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 23:31KJV
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Exodus 23:31 (KJV)

What does Exodus 23:31 mean?

Exodus 23:31 describes God promising to set the boundaries of the land for the Israelites, stretching from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the river, assuring them that He will give them victory over the land’s inhabitants and that they will drive those people out. This verse outlines the extent of the territory God is giving to Israel and His role in their conquest.

In this verse, God is speaking to the Israelites through Moses as part of a larger set of instructions and promises given after the Exodus from Egypt. The specific boundaries mentioned—using landmarks like the Red Sea, the sea of the Philistines (often understood as the Mediterranean), the desert, and the river (commonly taken as the Euphrates)—show the broad area God intends for Israel. The verse also emphasizes that God Himself will deliver the inhabitants into Israel’s hand, highlighting divine involvement in their future victories.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 23:31

  • "bounds" (גְּבוּל, g'vul): This word means a border or boundary. Its use here clarifies that God is setting specific, defined limits to the land, not just a vague region.
  • "Red" (סוּף, suf) and "sea" (יָם, yam): Together, these refer to the Red Sea, marking the southeastern edge of the promised territory.
  • "sea" (יָם, yam) and "Philistines" (פְּלִשְׁתִּי, Pelishti): This points to the Mediterranean coast, near where the Philistines lived, marking the western boundary.
  • "desert" (מִדְבָּר, midbar): This word points to the southern or eastern wilderness, showing the land’s edge in that direction.
  • "river" (נָהָר, nahar): This is often understood as the Euphrates, marking the northeastern limit, which suggests a much larger territory than what Israel historically occupied.
  • "deliver" (נָתַן, natan): This verb means to give or hand over. It stresses that God is the one actively giving the land’s inhabitants into Israel’s power.

Why Exodus 23:31 matters

  • This verse clarifies the expansive area God originally promised to Israel, which is broader than what they later settled, helping readers understand the scope of the biblical land promise.
  • The verse highlights that Israel’s success depends on God’s action ("I will deliver"), not just their own strength, which is a key theme in the surrounding chapters.
  • By naming specific boundaries, the verse connects to earlier promises made to Abraham and his descendants, showing continuity in God’s covenant and faithfulness.

Where else these words appear

“Red” Hebrew H5488 · used in 28 verses

  • Exodus 2:3 And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink.
  • Numbers 33:11 And they removed from the Red sea, and encamped in the wilderness of Sin.
  • Nehemiah 9:9 And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red sea;

“out” Hebrew H1644 · used in 45 verses

  • Genesis 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
  • Leviticus 21:14 A widow, or a divorced woman, or profane, or an harlot, these shall he not take: but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife.
  • 1 Chronicles 17:21 And what one nation in the earth is like thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem to be his own people, to make thee a name of greatness and terribleness, by driving out nations from before thy people, whom thou hast redeemed out of Egypt?

“set” Hebrew H7896 · used in 80 verses

  • Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
  • Job 14:13 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!
  • Psalms 88:8 Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.

“river” Hebrew H5104 · used in 109 verses

  • Genesis 2:10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.
  • Ezra 8:36 And they delivered the king's commissions unto the king's lieutenants, and to the governors on this side the river: and they furthered the people, and the house of God.
  • Isaiah 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.