And hast given them this land, which thou didst swear to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey;

JEREMIAH 32:22KJV
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Jeremiah 32:22 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 32:22 mean?

Jeremiah 32:22 describes how God gave the Israelites the land He had promised to their ancestors, a land described as “flowing with milk and honey.” This verse highlights God’s faithfulness in keeping His promise to give the people a rich and fertile land.

In this verse, the prophet Jeremiah is speaking to God during a time when Jerusalem is under siege. Jeremiah is recalling how God fulfilled His oath to the forefathers by giving their descendants the promised land. The phrase “flowing with milk and honey” paints a picture of abundance and blessing, showing that God provided not just any land, but one full of good things.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 32:22

  • “Given” (נָתַן, natan): This word means “to give,” and it appears twice in this verse, emphasizing God’s active role in providing the land to Israel.
  • “Land” (אֶרֶץ, erets): This word refers to the physical territory or country, making it clear that the promise was about a real, tangible place.
  • “Swear” (שָׁבַע, shava): This word means “to swear” or “to make an oath,” underlining that God’s gift of the land was not random but based on a solemn promise to the ancestors.
  • “Flowing” (זוּב, zub): This word means “to flow,” and it is used here to describe the land as overflowing with good things, which helps the reader picture the richness and abundance of the land.

Why Jeremiah 32:22 matters

  • Jeremiah 32:22 reminds the reader that God’s promises are trustworthy and that He follows through, even across generations.
  • The verse connects Jeremiah’s present situation—facing national crisis—with the long history of God’s faithfulness, setting up a contrast between past blessings and current troubles.
  • The specific language of “milk and honey” helps the reader understand that God’s intention was not just to provide land, but to give His people a place of genuine prosperity and well-being.

Where else these words appear

“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 15:19 And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even.
  • Deuteronomy 26:9 And he hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even 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 11:9 And that ye may prolong your days in the land, which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give unto them and to their seed, a land that floweth with milk and honey.
  • Proverbs 27:27 And thou shalt have goats' milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance for thy maidens.

“honey” Hebrew H1706 · used in 54 verses

  • Genesis 43:11 And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:
  • Deuteronomy 27:3 And thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law, when thou art passed over, that thou mayest go in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, a land that floweth with milk and honey; as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee.
  • Psalms 81:16 He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.