Exodus 23:31 kjv
And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee.
Exodus 23:31 nkjv
And I will set your bounds from the Red Sea to the sea, Philistia, and from the desert to the River. For I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you.
Exodus 23:31 niv
"I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and from the desert to the Euphrates River. I will give into your hands the people who live in the land, and you will drive them out before you.
Exodus 23:31 esv
And I will set your border from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the Euphrates, for I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you.
Exodus 23:31 nlt
And I will fix your boundaries from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and from the eastern wilderness to the Euphrates River. I will hand over to you the people now living in the land, and you will drive them out ahead of you.
Exodus 23 31 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 15:18-21 | "To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt...to the great river, the river Euphrates..." | Abrahamic Covenant land promise boundaries |
| Num 34:1-12 | Detailed borders for the promised land west of Jordan. | Specifies detailed land borders |
| Deut 1:7 | "Turn and take your journey, and go to the hill country of the Amorites...and to the great river, the river Euphrates." | Moses reiterates boundaries of the land |
| Deut 11:24 | "Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours. From the wilderness to Lebanon, and from the River, the river Euphrates, to the western sea it shall be your territory." | Reiterates extent of promised land |
| Josh 1:4 | "From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun shall be your territory." | God reiterates the boundaries to Joshua |
| Josh 21:43 | "Thus the Lord gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers..." | God's faithfulness in land provision |
| Judg 1:19, 27-36 | "The Lord was with Judah...but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the plain...Nor did Manasseh drive out..." | Partial fulfillment due to Israel's failure |
| Judg 2:20-23 | "So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel...I will not longer drive out before them..." | Consequences of Israel's disobedience |
| 1 Kgs 4:21 (5:1) | "Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt." | Historical high point of fulfillment under Solomon |
| 2 Chr 9:26 | "He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt." | Solomon's dominion confirming 1 Kgs |
| Ps 72:8 | "May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth!" | Messianic prophecy, echoes ideal dominion |
| Exod 33:2 | "I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites..." | God's active role in driving out |
| Exod 34:11 | "Observe what I command you today. Behold, I will drive out before you the Amorites, the Canaanites..." | Reiterates the divine action |
| Deut 7:1-2 | "When the Lord your God brings you into the land that you are entering...and clears away many nations before you..." | God clears the way for Israel's entry |
| Deut 9:3 | "Understand therefore today that he who goes over before you as a consuming fire is the Lord your God. He will destroy them..." | God's destructive power against enemies |
| Deut 32:26-27 | Foreshadows scattering if disobedience continues; implied loss of promised land. | Consequences of not possessing the land fully |
| Num 33:52-56 | "You shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you...But if you do not drive out..." | Israel's responsibility and warnings |
| Isa 11:11-16 | "The Lord will stretch out his hand...from Cush and Egypt...to gather the remnant...and divide the Red Sea..." | Prophecy of future gathering and deliverance, echoes Red Sea. |
| Amos 9:11-15 | Prophecy of restoring the fallen booth of David and restoring Israel to its land, security, and fruitfulness. | Eschatological land fulfillment |
| Rom 11:25-27 | "All Israel will be saved...just as it is written, 'The Deliverer will come from Zion...'" | Spiritual fulfillment for "all Israel" (Jew and Gentile) |
| Gal 3:16, 29 | "Now the promises were made to Abraham and to Abraham's offspring...And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise." | Spiritual inheritance through Christ |
| Heb 4:8 | "For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day after that." | Points to a greater, spiritual rest than physical land |
| Heb 11:8-10, 16 | "By faith Abraham obeyed...For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations...Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city." | The "promised land" has a spiritual, heavenly fulfillment too. |
Exodus 23 verses
Exodus 23 31 Meaning
Exodus 23:31 details the extensive boundaries of the land God promised to give to Israel. These God-ordained territories stretch from the Red Sea (likely the Gulf of Aqaba or Suez) in the south to the Mediterranean Sea (Sea of the Philistines) in the west, and from the desert wilderness in the south or east to the great Euphrates River in the northeast. The verse specifies that this vast inheritance is assured because God himself will supernaturally empower Israel by delivering the existing inhabitants into their hands, thereby enabling and commissioning them to actively drive those nations out from before them.
Exodus 23 31 Context
Exodus chapter 23 concludes the "Book of the Covenant" (Exod 20:22 – 23:33), providing detailed instructions regarding Israel's ethical, social, and worship life as a covenant people. This verse is specifically part of the concluding promises (Exod 23:20-33) where the Lord reassures Israel of His active participation in their conquest of the Promised Land, detailing the geographical scope of their inheritance and reiterating the command to dispossess its pagan inhabitants. Historically, the Israelites were at Mount Sinai, having just received the covenant. This verse offers a foundational promise, setting their eyes toward their future dwelling and defining the spatial reality of their national existence as God's chosen people.
Exodus 23 31 Word analysis
And I will set (וְשַׁתִּ֣י weshath·tî): The phrase emphasizes God's sovereign initiative and definitive action. It is a direct divine declaration, "I myself will place/set," establishing the absolute certainty and divine agency behind the promise.
your bounds (אֶת־גְּבֻלְךָ֙ ’eṯ-gĕḇulkā): Hebrew gĕbûl refers to a boundary or border, often specifically delineating a territory. The phrase signifies precisely defined and divinely appointed territorial limits for Israel, implying God's comprehensive control over geopolitics and land ownership.
from the Red Sea (מִיַּם־סוּף֙ miyyam-sûp̄): Hebrew Yam Suph, traditionally understood as the body of water crossed by Israel during the Exodus. This refers to the Gulf of Aqaba or the Gulf of Suez, indicating Israel's southern or southeastern boundary.
to the Sea of the Philistines (וְעַד־יַ֣ם פְּלִשְׁתִּ֗ים wə‘aḏ-yam pĕlištîm): Refers to the Mediterranean Sea along the coastal plain where the Philistines would later settle, establishing the western boundary.
and from the desert (וּמִמִּדְבָּר֙ ūmimmiḏbār): The term midbār signifies the wilderness or uncultivated arid region. In this context, it refers to the desert lands stretching east and south of Canaan, serving as a boundary for the territory.
to the River (וְעַד־הַנָּהָ֔ר wə‘aḏ-hannāhār): In the Hebrew Bible, Ha-Nahar ("the River") without further specification almost exclusively refers to the Euphrates River, establishing the broad eastern or northeastern boundary. This represents the maximal extent of the land promised to Abraham.
for I will deliver (כִּ֣י אֶתֵּ֞ן kî ’etên): The conjunction "for" introduces the reason for the land promise: God's active, intentional intervention. Hebrew ’etên ("I will give/deliver") emphasizes God's unilateral action in surrendering the inhabitants.
the inhabitants of the land (אֶת־יֹשְׁבֵ֥י הָאָ֖רֶץ ’eṯ-yōšəḇê hā’āreṣ): Refers to the Canaanite peoples and other nations residing within the promised territory whom Israel was to dispossess.
into your hand (בְּיָדֶ֑ךָ bəyāḏeḵā): An idiomatic expression denoting power, possession, or victory. It signifies that the nations will be within Israel's reach for conquest, under divine empowerment.
and you shall drive them out before you (וְגֵֽרַשְׁתָּם֙ מִפָּנֶֽיךָ wəḡēraštām mipāneḵā): Hebrew garash means "to drive out, expel, dispossess." This part of the verse highlights Israel's commanded responsibility to act upon God's deliverance, making their possession active and not merely passive. It denotes a divine command requiring human obedience.
And I will set your bounds from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the River: This phrase defines a geographically expansive territory for Israel, encompassing key regional markers. It signifies a sweeping and magnificent grant of land, far greater than what Israel initially or consistently held. It speaks to God's ultimate intention for Israel's security and prosperity within a generous inheritance.
for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you: This part links divine action with human responsibility. God's provision ("I will deliver") precedes and enables Israel's mandated action ("you shall drive them out"). This dynamic signifies a divinely directed conquest, where Israel serves as an instrument of God's judgment against the wicked nations inhabiting the land, while simultaneously claiming their inheritance.
Exodus 23 31 Bonus section
- The "River" (Ha-Nahar), when used alone in the Old Testament as a definite geographical marker in the context of Israel's promised land, refers exclusively to the Euphrates, confirming the grand scale of the land originally intended for Israel.
- The ultimate fulfillment of these maximal territorial boundaries was conditional upon Israel's sustained obedience to the covenant. Their failure to fully dispossess the inhabitants led to recurring conflicts and compromises, preventing the consistent realization of this expansive promise.
- The command to "drive them out" reflects a theological perspective of divine judgment against the inhabitants of Canaan, whose iniquity had reached its full measure (Gen 15:16), making Israel an instrument of God's righteous wrath.
- The meticulous detailing of the geographical markers emphasizes the tangible, earthly nature of this covenant promise, which was a specific physical inheritance for a specific people at a specific time.
Exodus 23 31 Commentary
Exodus 23:31 is a grand divine promise foundational to Israel's identity and future. It articulates a maximal geographical vision for the Promised Land, extending from strategic maritime points to the formidable Euphrates River. This vastness underscores God's generous covenant fidelity, reiterating a promise first made to Abraham. Importantly, this verse establishes a core principle of Israel's conquest: the Lord is the one who initiates the transfer of ownership ("I will deliver"), effectively handing over the pagan inhabitants. However, it also explicitly places a vital responsibility on Israel: they are to actively execute the divine command to dispossess these nations. This is not a passive inheritance but a cooperative enterprise under God's empowerment and mandate. The full historical realization of this expansive territory occurred notably during King Solomon's reign, marking a high point of Israel's dominion, yet it was rarely maintained consistently due to Israel's frequent covenant disobedience, as documented in subsequent books like Judges. The promise implicitly calls Israel to maintain unwavering faith and obedience, knowing their success rests on God's preceding deliverance and their own active commitment to His will. This land promise also carries theological echoes into the New Testament, pointing towards a greater, spiritual inheritance in Christ.