Exodus 23:30 (KJV)

What does Exodus 23:30 mean?

Exodus 23:30 describes God’s promise to give Israel the land in stages, rather than all at once. The pace is tied to the growth of the Israelite people, so that they can take possession of the land as the other peoples are driven out.

God is speaking to Israel about the peoples living in the land. After the concern about wild animals in verse 29, “until thou be increased” makes the size of Israel’s population important to the timing. “Thou” refers to Israel as a people, rather than to one person.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 23:30

• “little and little” — מְעַט (meʿat): This word means a little or a small amount. Its repetition gives the sense of a gradual process, bit by bit.
• “increased” — פָּרָה (parah): This word can mean to be fruitful or multiply. Here the growth concerns the number of Israelites, not simply an increase in their wealth or strength.

Why Exodus 23:30 matters

• The timing has a practical purpose. Verse 29 connects a sudden removal of the inhabitants with the land becoming deserted and wild animals becoming too numerous for Israel.
• The promise looks ahead to Israel occupying the land. “Inherit the land” points to taking possession of a place where the people will live, not merely passing through it.
• The passage names the land’s boundaries in verse 31. The promise therefore concerns a particular territory, described in relation to seas, wilderness, and the river.