And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, that thou shalt keep this service in this month.

EXODUS 13:5KJV
Know the Bible

Exodus 13:5 (KJV)

What does Exodus 13:5 mean?

Exodus 13:5 describes how, when God brings the Israelites into the promised land—a fertile place inhabited by several peoples—He commands them to observe a special ritual during that month. The verse emphasizes that this land is a fulfillment of God’s promise to their ancestors and is described as “flowing with milk and honey,” highlighting its abundance.

In this verse, Moses is speaking to the Israelites as they prepare to leave Egypt. He reminds them that God (called “the LORD” here) has sworn to give their ancestors this specific land, which is currently occupied by the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites. The “service” they are to keep refers to the observance of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, marking their deliverance and God’s faithfulness.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 13:5

  • “the LORD” (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the personal name of God used throughout the Old Testament, highlighting God’s covenant relationship with Israel.
  • “land” (אֶרֶץ, erets): This word means “land” or “earth,” and here it specifically refers to the territory promised to the Israelites.
  • “flowing” (זָבַת, zavat): This word means “flowing” or “gushing,” painting a vivid picture of the land’s richness and fertility.
  • “service” (עֲבֹדָה, avodah): This word means “service” or “work,” and in this context, it refers to the religious observance or ritual the Israelites are to perform.

Why Exodus 13:5 matters

  • Exodus 13:5 clarifies that the ritual observance is not just a one-time event but is to be kept when the Israelites are settled in the promised land, tying their worship to God’s faithfulness in fulfilling His promise.
  • The verse highlights the specific peoples inhabiting the land, reminding the Israelites that their inheritance is both a gift and a fulfillment of a sworn oath to their ancestors.
  • By describing the land as “flowing with milk and honey,” Exodus 13:5 emphasizes the goodness and abundance of what God is providing, reinforcing the significance of remembering and celebrating this gift.

Where else these words appear

“Hivites” Hebrew H2340 · used in 25 verses

  • Genesis 10:17 And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite,
  • Exodus 34:11 Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
  • Joshua 12:8 In the mountains, and in the valleys, and in the plains, and in the springs, and in the wilderness, and in the south country; the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites:

“Jebusites” Hebrew H2983 · used in 39 verses

  • Genesis 10:16 And the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgasite,
  • Joshua 11:3 And to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and to the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the mountains, and to the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpeh.
  • 2 Samuel 24:18 And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite.

“flowing” Hebrew H2100 · used in 41 verses

  • Exodus 3:8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
  • Leviticus 15:25 And if a woman have an issue of her blood many days out of the time of her separation, or if it run beyond the time of her separation; all the days of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days of her separation: she shall be unclean.
  • Deuteronomy 26:15 Look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless thy people Israel, and the land which thou hast given us, as thou swarest unto our fathers, a land that floweth with milk and honey.

“milk” Hebrew H2461 · used in 44 verses

  • Genesis 18:8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.
  • Deuteronomy 14:21 Ye shall not eat of any thing that dieth of itself: thou shalt give it unto the stranger that is in thy gates, that he may eat it; or thou mayest sell it unto an alien: for thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.
  • Proverbs 30:33 Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.