The word "inherit" highlights the covenantal basis of their claim to the land, distinguishing it from mere conquest. The final state is one of full occupation and ownership by a numerous people.

Exodus 23 30 Bonus section

The concept of gradual conquest in Exo 23:30 teaches important principles applicable beyond the historical context of Israel entering Canaan:

• Divine Timing and Patience: It illustrates that God's ways are often characterized by gradual processes, requiring faith and patience rather than demanding immediate outcomes. His timing is always perfect, aligned with our capacity and ultimate good.
• Growth Precedes Full Possession: Just as Israel needed to increase in numbers to fully occupy the land, spiritual growth (maturity, knowledge, capacity) often precedes a greater measure of spiritual inheritance or responsibility in a believer's life or the church's mission.
• Prevention of Overwhelm: God knows our limits. He does not give us more than we can handle, whether it's territory, trials, or blessings, protecting us from being overwhelmed, just as He protected Israel from desolation by too-rapid conquest.
• Interplay of Divine Action and Human Responsibility: While God promises "I will drive them out," He specifies the condition "until you are increased," implying Israel's active participation in their own growth and then in the physical occupation and stewardship of the land. This shows divine sovereignty working in tandem with human effort.
• Spiritual Application: This passage can be spiritually understood as a parallel to the process of sanctification. God works to drive out sin and old habits from a believer's life "little by little" as they grow in Christ, replacing spiritual wilderness with the "fruitfulness" of the Spirit. It is not an overnight, instantaneous eradication, but a progressive, Spirit-led transformation.

Exodus 23 30 Commentary

Exodus 23:30 reveals God's meticulous and wise planning in establishing His people in their promised inheritance. Far from an instant annihilation, the expulsion of the Canaanite nations was designed as a gradual process, primarily for the benefit and safety of Israel. The Lord chose to dispossess the current inhabitants "little by little" to prevent two main negative consequences: the desolation of the land and its subsequent takeover by wild animals (as directly stated in the preceding verse). This practical approach reflects God's deep concern for Israel's flourishing, ensuring they would have sufficient population growth ("until you are increased") to fully occupy and manage the entire territory before the land lay fallow and dangerous. It demonstrates that God's power is tempered by wisdom and foresight, working within practical realities. This divine strategy also encouraged Israel's sustained reliance on Him over an extended period.