The Meaning of Exodus 23:31 Explained

Exodus 23:31

KJV: 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.

YLT: 'And I have set thy border from the Red Sea, even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness unto the River: for I give into your hand the inhabitants of the land, and thou hast cast them out from before thee;

Darby: And I will set thy bounds from the Red Sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness unto the river; for I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand, that thou mayest dispossess them from before thee.

ASV: And I will set thy border from the Red Sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness unto the River: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand: and thou shalt drive them out before thee.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Exodus 23:31 Mean?

Verse Meaning

God further promised a wide land area. It stretched from the Red Sea (probably the Gulf of Aqabah, the southeastern boundary) to the Mediterranean Sea (the western boundary). It also ran from the wilderness (probably the northeast edge of the Sinai wilderness, the southwest boundary) to the Euphrates River (the northeastern boundary; cf. Genesis 15:18). Some writers believed that this is a reference to the river that now forms the border between modern Lebanon and Syria. [1] Yet in the Hebrew Bible "the river" usually refers to the Euphrates. Israel did not occupy all of this territory due to her disobedience to God.

Context Summary

Exodus 23:18-33 - Promise Of Entrance Into Canaan
This Angel must have been the Lord himself, for Stephen said expressly that the Angel was with Moses at the burning bush, where Jehovah revealed Himself, and the very ground was holy. Besides, we are told here that God's Name-i.e., His nature-was in Him. The Son of God, therefore, must have been the leader of that pilgrim-host, preceding the march, and preparing for their needs.
Notice that God would also send the hornet before His people, Exodus 23:28. The Presence, which is an Angel for God's children, becomes a hornet to the rebellious and ungodly. To one it is a savor of life, and to the other of death. The sun that bleaches linen white, tans the hands that expose it; the cloud which is light to Israel is thick darkness to Egypt. Grieve not the Holy One, who will overcome your enemies and satisfy your soul with goodness, if you will obey His voice. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 23

1  Of slander, false witness, and partiality
4  Of charitableness
6  Of justice in judgment
8  Of taking bribes
9  Of oppressing a stranger
10  Of the year of rest
12  Of the Sabbath
13  Of idolatry
14  Of the three feasts
18  Of the blood and the fat of the sacrifice
20  An angel is promised, with a blessing, if they obey him

What do the individual words in Exodus 23:31 mean?

And I will set - your bounds from the Sea Red and to the sea of the Philistines and from the desert to the River for I will deliver into your hand - the inhabitants of the land and you shall drive them out before you
וְשַׁתִּ֣י אֶת־ גְּבֻלְךָ֗ מִיַּם־ סוּף֙ וְעַד־ יָ֣ם פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וּמִמִּדְבָּ֖ר עַד־ הַנָּהָ֑ר כִּ֣י ׀ אֶתֵּ֣ן בְּיֶדְכֶ֗ם אֵ֚ת יֹשְׁבֵ֣י הָאָ֔רֶץ וְגֵרַשְׁתָּ֖מוֹ מִפָּנֶֽיךָ

וְשַׁתִּ֣י  And  I  will  set 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: שִׁית  
Sense: to put, set.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
גְּבֻלְךָ֗  your  bounds 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: גְּבוּל  
Sense: border, territory.
מִיַּם־  from  the  Sea 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
סוּף֙  Red 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: סוּף  
Sense: reed, rush, water plant.
וְעַד־  and  to 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
יָ֣ם  the  sea 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים  of  the  Philistines 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: פְּלִשְׁתִּי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan.
וּמִמִּדְבָּ֖ר  and  from  the  desert 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
הַנָּהָ֑ר  the  River 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָהָר  
Sense: stream, river.
אֶתֵּ֣ן  I  will  deliver 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
בְּיֶדְכֶ֗ם  into  your  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
אֵ֚ת  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
יֹשְׁבֵ֣י  the  inhabitants 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
הָאָ֔רֶץ  of  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וְגֵרַשְׁתָּ֖מוֹ  and  you  shall  drive  them  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: גָּרַשׁ 
Sense: to drive out, expel, cast out, drive away, divorce, put away, thrust away, trouble, cast up.
מִפָּנֶֽיךָ  before  you 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, common plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.