Exodus 6 4

Exodus 6:4 kjv

And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.

Exodus 6:4 nkjv

I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were strangers.

Exodus 6:4 niv

I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners.

Exodus 6:4 esv

I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners.

Exodus 6:4 nlt

And I reaffirmed my covenant with them. Under its terms, I promised to give them the land of Canaan, where they were living as foreigners.

Exodus 6 verses

Exodus 6 4 Meaning

Exodus 6:4 states God's unwavering reaffirmation of His established covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This divine pledge specifically promises the descendants of these patriarchs the land of Canaan as an enduring possession, even though the patriarchs themselves lived there only as temporary residents. The verse emphasizes that this future inheritance is a gracious, sovereign gift from God, firmly secured by His unbreakable word.

Exodus 6 4 Context

Exodus 6:4 is part of a crucial divine revelation to Moses. Following Moses' initial appeal to Pharaoh and the subsequent worsening of the Israelites' oppressive labor (Exod 5:6-19), Moses confronts God in despair (Exod 5:22-23). In response, God initiates a powerful discourse in Exodus 6:1-8, reaffirming His identity, power, and covenantal commitments. This verse, Exodus 6:4, specifically anchors the impending deliverance and the giving of the Law to Mount Sinai to God's long-standing, unconditional covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob concerning the land of Canaan. It assures a downtrodden and demoralized Israel that their present suffering does not nullify God's ancient, foundational promises.

Exodus 6 4 Word analysis

• And I have also established: The Hebrew word qām (קָם) used here signifies an action completed in the past but with continuing and abiding results. It conveys a strong sense of divine resolve and permanence. God's act of establishing His covenant is not subject to change or undoing.
• my covenant: The Hebrew term b'rit (בְּרִית) denotes a solemn, binding agreement. In this context, it refers to the Abrahamic Covenant, which God unilaterally initiated. It is a divine pledge characterized by promise and divine obligation, demonstrating God's faithfulness.
• with them: This refers directly to the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, named explicitly in the preceding verse (Exod 6:3). This highlights the continuity and hereditary nature of God's promises through generations of His chosen line.
• to give them: The Hebrew infinitive construct lāṯēṯ (לָתֵת) emphasizes the purpose of the covenant. The land is presented as an unmerited gift, underscoring God's graciousness and sovereignty rather than any human merit or effort.
• the land of Canaan: The Hebrew ’ereṣ Kena‘an (אֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן) identifies the specific geographical territory promised. This gives tangible detail to the covenant promise and would have been immensely significant to the enslaved Israelites, who knew little of land ownership.
• the land of their sojournings: The Hebrew ’ereṣ m'gurêhem (אֶרֶץ מְגוּרֵיהֶם) means "the land of their temporary residency" or "the land where they dwelled as foreign residents." This critical phrase underscores that the patriarchs never actually possessed the land as legal owners; they lived as aliens in it. This makes the later grant of land an even greater act of God's sovereign grace and gift.
• wherein they sojourned: The Hebrew ’ašer gārū bāh (אֲשֶׁר גָּרוּ בָהּ) is a reiteration of the previous phrase, serving to emphatically reinforce the temporary, non-permanent status of the patriarchs in Canaan. It contrasts their transient existence with the permanent, promised inheritance of their descendants.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "And I have also established my covenant": This phrase asserts God's firm commitment and His role as the sovereign covenant maker. It implies an act that is resolute, finished, and yielding continuous, unchangeable results, demonstrating divine resolve despite human circumstances.
• "with them, to give them the land of Canaan": This clearly connects the covenant recipients (patriarchs) to the core substance of the promise—the specified geographical territory. The "giving" element strongly indicates this is an unearned inheritance based solely on divine grace.
• "the land of their sojournings, wherein they sojourned": This repeated emphasis draws a sharp distinction between the patriarchs' temporary and unlanded status and the guaranteed future possession of the same land by their descendants. It magnifies the irony and power of God's promise: He gifts what His chosen ones once only experienced as strangers.

Exodus 6 4 Bonus section

This verse subtly reveals more about God's name: by acting on a covenant known by the name El Shaddai to the patriarchs (Exod 6:3), God reveals the active, covenant-fulfilling dimension of His name YHWH. He is the God who "is" and "will be" faithful to His word, not merely the God of sufficient power. The sojourner motif here also prefigures a broader biblical theme: humanity's status as temporary residents on earth, anticipating a true, eternal home and inheritance (spiritual Canaan) provided by God Himself, echoing the longing of the patriarchs for a "better country, that is, a heavenly one" (Heb 11:16). The promise of land, therefore, while literal for Israel, also carries deep spiritual significance about future inheritance.

Exodus 6 4 Commentary

Exodus 6:4 serves as a profound assurance from God, delivered through Moses, that despite the harsh reality of Egyptian slavery, His foundational covenant promises remain utterly valid and secure. It strategically reminds the discouraged Israelites that their lineage directly inherits a divine promise. The specific reference to Canaan as "the land of their sojournings" is critical: it highlights that the patriarchs themselves were only temporary residents there, underscoring that the future inheritance is purely by divine decree and gift, not by earned right or long-held possession. This emphasis powerfully contrasts human inability with divine power and faithfulness, asserting that the God who revealed Himself as YHWH in Exodus 6:3 is now actively moving to fulfill ancient oaths. This verse thus lays a vital theological groundwork for the Exodus narrative: Israel is not just escaping oppression, but being led to inherit a divine promise. It underscores that God's plan is continuous, purposeful, and guaranteed by His unchanging nature.